Actions

Weekly Actions

Members of Congress

  • Sen. Patty Murray
    (202) 224-2621 | Email

  • Sen. Maria Cantwell
    (202) 224-3441 | Email

  • Rep. Suzan DelBene (1st)
    (202) 225-6311 | Email

  • Rep. Kim Schrier (8th)
    (202) 225-7761 | Email

  • Rep. Adam Smith (9th)
    (202) 225-8901 | Email
    		•

    For the Week of Dec 2, 2024

    🔷 The past few weeks have been difficult, to say the least. We hope that you have been able to switch off a bit and enjoy some rest, good food, and time with supportive family and friends. It’s important that we all find ways to cope with the stresses that we’ll face in the months and years ahead. One way to find support is to find writers that can put into words what we’re experiencing and lift us up a little. Here are links to pieces suggested by the excellent ‘Chop Wood, Carry Water’ newsletter by Jessica Craven. You can sign up for the free or paid subscriptions HERE.

    A few readings on hope —all really worth your time:

    🔷 Tues Dec. 3 is Giving Tuesday, an international day of giving to organizations that help people in need in many different areas. Think about all of the people who will be negatively impacted by the election results and you will find organizations that are working hard to improve their lives. You can search by topic (e.g. immigration, LGBTQ+ rights, climate and environment, civil rights, etc.) and choose as many organizations to support as you want, or just focus on one – every dollar helps. Here is the link for WAGives, our state organization in the wider Giving Tuesday network.

    🔷 Our state is fortunate to have weathered this election cycle by actually turning BLUER! Help  Washington Indivisible Legislative Action (WILA) continue our effective advocacy for just and popular legislation by filling out the 2025 WIN Legislative Priorities survey. Thank you!

    🔷 King County Emergency Management wants to know if the recent windstorm caused you any damages. This information may help Washington request disaster assistance from state and federal programs. If your primary residence or business was damaged by the weather, they’d like to hear from you at this link.

    🔷 A reminder: we won’t hold a member meeting in December but are hoping to meet on the weekend of Jan. 11-12. Watch this space for details.

    Here are your 2 actions, a bonus action and a Bright Spot.

    ✊ Action 1 – Tell your Senators to OPPOSE H.R. 9495 to Stop Trump From Attacking Dissenting Organizations

    From Indivisible and the Electronic Frontier Foundation

    On 11/21, the House passed H.R. 9495, a bill that would give the incoming Trump administration unchecked power to shut down any non-profit organization that stands in the way of his MAGA agenda. Now, the bill is going to the Senate for consideration. 

    Under this legislation, Trump’s Treasury Department could indiscriminately label any non-profit organization a “terrorist supporting organization” and strip it of its tax-exempt status, without oversight, due process, or justification. Trump could use it to shut down any and all dissent against him. The bill’s authors combined this attack on nonprofits, originally written as H.R. 6408, with other legislation that would prevent the IRS from imposing fines and penalties on hostages while they are held abroad. These are separate matters. The Senate must insist on the separation of these two bills to allow a meaningful vote on this dangerous expansion of executive power. 

    This vote is a litmus test for Democrats as we prepare for the incoming Trump administration: are Democrats going to make it easier for Trump to pursue his authoritarian agenda, or are they going to fight back? 

    Senate Democrats must fight back and vote NO on H.R. 9495 – and oppose any bill that it’s attached to as an amendment – to send a clear message to Trump that they will not just give in to his power grabs. Please contact your Senators today and let them know that you expect them to oppose this bill.

    ☎ Sample Script:

    Hello. My name is [NAME] and I am a constituent from [CITY]. I am very concerned about the recent passage of H.R. 9495 in the House, which would allow the Secretary of Treasury to strip a U.S. nonprofit of its tax-exempt status.  If it passes the Senate and is signed into law, H.R. 9495 would give broad and easily abused new powers to the executive branch. This bill is an existential threat to nonprofits of all stripes. 

    Please oppose the passage of H.R 9495 and oppose any bill that it is attached to as an amendment. It must be separated from its attachment to legislation concerning tax obligations on hostages while they are held abroad as they are entirely separate matters and must be dealt with accordingly.

    Thank you.

    [NAME]

    [IF LEAVING A VOICEMAIL: please leave your full street address to ensure your call is tallied]

    ✊ Action 2 – Remind your Members of Congress to support the LGBTQ+ community from attacks

    From the early days of the election campaign, Republicans made it clear that one of their priorities would be to attack the civil rights of members of the LGBTQ+ community, focusing on transgender rights in particular and airing several hateful ads widely as part of the campaign. The president-elect has promised to end access to gender-affirming care for youth, defund hospitals that provide such care, punish teachers for acknowledging transgender children, and ask Congress to pass a bill stating there are “only two genders.” Trans people are rightly concerned about what the next administration might bring, even in states such as ours which have some protections in place.

    This campaign of bullying and harassment reached new lows recently after the election of Rep. Sarah McBride (D-Del) to Congress. In response to Rep. McBride’s election as the first openly transgender person in Congress, her future colleague, Rep. Nancy Mace (R-South Carolina), has introduced an escalating series of ‘bathroom bills’ to ban transgender women from bathrooms that do not correspond to the sex they were assigned at birth, in Federal facilities as well as the House. This comes from a member of the party whose leader and many of his cabinet picks have been accused of sexual assault and rape.

    Whether or not the bill to ban one member out of 435 from using specific bathroom facilities in her workplace passes, we can be sure that this is just an early salvo fired by the next administration in their war to establish Christian Nationalism as our basis for government. We need to show up for our LGBTQ+ community. 

    Please contact your Members of Congress and ask them to make an unequivocal statement denouncing this bill and making it clear that they will support our LGBTQ+ community in the tough days ahead. Even though this bill affects only the House and will not go to the Senate for a vote, it would be good to put all of our Members of Congress on record in supporting the LGBTQ+ community.

    ☎ Sample Script:

    Hello, my name is [NAME] and I am a constituent from [CITY]. I am contacting you with concern about the increase in rhetoric among Members of Congress against the LGBTQ+ community. I’m concerned about the anti-trans legislation introduced by Representative Mace in the House, as well as plans by Republicans to step up their campaign of discrimination and bullying towards all members of this community. Protecting hard won gains of previous years will require a hard fight, and I look to you to show resolve for this fight. Please issue a statement of support for our friends, family members, and colleagues who are burdened with fears about what they may face. My community and I will support you in this fight to protect the civil rights that have been gained but now feel so precarious. 

    I look forward to reading your statement.

    [NAME]

    [IF LEAVING A VOICEMAIL: please leave your full street address to ensure your call is tallied]

    ✊ Bonus Action – More Resources for Your Activism

    This is a repeat from last week, but we wanted to offer it again. For almost 8 years we have been giving you at least two actions a week right into your inbox. If you are one of those people who have moved from the “grief” stage of the election to the “fired up and ready to fight” stage, we want to give you the resources to take even more actions than we bring to your inbox. Check out these excellent resources:

    5calls.org — If you want to find more actions to take even if you don’t have much time, check out 5 Calls. They list calls to make to your congresspeople, organized by topic, including script and phone numbers, and a way to log/track your 5 Calls actions if you choose. It’s one way to supplement your efforts through Indivisible.

    Chop Wood, Carry Water is a daily political activism newsletter that comes out 6 days a week. Subscribe and you’ll receive a short, encouraging email in your inbox each weekday telling you how you can make a difference by taking 5-7 minutes worth of EASY actions.  Free or paid subscriptions HERE. 

    Indivisible.org is our parent organization and they have specific actions you can take by zip code or topic area search. You can also sign up to receive emails from them HERE and donate HERE.

    Suzi and Eric LeVine – The LeVine’s are local activists. Suzi was Ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein during the Obama Administration. Their newsletter gives actions and insight that can inspire and keep you motivated. Subscribe to their newsletter HERE.

    ⛅ Bright Spot 

    For a long but encouraging summary of pushback against Trump, here’s a partial list from Amy Siskind via her Facebook page.

    * Fed Chair Powell will not resign or let Trump fire him

    * Growing list of GOP Senators speak out against recess appointment idea

    * Democrat Sen Judiciary senior member Amy Klobuchar saying only voting on FBI vetted candidates

    * GOP Sens. Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski join Klobuchar

    * GOP Sen. Mike Rounds says if background check is outsourced it needs to be validated

    * Federal agencies refuse to meet with Trump nominees until Trump signs ethics and transparency pledges

    * Billionaire hedge manager Griffin saying Trump tariffs will lead to crony capitalism at NY Economic Club

    * GOP ranking member on Senate Armed Services Committee Roger Wicks says yes, Trump nominees need FBI checks

    * US farmers push back on deportations, saying half their workers are undocumented and it would cause a shock to the food system and price spikes

    * CA Gov. Gavin Newsom says Tesla will not be eligible for CA state EV rebates if Trump does away with federal subsidies

    * Republicans speaking on the record against Trump extremism nominees like Gorka, Gabbard and RFK Jr.

    Calendar of Events

    Recorded events to check out:

    … and More:

    Resources: 

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