Chop Wood, Carry Water 8/29

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Hi, all, and happy Tuesday!

Also happy actual August 29th! Sorry yesterday’s newsletter had the wrong date on it. I was getting ahead of myself.

Today President Biden formally announced the first ten drugs that Medicare will be negotiating drug prices on under a critical provision of the Inflation Reduction Act. It is a huge, huge deal. These reductions will help Americans—particularly senior citizens—in meaningful ways, and Big Pharma fought them hard. In fact, they spent nearly $400 million trying to stop them, and eight pharmaceutical companies have filed lawsuits to block these price negotiations now that they’re happening.

But let’s not focus on that right now. Let’s focus on this: Up to 9 million Americans will stand to benefit from the new negotiated drug prices. The average out-of-pocket cost seniors had to pay per year for just one of the drugs selected for negotiation was $6,497. That’s a lot of money, and it’s about to change drastically. Lives will be changed for the better. Significantly.

And that’s what President Biden’s all about, right? That’s what we’re about. It’s why we do what we do, and work as hard as we can: to improve lives. That’s our brand, as it were. What a gift! What an honor!

So let’s celebrate today’s announcement. We can take a small bit of credit for it, in fact, as most of us worked hard to help elect President Biden and the Democratic lawmakers who passed the Inflation Reduction Act without a single Republican vote. This is why we labor against constant headwinds. Because the results can be transformative, and that matters.

Speaking of what matters? Elections do, a lot.

And so do each of you. Never forget it.

Call Your Senators (find yours here) 📲

Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is ______.

I’m calling because I’m extremely anxious and concerned about the climate crisis. I understand that Sen. Ed Markey has reintroduced S. 1138, the Fossil Free Finance Act, which would require big banks to stop financing greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Is the Senator yet a co-sponsor? [Assuming they aren’t add:] I find that very disappointing. We are in a state of emergency yet Congress isn’t acting like it. What more will it take? I want the Senator to co-sponsor this bill now. Fossil fuel companies shouldn’t get more protection than we do. Thanks.

Call Your House Rep (find yours here) 📲

Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is _______.

I’m calling because I’m extremely anxious and concerned about the climate crisis. I understand that Rep Pressley has reintroduced H.R. 2443, the Fossil Free Finance Act, which would require big banks to stop financing greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Is the Congressmember yet a co-sponsor? [Assuming they aren’t add:] I find that very disappointing. We are in a state of emergency yet Congress isn’t acting like it. What more will it take? I want the Congressmember to co-sponsor this bill now. Fossil fuel companies shouldn’t get more protection than we do. Thanks.

Extra Credit ✅

Read this important piece from BIG about how Biden’s FTC and DOJ are trying to bolster their anti-trust game with a new rules change, and then please make a comment in support of this move! It’ll take five minutes and wow, does this matter!

I’m not going to tell you what to say in your comment as copied and pasted comments hold little weight, but I used the BIG piece as a basis for mine. Remember, your comment doesn’t need to be long or wonky—just supportive of this simple but hugely important change.

Get Smart! 📚

As Saturday’s shooting in Orlando reminded us yet again, things are going in the wrong direction on racial justice in the U.S.

It’s not just the violence—we have anti-trans legislation, book bans, the crusade against the “woke” agenda, climate change, and more. These things are horrible for all of us, but people of color bear the brunt.

I’ve talked many times here about SURJ, the largest organization in US history organizing white people for justice. So when they asked me this week to give them another plug I was happy to say yes. They are AMAZING, y’all—please, please check them out.

You can get involved with SURJ from anywhere across the country– joining online or finding a local chapter near you. Right now they are focussed on three big priorities: stopping Cop City in Atlanta, fighting extremist school board candidates across the country, and winning the gubernatorial election in Kentucky. These are all wildly important endeavors that should be supported.

We’re at a tipping point. Let’s make sure we tip the right way.

Check out SURJ here.

Spread the Word! 📣

Here are some White House resources for today’s big announcement on drug pricing.

Statement by President Biden.

White House Fact Sheet.

HHS Report with State-by-State Numbers on Use and Out-of-pocket Spending on Selected Drugs.

Give 💰!

Environmental Voter Project is holding their big annual fundraiser on September 12th at 8PM ET, and I encourage you to save the date and attend if you can. (No donation is necessary to do so.) I LOVE this organization and think the work they’re doing is critical.

At this event you’ll learn about EVP’s latest voter turnout work and hear from their special guest speaker: Indigenous climate activist and policy expert, Jade Begay.

Register here.

Also, you can donate here if you are unable to attend or would like to make an early contribution.

Win Races—Write! 🗳

Whoo! Activate America just launched a postcarding campaign into Ohio for the pro-choice ballot measure vote in November. They are starting off with a campaign to urge voters to register for their absentee ballots. Later in September they will shift to a get-out-the-vote campaign. Sign up HERE to request postcard addresses and a script. You need to provide your own cards.

Win Races—Call! ☎️

The Virginia general election is coming up on November 7 and early voting begins September 22. All 40 State Senate and 100 State House seats are up for election. 

This election will set the stage for 2024 and it is crucial we turn out as many voters as possible. Will you help the Center For Common Ground mobilize Black voters in Virginia by making phone calls? 

Join them every Tuesday from 3 to 5pm PT/ 6 to 8pm ET for a National Guided Phone Bank! 

SIGN UP HERE

Resistbot Letter (new to Resistbot? Go here! And then here.) 💻

Alan Unell has a worthy Resistbot letter in his newsletter today. Let’s send it to all three of our reps! Quick send text SIGN PRQPXD to 50409 or copy, paste, edit as wished, and send by texting CONGRESS to 50409 and following the prompts.

I am your constituent and I am appalled by the high rate of maternal mortality in states that ban abortion. The average is 47.5 deaths/100,000 live births. Mississippi is 82, Louisiana is 61, and Alabama is 57. According to the CIA World Factbook Azerbaijan is at 41, Jordan is at 41, Mongolia is 39, and Syria is 30. Not a pretty picture.

At least 4 million people have been wrongfully removed from Medicaid for paperwork issues, many of them children.

The current healthcare system is failing way too many people. We don’t have to put up roadblocks to healthcare, we need to make it more accessible.

The cure is within our hands for each of those items. The cure is to have ready access to healthcare wherever you are - HR 3421, improved Medicare for All, has budgets for building out the infrastructure. The cure is to remove copays, deductibles, and preauthorizations - HR 421, improved Medicare for All, does that. 

Authorizing reproductive healthcare for all of the US will improve maternal mortality — The Women’s Health Protection Act does that. 

Removing the roadblocks to care for so many - the social determinants of health - the Black Momnibus bill does that. 

I want you to cosponsor and pass HR 3421 the improved Medicare forAll act, the Women’s Health Protection Act, and the Black Momnibus bill now. Act like people’s lives depend upon it - because they do.

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OK, you did it again! You helped save democracy! You’re amazing.

Talk soon.

Jess