Week 56 Actions

[Actions for Americans]

Hi all!

Last week was another tough one. Let's keep the pressure on our Members of Congress throughout the rest of the year. 2018 is just around the corner and your MoCs will be working extra hard for your vote. Make your voice heard!

Useful resource for finding your elected officials (save the numbers in your phone!!): myreps.datamade.us

Tips on effective communication with elected officials, see Chapter 4 Opportunity 4: Indivisible Guide: Local Advocacy Tactics that Work

1. Keep calling your MoCs to vote NO on the tax bill and to keep key provisions out of the tax bill that are bad for working Americans

The Trump tax scam is NOT a done deal. House and Senate members are still negotiating a combined tax bill. When they finish, the bill will come up for a vote in each chamber, and it will be close again. Now is the time to say we WILL NOT accept a bill that's a handout to millionaires and billionaires. If the tax bill does pass, we need to make sure it doesn't touch the ACA individual requirement, it protect graduate student tuition subsidies, and it pushes back against a ballooning deficit without slashing Medicare and Medicaid payments.

For more: State of Play for the Tax Scam

Read: Washington Post: GOP Tax Plan Lost Focus on Middle Class

Say: Call to stop the Tax Scam

Find a #TrumpTaxScam Payout event: Find an event

2. Call your MoCs to pass the Dream Act

Democrats in Congress had real leverage to push the Dream Act as part of the Continuing Resolution (CR) that was needed to go through last Friday to keep the government open, but they failed to include any provisions supporting Dreamers. On December 22, they'll have another chance to pass protections for Dreamers in a CR. Call your MoCs and tell them how important it is that Dreamers have a legal path to stay in this country.

Be an Ally: NILC.org Tips on How to be a Better Ally for Immigrants' Rights/

Say: dreamerpledge.org Call Script

3. Get to you know your government better

This Thursday, Indivisible's policy team is hosting a Policy 101 webinar. Knowledge is power, so take some time to learn more about how Congress works and where we can make the most impact.

What: Policy process 101: get to know your government better
When: Thursday, December 14 at 8pm ET/5pm PT
RSVP HERE

4. Keep spreading the word about ACA Open Enrollment, ending this Friday!

There is less than a week remaining to sign up for a 2018 health care insurance plan under the Affordable Care Act! Make sure you get signed up for a plan, and spread the word!

healthcare.gov

5. Volunteer to be a poll watcher

Our democracy depends on people having access to vote. As I've gotten more involved in the political process this year, it's shocked me to hear story after story of voters being intimidated or flat out turned away at the polls for illegal reasons. Poll watchers are the people who can make sure behavior like that is not tolerated nor repeated on Election Day. Consider being one!

For more: CNN: What are Poll Watchers?

Sign up for training: Texas online training ; Chicago Poll Watch ; Information California Poll Watch Information

6. Call your MoCs to fund CHIP

Congress still has failed to reauthorize funding for the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), which insures 9 million American kids. Children's lives are on the line because our congress can't function. Call your MoC and push them to make CHIP a priority.

For more, plus scripts: Indivisible Guide: Congress Needs to Reauthorize the CHIP Program

7. Call your MoCs and the FCC at 201-418-1000 to save Net Neutrality 

Net Neutrality may be coming to an end in just a few days depending on how the FCC votes on it this Thursday. Net Neutrality means that all content can come to you over the internet at an equal rate. Without net neutrality, large corporations could pay extra to have their content get to you faster, so many companies and nonprofits with smaller advertising budgets would be left behind. Keep the internet open. Push your MoCs and the FCC to maintain current Net Neutrality standards. 

For more: ABC News: Net Neutrality Fans Speak-up as FCC Set to Strike Rules
Short Script: "Hi, I'm a constituent of Senator/Representative _____ and I'm calling today to ask that they support Net Neutrality and a free and open internet. My zip code is _____." 

Long Script: "Hi, I'm a constituent of Senator/Representative _____ and I'm calling to ask what their stance on net neutrality is." If they support: "That's fantastic! Please let the Senator/Representative know that I support that position and thank them for their work." If they don't support: "That's interesting. Why does the Senator/Representative think the internet should be able to go to the highest bidder? [wait for a response] Does the Senator/Representative realize that disrupting net neutrality will disproportionately impact Americans of color, and will limit innovation which is a cornerstone of American prosperity. I urge the Senator/Representative to support a free and open internet. My zip code is _____."

For our Texans:

1. Support candidates for the Texas Legislature

Today was the filing deadline for candidates wanting to run for spots in the Texas Legislature. Find a candidate (House, Senate, Governor, Lieutenant Gov, etc) that you want to see get elected. Help them out financially or with your time. We'll need all the help we can to get our legislature back to working for Texans instead of their wealthy donors and lobbyists.

Find out who's running: Texas Secretary of State March Primary Candidate Filings or Texas Races

That's it for this week. Keep up the great work, and take a moment to enjoy this glimmer of good news!

Much love,

Marieke

@actionsUSA