Hi, all, and happy Thursday!
First of all, to those of you who celebrate Yom Kippur, may you have an easy fast.
And to all of you, I hope you enjoyed yesterday. I know I did. I realized halfway through the day that I was experiencing this victory very differently from November’s. This time our results were nearly immediate, and they weren’t even close. It offered the instant satisfaction that, for many reasons, was missing from other recent electoral victories.
So it was a good day.
But there’s so much more to do, with the top priority being passing the Freedom to Vote Act. So let’s get back to work, knowing that today’s actions bring more celebrations tomorrow.
Call Your Senators (find yours here)
Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is ______.
First, I want Congress to pass a $3.5 trillion reconciliation budget that includes the proposed expansion of Medicare to include dental, vision, and hearing, and lowering the eligibility age to 50. Do not cut this or anything else out of the proposal! In order to pay for it all please include in the legislation a provision that closes the Billionaires Loophole (otherwise known as the stepped up basis loophole) so that billionaires like Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk have to pay more taxes. [H/T]
Second, the Senate needs to pass the Freedom to Vote Act Now. [If Dem add:] And Democrats should absolutely abolish the filibuster to get it done.
Call Your House Rep (find yours here)
Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is _______.
First, I want Congress to pass a $3.5 trillion reconciliation budget that includes the proposed expansion of Medicare to include dental, vision, and hearing, and lowering the eligibility age to 50. Do not cut this or anything else out of the proposal! In order to pay for it all please include in the legislation a provision that closes the Billionaires Loophole (otherwise known as the stepped up basis loophole) so that billionaires like Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk have to pay more taxes. Thanks. [H/T]
Extra Credit
Let’s call the Senate Judiciary Committee 202-224-7703 and say:
“My name is _____ and I’m calling from ______. After watching Simone Biles and other gymnasts testify before your committee yesterday it is crystal clear that Congress must investigate and possibly dismantle US Gymnastics and the USOPC. Those institutions failed to do the very minimum required when training young athletes. As for the FBI, there must be federal charges for those found to have covered this up. Please ensure this happens. Thanks.” [H/T]
Social Storm!
Please post this on your social media! (You can also R/T mine here).
Instead of working to fix the urgent issues facing us, like delivering pandemic relief & ensuring access to the vaccine, a handful of GOP politicians want to make it harder to vote. We must fight back.
Call your Senators & tell them to pass the #FreedomToVote Act. 202-224-3121
[Download the GIF here.]
Resistbot Text (new to Resistbot? Go here!)
[to your HOUSE rep] [h/T]
I just read that Congresswoman Cori Bush, drawing on her experience as a nurse and frontline activist during the Ferguson movement, has introduced the People’s Response Act. It would:
Establish the "Division of Community Safety” at the Department of Health and Human Services to oversee grantmaking, research coordination, and other support for non-carceral, non-punitive approaches to public safety;
Create a federal first responders unit that will support states and local governments with emergency health crises, as well as a First Responders Hiring Grant to fund non-carceral first responders;
Provide resources for community-based organizations to implement non-carceral, non-punitive investments in community safety; and
Fund and incentivize state and local governments to shrink their criminal-legal systems and invest in community-led, non-carceral, non-punitive approaches to public safety.
I’d like you to co-sponsor this. Policing as we now do it is broken. It's past time for Congress to support these efforts. The People’s Response Act could transform the way America approaches public safety by funding community systems to respond to mental health emergencies, led by health officials rather than law enforcement. I urge you to support this transformative effort to reimage public safety. Thanks.
OK, you did it again! You helped save democracy! You’re amazing.
Talk tomorrow.
Jess