Indivisibles,
We are just over three weeks into 2023 and there have been 36 mass shootings, including one this weekend in Monterey Park, CA which left at least 10 victims dead.
We are just over three weeks into 2023 and over 120 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been introduced across the country, the overwhelming majority of which target trans youth.
We are just over three weeks into 2023 and House Republicans have passed two anti-abortion bills, voted to protect tax-cheats, and placed election deniers in over 50% of their committee chairs — and that’s just the start of it.
Instead of legislating for the people, instead of tackling the critically important issues facing our country right now, Republicans only care about entrenching their own power and delivering for a handful of mega-donors and special-interest groups aligned with their far-right agenda.
On the campaign trail, Republicans in swing districts pretended to care about issues like inflation. But as soon as they were sworn in, the party turned its attention to a laundry list of conspiracy theories and right-wing pet issues — like slashing Social Security and Medicare.
We always knew this was how it was going to be.
The question was never whether Republicans would pass reasonable legislation in the interests of the American people; it was always how regressive they would be in imposing their draconian values on the country. When Kevin McCarthy started conspiring with the House Freedom Caucus to secure his place as Speaker, he guaranteed the most extreme wing of the party would control the House’s agenda for the next two years. And we’re already seeing the consequences.
With Republicans once again showing their utter disinterest in governing, it is even more important that we come together and build progressive power now and into the future.
With that, here are your weekly to-dos:
Your 5 weekly to-dos
- Register for a Deep Dive on the New Guide: Our 2023 Indivisible Guide Launch Call this Thursday, January 26 at 8pm ET/5pm PT. Join Indivisibles from across the country as our team breaks down the main focuses of the new Guide, walks us through activation strategies that can be applied locally in 2023, and creates a community space to reconvene while launching into a new year.
- Read the new 2023 Indivisible Guide. Whether you can make the call this Thursday or not, if you want tangible actions you can take to confront MAGA extremism, this is the place to start. Catch up on where we stand in the new year, explore our game plan for the current Congress, and find out how to get involved. Our wins over the last six years have been because we were coordinated, energized, and informed; let’s make sure we go into 2023 with that same foundation in place to fuel more wins.
- If you have a Republican representative, call them and let them know you’ll be holding them accountable in the new year. Republicans are playing political games with the global economy, highlighted by allowing us to hit the debt ceiling last Thursday. A default on our debt could be disastrous and the extremists in their party don’t seem to care. Call your representative and let them know that you do — and you’re ready to hold them accountable if they go along with their MAGA colleagues instead of acting in the interest of constituents like you! If you’re not able to call or want to do more, use this template to write a Letter to the Editor.
- If you have a Democratic representative, call your representative and let them know they need to hold strong. When Republicans have used the threat of default in the past, Democrats have balked, proving to Republicans that they can win with their reckless threats. We need to hold strong against these MAGA extremists so we do not offer them more power. Democrats are doing a great job as a block to start the session. Let’s make sure they keep it up. When you’re done with that, write a Letter to the Editor championing your Democratic representative for being a fighter for the people.
- Sign up for the Indivisible Truth Brigade. Propaganda, false characterizations, intentionally misleading messages, and outright lies threaten our democracy and even our lives. People believe sources they trust! Sign up to learn how to fight disinformation in a way that drives change and protects our communities from the threat of extremism. Look for Truth Brigade calls to start up again in February.
New Year, New Commitments
With the election of a new Congress and the arrival of 2023, we hope you’re finding yourselves rested and rejuvenated (we know we needed the vacation).
To kick off the new year, we want to ensure we are sustaining this movement by spreading its reach and activating more of your friends and neighbors to join in the fight. Indivisible’s strength, reflected in our name, is in people choosing to come together for the betterment of their community. Through those numbers, we are able to achieve a groundswell of support for actions and take the time to individually rest and recover because there are always more Indivisibles ready to take up the fight.
In the spirit of new beginnings and growth, here’s what we are asking:
- Take the Indivisible New Years Pledge to join, reconnect with, or invite others to get involved with your local Indivisible group. Indivisible groups are at the heart of this movement. Their phone calls, rallies, canvasses, bird-dogging, letters to the editor, and more made the victories of 2022 possible. This work will continue to be crucial as we confront the challenges of a split Congress, and we want you to be a part of it.
- Invite a friend to join Indivisible. This movement is shaped by the people, for the people. Without your voices, without your energy, we are just a couple of political wonks with opinions. You make this happen. Help us bring more people into the conversation.
There is no better feeling than getting the chance to take an action to help change the world with a friend at your side. Invite them today. Try it out. We bet you’ll agree.
National Events
Register for the Indivisible POC Monthly Call tomorrow Tuesday, January 24 at 7:30pm ET/4:30pm PT. Join Indivisible National POC staff as we talk and connect around issues that directly affect POC, the work that we do, and the world in which we try to create lasting change. Please note that this is a space specifically for people of color/indigenous group leaders and members.
RSVP for the Rural Raucous Caucus Call this Wednesday, January 25 at 8pm ET/5pm PT. It’s the first Rural Caucus call of the new year and we’re kicking it off in style. We’ll be talking about how (and why) to build a strong, trustworthy brand in your community collaborating with rural Indivisibles from all across the country to come up with best practices and creative innovations. We’re here to help you build your group into the inclusive, welcoming, and fun space that every rural community needs and deserves. Bonus: We’ll be joined by Indivisible co-founder Ezra Levin!
IndivisiWin of the Week
In honor of the 50th anniversary of Roe v Wade, we wanted to feature a few groups this week who got out in support of abortion access. Our movement won’t rest until reproductive freedom for all is restored.
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to keep up on the latest information, and text “INDIVISIBLE” to 59798 to opt-in to our text messaging program where we send rapid response actions a few times a month.
It may be cold outside but we’re just warming up. A new year brings new challenges, but we are excited to face them with you!
In solidarity,
Indivisible Team
Indivisible Project is a locally-led, people-powered movement of thousands of local groups in red, blue, and purple states, and in urban, suburban, and rural areas. Our mission is to power and lift up a grassroots movement of local groups to defeat the Trump agenda, elect progressive leaders, and realize bold progressive policies.
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