Hi, all, and happy Monday!
I’m on a call with a bunch of other progressive activists getting a briefing from the White House, and what we’re hearing is this: it’s a make or break week. Seriously. We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to pass life-changing legislation—the Build Back Better plan—and the White House is asking for us to mobilize like we never have before. They are literally begging us to “cancel everything else you have going on” and focus on this. Failure is not an option; there’s too much at stake.
You’ll see quick calls below. Make them. Share this newsletter with a few friends who might also call. Post about it on social media. Please, make the time. If we win this fight the real life consequences will be HUGE.
If we don’t, sadly, they’ll be huge, too. And not in a good way.
P.S. Here, according to the folks who know, are the House reps who need the MOST pressure: Bordeaux, Murphy, Rice, Schrader, Golden, Spanberger, Peters, Cuellar, Slotkin, Lurie, Gonzalez, Case, Fletcher, Kim. If one of those is yours I beg you to use your constituent-power to give them hell.
Call Your Senators (find yours here)
Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is ______.
First, I know the House Ways and Means Committee has only approved 2.1 trillion dollars of the 3.5 trillion required to pay for the entire Build Back Better plan. This isn’t enough. Please tell the Senator we need to close the stepped up basis tax loophole. Doing that and giving the IRS more money for enforcement would pay for the rest of the plan, and we desperately need everything in it. We need FULL funding for healthcare, eldercare, childcare, education, housing, child tax credits, clean energy and more. It’s time for our tax code to reward work, not wealth. Oh, and please make sure the subsidies for fossil fuel are removed from the plan—we’re in a full-on climate crisis.
Also, I want the Senate to pass the Freedom to Vote Act. This absolutely must happen if our democracy is to survive. Thanks. [If Democrat add: and for God’s sake do a filibuster carve-out to get this done!]
Call Your House Rep (find yours here)
Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is _______.
I know the House may vote on the Build Back Better plan this week, and I know lobbyists are hard at work trying to remove all the best parts of it. This is unacceptable. Congress needs to support the full $3.5 trillion in investments in healthcare, eldercare, childcare, education, housing, child tax credits, clean energy and more, funded by making big corporations and the wealthy pay their fair share of taxes. It’s time for our tax code to reward work, not wealth. Oh, and please make sure the subsidies for fossil fuel are removed from the plan. Thanks.
[I made this into a Resistbot letter that can be sent to your House rep by just texting SIGN PCKYTS to 50409 or to @Resistbot on FB Messenger or Twitter DMs.]
Extra Credit
Post this on social (download graphic here)
I support #PaidLeaveForAll because no one should have to choose between their family and a paycheck, or their health and their work. We are the ONLY affluent country with no paid leave policy. 😳
I’m calling on Congress to #PassPaidLeave this Paid Leave National Day of Action.
Extra EXTRA Credit
We’re still working hard to get fossil fuel subsidies out of the Build Back Better Act. House Rules Committee Chair Jim McGovern is a cosponsor of the End Polluters Welfare Act, so we know he's on our side -- but he needs to be able to point to our support if he's going to go up against conservative Democrats.
Call Rep. McGovern's office at 202-225-6101. Say:
“Hi. My name is _____ and I’m calling from _____. I’m calling the Representative in his capacity as chair of the House Rules Committee. I want to thank him for his support of the End Polluters Welfare Act. He now has the chance to help eliminate fossil fuel subsidies in the budget reconciliation plan, and I'm counting on him to lead on bold climate action and do what's right by putting an end to these harmful subsidies. [Feel free to add a sentence about why you care about climate action]. Thanks."
Resistbot Text (new to Resistbot? Go here!)
[to all 3 reps] [H/T]
As your constituent, I am writing to urge you to support the Postal Service Reform Act (H.R. 3076/S.1720), and to demand that it receives a floor vote when Congress returns from recess. This crucial legislation will save the USPS from the draconian retiree pre-funding mandate that is precipitating service cuts at the post office. It will also Integrate postal retirees into Medicare and enable the USPS to offer non-postal services like fishing licenses that will bring in revenue.
The USPS is one of the crown jewels of American infrastructure, and it should be built upon, not dismantled and privatized.
One more thing: Louis DeJoy must be removed as head of the Postal Board of Governors. Since President Biden can’t do this himself, please pressure him to replace boardmembers Bloom and Barger, both of whom are Trump cronies and termed out, with new members who will be willing to vote to remove DeJoy.
Thanks!
OK, you did it again! You helped save democracy! You’re amazing.
Talk tomorrow.
Jess