Chop Wood, Carry Water 9/28 š„
Hi, all, and happy Wednesday!
First, if youāre in Florida please know that Iām sending you thoughts and prayers. I hope that you and your loved ones get through today safely and with minimal damage. šš½
Second, yāall, we killed the dirty deal! At least for now. And YOU helped!
What am I talking about? Joe Manchin pulled his āpermitting reformā legislation out of the Continuing Resolution yesterday after realizing that, between Republicans who wanted to avenge themselves on him for the Inflation Reduction Act and Democrats who were refusing to support his bill after getting barraged by calls from their constituents, he didnāt have the votes. Rather than risk an ugly showdown that might result in bad headlines for Democrats he did the right thing and withdrew the legislation.
This is a big deal. A couple of weeks ago it seemed impossible. I was literally told by a person in the know that this deal was a āfait accompliā that we should just accept.
We didnāt. We did the opposite. And because of that we won.
Democratic lawmakers will now work with environmental groups to include the parts of the permitting reform that didnāt stinkālike finding ways to fast-track permitting for clean energy projectsāin upcoming legislation. Legislation, it should be added, that isnāt being snuck past us in a spending bill, and that wasnāt co-written by Big Oil and Gas.
This is how it should work!
I canāt tell you how grateful I am to every one of you who sent Resistbots about this, or calledāyesāover and over. See why I say that repetition works?
See why I say that your voice matters?
It does. So letās use it one more time.
Call Your Senators (find yours here)
Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is ______.
Iām calling once again to say that I want S. 4556, the Respect For Marriage Act, to be passed right away. I will keep calling about this because itās so important to me. [Include personal connection to LGBTQ rights and/or marriage equality]. I want this bill to get a vote and be passed now. Thanks.
Call Your House Rep (find yours here)
Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is _______.
Iām calling to ask the Congressmember to push the EPA to pursue a federal takeover of water infrastructure in Mississippi in light of the devastating water crisis in Jackson.
Jackson residents have been the victims of decades of environmental racism, including disinvestment in their water infrastructure. Water is life, and it is clear that the state of Mississippi cannot be relied upon to deliver this basic right.
Please ask the Congressmember to make a statement in support of a federal takeover of Mississippi water infrastructure. Thanks. [H/T]
Extra Credit ā
The Bureau of Energy Ocean Management has just released a draft of its 5-year plan for oil and gas leasing. It opens up the Gulf of Mexico for as many as 10 lease sales. In addition to the catastrophic effects that will result from continued oil & gas expansion, new leasing offshore will allow the oil and gas industry to cement its supremacy for years to come and continue to rake in record profits at a time when we should be transitioning to renewable energy. NOPE!
Please use this quick and easy tool from Protect Our Coast to send an official public comment to Deb Haaland and Amanda Lefton (Director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management) demanding that they not pursue this plan. Weāve achieved one huge climate victoryāletās achieve another!
Itās important that you personalize the letter a bit by writing at least one sentence at the top explaining why you oppose offshore drilling and/or worry about climate change. Otherwise the comment may be discarded.
Again, click here to send your comment.
Get Smart! š
Yāall David Pepper is speaking for Big Tent tonight. If youāve never heard him I urge you to attend if you can.
Pepper,Ā renownedĀ author,Ā former Chairman of the Ohio Democratic Party (2015-2021), and election law professor,Ā will join them at 7pm ET.Ā Ā Ā
Pepper will discuss one of his recent books, LaboratoriesĀ of Autocracy: A Wake-Up Call From Behind the Lines, how state legislatures are becoming anti-democratic forces, and what we can do to fight back.
Give š°!
Blue Tent is out with a new email this morning specifically about state legislative races. They have drilled down intoĀ thousands of state legislative races to find just nine candidates they think need and should get financial support.Ā They say:
First, we identified those states where Democrats could flip a legislative chamber ā or the GOP could win a supermajority. Second, we identified the key competitive races that will determine such outcomes. And third, we analyzed the financial reports of Democratic candidates in those races to see who still needs to raise more money.Ā
This research is captured in our ActBlue slate of nine recommended candidates. Every one of them is in a must-win race in a state that will loom large in 2024. And all had less than $200,000 in cash on hand when they filed their last financial report. You can read more about each of them in our blog post. Theyāre an inspiring bunch; eight are women.Ā
We believe that this slate is among the highest impact giving opportunities for small donors right now in the 2022 election cycle. Your money can really count in state legislative races, which are typically much less expensive than federal races. Ā
Please give, and/or share with anyone you know whoās looking for a strategic place to give money.
Win RacesāMake Deep Canvassing Calls! š³
On Thursday, Indivisible is hosting a Deep Canvassing Phonebank focused on abortion access for candidates on the West Coast. We know that voters are moving toward us on abortion and MAGA extremism. But there are still folks out there with conflicting beliefs, and through deep canvassing, we can move them to our side!
Youāll call voters who are likely pro-choice but donāt always vote for Democrats, have open conversations about their stake in abortion access, and move them to act on their beliefs by voting for progressive candidates.Ā RSVP for the Deep Canvassing Phonebank to conflicted Pro-Choice Voters in AZ & OR-5 from 8pm-11pm ET/5pm-8pm PT.Ā
Theyāre reporting that theyāve been moving around 10% of voters they talk to, which is a massive electorate shift especially in close races! Please note this is a 3hr event: youāll receive a 1hr training on deep canvassing fundamentals, followed by a 2hr phonebank + debrief for the Give No Ground candidate of your choice in Arizona or Oregon.
[H/T Small Deeds Done]
Win Races, Send PA Ballot Chase Letters
Yāall, I just ordered a bunch of āBallot chaseā letters into Pennsylvania for my postcarding depot. I get them through Swing Blue Alliance, and people really like doing them because they require mostly assembly with a minimum of writing. Theyāre also strategically smart. I do pay for these packets, as I do for most of the postcards I put outāyour subscription dollars at work!āand you would have to also. But theyāre not super expensive, and this is a GREAT way to ensure good turnout in PA.
Visit the Swing Blue Allianceās eStore today to place an order for ballot chase letters into Delaware County, Pennsylvania. Theyāll ship you everything you need!
You will have to create an accountāit takes a minute to get set up with them as theyāre trying to keep bad actors out of their e-storeābut once youāve done that youāll be good to go forever, and theyāve got tons of great campaigns like this.
Resistbot Text (new to Resistbot? Go here! And then here.)
[to your Senators] [H/T Sierra Club] [quick send: text SIGN PWLLHQ to 50409]
It is the Senate's role to consider and vote to confirm federal judges after the President appoints them.
Right now, there are dozens of appointments waiting for a vote, and I urge you to swiftly act to fill these critical vacancies.
Chief among them is Nancy Abudu, who is a nominee for the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals. Ms. Abudu has a lengthy track record, serving as the Strategic Litigation Director at the Southern Poverty Law Center, as the Legal Director of ACLU Florida, and as a staff attorney with the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in the early 2000s. Ms. Abudu is an expert in crucial areas of law related to the work of the 11th Circuit. She is also among the most experienced litigators in the nation on criminal law and constitutional law, with demonstrated expertise in religious freedom, voting rights, civil liberties, and administrative law.
I implore you to not wait a moment longer and encourage Senator Schumer to hold a vote to confirm Nancy Abudu and for you to vote yes on her confirmation! Thanks.
OK, you did it again! You helped save democracy! Youāre amazing.
Talk tomorrow.
Jess
I called to be an organizer for the letter writing for the first time today. The woman I talked to asked how I heard about them and that they had had a lot of people from the west coast sign up today. Itās all from your newsletter!!!
Thanks so MUCH!!!!