Your voice is powerful. Use it to make a difference with these 5 actions!

5 actions! Seriously?! Yep! But they’ve all got easy scripts for you to follow and won’t take more than 30 seconds each.

Action #1: Federal Action – CALL the White House NOW and Urge President Biden to Use the Bully Pulpit to Pass S.1 – For the People Act
Action #2: Federal action – Call Feinstein EVERY DAY(!) until the S.1 – For the People Act passes the Senate.
Action #3: State Action – CALL your state senator to pass the VISION Act.
Action #4: State Action – CALL your state assemblymember to pass SB2 – Kenneth Ross Jr. Police Decertification Act of 2021.
Action #5: State Action – Dark money smackdown – Call out two assemblymembers for misusing their power.

Action #1: Federal Action – CALL the White House NOW and Urge President Biden to Use the Bully Pulpit to Pass S.1 – For the People Act

Pick an option that works for you, or make your own…

Call script option 1: In his Philadelphia speech, the President told the country about the danger to our democracy: “the most significant test of our democracy since the Civil War” Since that’s the threat, he needs to do much more.
He needs to use the bully pulpit to push for filibuster reform so that the Senate can pass S.1. The choice is simple: keep the filibuster as it is, or save democracy. We elected him so he could make the right choice.

Call script option 2: (from Center for Common Ground)
Hi, my name is [NAME], and I’m calling from [CITY, STATE]. I’m calling to urge President Biden to do everything in his power to protect our freedom to vote by pressuring the Senate to overcome the filibuster and pass the S.1 – For The People Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. These bills are common-sense reforms to unrig our political system and make sure the voices of the American people are heard. Thank you.

Call script option 3: (from Jessica Craven of Chop Wood, Carry Water):
I voted for President Biden, and am grateful for all he’s doing, but I’m calling to ask him to do much more to pressure Democrats in Congress to pass voting rights legislation—namely HR1 the For the People Act and HR4 the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. And I want him to vocally support abolishing or reforming the filibuster to get this done. If we don’t protect our ability to vote now we will never get this chance again.

Contact: 202 456 1111 (Open only Tues-Thurs, 11am-3pm Eastern)

Action #2: Federal action – Call Feinstein EVERY DAY(!) until the S.1 – For the People Act passes the Senate.

Continue reading →

Aug. 28th is the March. Here’s a warmup action for your senators.

“The right to vote is the most sacred and fundamental right we enjoy as American citizens and one that the foot soldiers fought, bled and died for in my hometown of Selma, Alabama. With the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, we’re standing up and fighting back. By preventing states with a recent history of voter discrimination from restricting the right to vote, this bill restores the full promise of our democracy and advances the legacy of those brave foot soldiers like John Lewis who dedicated their lives for the sacred right to vote.” – Rep. Terri A. Sewell (D-Ala.)

This will be a weekend of marches. “The rallies come after a summer of protests calling for passage of the For the People Act, a sweeping elections and ethics bill that would set national standards for voting and override state-level restrictions, and the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which aims to restore voting rights protections that have been curtailed by the Supreme Court.

Protesters have said that because it is unlikely enough Republicans will join Democrats in the Senate in passing voting rights legislation, they want to see the elimination of the filibuster — the 60-vote threshold that allows a united minority of 41 senators to block legislation from becoming law.”

We cannot continue to let Republicans hold our democracy hostage. We must eliminate the filibuster to save our democracy. Call your Senators and let them know you want them to eliminate the filibuster to pass the For the People Act and other progressive priorities. We don’t have time to waste.

Action #1: Call your senators to do their jobs to protect voting rights!

Continue reading →

We wrote a letter to Biden. We need you to write one too.

Action #1: Write to Biden. Tell him that S.1 – the For the People Act must pass.
Action #2: Call your own senators and tell them to stay in D.C. until S.1 is passed.

Action #1: Write to Biden. Tell him that S.1 – the For the People Act must pass.

1,057 grassroots organizations,(including Indivisible Ventura) and nonprofits from across the country signed on to a letter to President Biden, representing the voices of 3,315,520 individual members.

(Thanks to Indivisible Georgia Coalition for putting this original letter together!)

Now we’re asking you to add your voice as well.

You can copy/paste this sample email, in part or in its entirety or make your own:

Continue reading →

No recess until the Senate passes S.1 – For the People Act and stops partisan gerrymandering.

Today’s good news included the IRS being ordered to hand over Trump’s taxes to Congress and the public exposure of the notes taken during his attempt to bully Georgia into declaring him a winner.

But not good enough. The GOP will just patiently wait out this news cycle or even consider it a welcome distraction from the news they’re hoping we won’t notice…

On August 16, the Census Bureau will release their demographic data, the starting gun for the GOP to quietly and immediately gerrymander away six to 13 seats in the House of Representatives—more than the 5 needed to retake the House in 2022—through its control of the redistricting process in Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, and Texas alone. The Republican redistricting advantage extends far beyond those four states: They’ll be able to draw 187 congressional districts, compared to 75 for Democrats, and those that elected new legislators like Lucy McBath, the first Black woman to represent old Newt’s district, will be eliminated. We already know that CA will lose a seat, while Texas, Florida, and NC will gain some.

Instead of hanging in their home districts with us, we need our senators to be pushing S.1 – For the People Act through. Some reforms could theoretically wait until after a recess period, but certain key proposals, such as prohibiting partisan gerrymandering, must be enacted now to make a difference in the 2022 elections. Without congressional action in the next few weeks, Republicans could lock Democrats out of power for the next decade, even if voters mobilize and turn out heavily in Democrats’ favor. So, the window to prevent partisan gerrymandering is closing quickly.

Yeah. That’s the real news.

Minimal script for our own senators: I’m calling from [zip code] and I want Sen. [___] to stay in the Capitol to push through “S.1 – For the People Act,” especially the parts prohibiting partisan gerrymandering. I would consider leaving for summer recess a dereliction of duty, as the Census Bureau is releasing fuel for a savage GOP-redistricting on August 16. I and my friends worked hard for Sen. [___]. But unless [he/she] wants to become part of the legislative minority party again, watching helplessly as an actual minority party passes unjust bills and tries to reinstate a fascist president, [he/she] needs to get to work now and stay until it’s done. No excuses. Nothing in [his/her] district is as important as dealing with this issue.

Continue reading →

Get your state legislators to D.C. to fight for democracy!

Easiest action you’ll get this week! Copy and paste a letter to your STATE legislators, asking them to join their Texas colleagues in Washington DC!

The Declaration for American Democracy is planning a solid week of advocacy on democracy in D.C. next week from Aug. 2 to Aug. 6. (Video below from DFAD – click if “black”.)

They want to get state legislators from as many states as possible to come to D.C. on Aug 3 to follow in the footsteps of the Texas legislature (minus the fear of arrest… ) to speakup about the effect that the suppressive laws would have on democracy in their states. And CA wasn’t free of voter suppression bills – two of them showed up on the Brennan Center’s State Voting Bills Tracker.

They need us to help to get the word out! We’ve printed out a 2000 character version of their letter below to fit in Sen. Limón and Asm. Bennett’s email comment sections. If your legislators have no limits, use their original version here (email template for state legislators) Share with your friends and family! Let’s get leaders from all over America to stand on the Capitol steps and demand better from the GOP.

Action #1: Just copy, edit the [name parts] and email to your state legislators.

Continue reading →

TX Dem. legislators are facing arrest for trying to protect voting rights. Our job is easy – just to pick up our phones!

“Democratic lawmakers in Texas staged a dramatic walkout to prevent the Republican-controlled Legislature from passing a sweeping bill to rewrite election laws in the state. Critics say the bill will lead to mass voter suppression, especially of Black and Latinx voters, by eliminating drive-thru and 24-hour voting, as well as ballot drop boxes. The Republican bill would also make it easier for elections to be overturned even if there is no evidence of fraud.“

Joe did his part. Watch his speech, or read it here.

This is the task for the rest of us…

OK, call your senators over and over. Make it as much a part of your everyday life as coffee in the morning and it will take less than a minute of your time. Phone calls and in-person meetings are the most effective ways to influence your senator, and since we need to pass this bill before August recess, calling daily now is truly crucial. We know it might feel odd to call over and over, but please know that your second and third calls are just as important as the first one.

You can go to Indivisible’s autodialer here or DIY it.

Minimal script: Hello, I’m calling from [zip code] and I’m very concerned about Senate Republicans’ use of the filibuster to block the For the People Act from passage. We cannot let Republicans hold our democracy hostage. It’s time to eliminate the filibuster to save our democracy.

Will Sen. [___] eliminate the filibuster and pass the For the People Act, the John Lewis Voting Rights Act and all the other essential Democratic priorities? Republicans cannot be allowed to continue obstructing our government and standing in the way of progress. There’s no time to waste.

Continue reading →

D.C. statehood is in the Senate on Tuesday, 6/22! Pile on! YES on S.51!

Juneteenth celebrates freedom. But what is freedom to an American without the full rights of citizenship? The +700,000 residents of DC are still waiting for an answer.

Statement of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton on S. 475, the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, June 16, 2021
- “Today’s bill making Juneteenth, when the last slaves got word that slavery had ended, a federal holiday has unique meaning for the District of Columbia because the slaves here were the first, not the last, to be freed. The reason, of course, is that the District was and is a federally controlled jurisdiction. The District celebrates the emancipation of slaves here on April 16 every year.
- Juneteenth should remind Congress that it’s time for the first to be freed to finally become equal to other Americans. The House understands that with its passage of the D.C. statehood bill. So does the Senate, with a hearing on our D.C. statehood bill scheduled for next Tuesday, June 22.
- With the President, the House, and the Senate all believing that the residents of their nation’s capital should in every way be equal to other Americans, we rejoice this Juneteenth knowing that we are close to adding the 51st star to the flag.”
From Mayor Muriel Bowser’s office – Emancipation.dc.gov
- “One result of the intense struggle over slavery was the DC Compensated Emancipation Act of 1862, passed by the Congress and signed by President Abraham Lincoln. The act ended slavery in Washington, DC, freed 3,100 individuals, reimbursed those who had legally owned them and offered the newly freed women and men money to emigrate. It is this legislation, and the courage and struggle of those who fought to make it a reality that we commemorate every April 16, DC Emancipation Day.
- Though the Compensated Emancipation Act was an important legal and symbolic victory, it was part of a larger struggle over the meaning and practice of freedom and citizenship. These two words continue to be central to what it means to be a participating member of society. We invite you to think about what these concepts have meant in the past and what they mean to you today...”
Statement by then-Rep. Mike Pence in 2007:
- “The fact that more than half a million Americans live in the District of Columbia and are denied a single voting representative in Congress is clearly a historic wrong, and justice demands that it be addressed.”

On Tuesday, June 22, the issue of DC statehood will appear before the Senate’s Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. During the House Oversight Committee hearing in April, GOP representatives presented such bizarre requirements for statehood on live TV, we despaired for the teaching of American civics. Assuming a repeat from the Senate’s own GOP fabulists, you may want to create your BINGO cards now with the help of “6 collossally Stupid Arguments against DC Statehood” and or other resources provided below. Or use ours.

Minimal script: I’m calling from [zip code] to [thank Rep./Sen. [___] for being/ask Rep./Sen. [___] to become] a cosponsor of Sen. – S.51 – Washington, D.C. Admission Act and ending this example of racial injustice in the very heart of our nation. Freedom without full rights, including taxation without representation, is not true citizenship. I’m joining Rep. Holmes, Mayor Bowser and 2007’s version of Mike Pence in recommending the immediate correction of this historic wrong.

Continue reading →

“Lost Cause” to the “Big Lie” – we’re stuck in a malevolent version of “Groundhog Day.”

It’s time to fight Trump’s “Big Lie” with GOP facts and break out of this recurring trauma of voter suppression .

Action #1: Facts are fun! Create a meme and share it on your social media!
Action #2: “S.1 – For the People Act” – GOP-led states have proved that they can no longer be trusted to protect the right to vote.
Action #3: Censure all federal legislators who are complicit in pushing the “Big Lie.”
Action #4: Roll your sleeves up. We need to hammer Manchin with calls from his own constituents!
A brief overview of three Reconstructions.

(Graphic quote by Ricky L. Jones. Full video of Rep. Rafael Anchía interrogation here.)

Fighting back against the GOP’s “Big Lie” that reimagines America’s elections as dangerous quagmires of voter fraud committed by minorities and “antifa”, the Democratic state legislators of Texas walked out of their session to stop the passage of S.B. 7, one of the most restrictive and anti-democratic of the new voter restriction bills, risking the wrath of Governor Abbott and the possible sacrifice of their paycheck. “We did our part to stop S.B. 7. Now we need Congress to do their part by passing H.R. 1 and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act.” said Texas State Rep. Erin Zwiener (D-45).

So, is Texas a hotbed of duplicitous voters? According to the GOP’s own right-wing voter-fraud-myth promoter Heritage Foundation, who has created a database of wayward voters neatly organized by state, year and type of crime, Texas desperately needs S.B.7 because…wait a minute…they had exactly ZERO CASES OF VOTER FRAUD IN 2020-21! Georgia and Florida have already signed suppressive bills into law, because they had,…wait a minute… ZERO and ZERO cases respectively. Arizona, a relative hotbed of iniquity, is marked as having “ONE” for 2020. It seems that Attorney General Bill Barr was actually telling the truth.

Continue reading →

This woman is bragging about how easy it is to destroy democracy from the inside out.

Tell your senators to work harder on getting “S.1” passed and the filibuster eliminated.

The woman’s boss and Heritage Foundation co-founder Paul Weyrich bluntly articulated his radical views on voting rights. “I don’t want everybody to vote. Elections are not won by a majority of the people. They never have been from the beginning of our country and they are not now. As a matter of fact, our leverage in the elections quite candidly goes up as the voting populace goes down.”

Democratic groups should be emulating Matt Sinovic, executive director of progressive lobbying group Progress Iowa, who plans to submit open records requests to determine if Iowa’s legislative leaders worked with Heritage.

“The governor and Republicans in the Legislature must release every bit of communication they’ve had with the Heritage Foundation, so we can know the truth about their work with this shadowy group.” (See their members here. Hi, Betsy!)

Continue reading →

Rep. Cheney just accused her own party of undermining democracy. It’s up to us to save it with (3) basic actions.

Need an emotional lift today? Listen to this amazing song for National John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Action Day and remember why we do this work! Remember what we’re fighting for and pick up your phone!

Action #1: “S.1 – For the People Act” – the guardrails for democracy we never knew we needed – until a lawless and corrupt man became president.

The GOP is now at war with itself, with Rep. Liz Cheney accusing fellow GOP legislators who follow Trump of perpetrating the Big Lie which is undermining America.

S. 1 -“For the People Act” will protect Americans’ voting rights NATIONWIDE, and it just advanced to the floor, after being deadlocked 9-9 on partisan lines in the Rules Committee. The meeting’s GOP contingent included Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, armed with destructive amendments which failed, along with Senator Ted Cruz, who called the bill “Jim Crow 2.0” and falsely claimed that it would allow undocumented immigrants to vote. (Apparently the GOP no longer worries about their lies being recorded.) However, despite the GOP’s best efforts, S.1 includes reforms that are broadly popular with Americans across the political spectrum.

Continue reading →