We can’t win if we don’t play
I’m writing to you from the air again—this time on a return flight from New York after a terrific weekend with my family. Last night’s concert for my step-father’s 80th birthday went brilliantly; better still, I had the great delight of meeting several of you in person there! It’s always such a pleasure to connect with subscribers in real life.
I was reminded once again this weekend of the profound power of the arts, community, and family to heal and uplift. It’s never been more important to make sure we’re immersing ourselves in one or all of them, and often! I had the great honor of sharing a stage last night with dozens of spectacularly talented musicians who are also long-time activists; there’s nothing more inspiring than getting to bask in such peoples’ collective wisdom, joy, and determination. I feel much better for it—I think we all did.
On to less pleasant things: you likely know that House Republicans passed their dreadful bill out of an important committee last night. There’s a Rules Committee vote next, late on Wednesday night, and then it’ll go to the floor for a full vote immediately after that. Republican leadership is itching to pass it quickly but—and notably—Johnson still doesn’t have the votes sewn up. House Republicans are still, in fact, hammering out provisions as they go.
There’s one bit of good news, however, according to Punchbowl:
The latest version of the GOP reconciliation bill text posted by the Rules Committee scraps a provision to suspend the tax-exempt status of nonprofits deemed “terrorist supporting organizations.”
House Republicans cut the “nonprofit killer” provision, apparently, because it was expected to violate the Byrd Rule. Good. That’s one less thing we have to call about.
The rest of the bill, of course, remains unspeakably bad. In fact, in order to ensure its passage through committee last night, Speaker Johnson acceded to the Freedom Caucus’s demands for more draconian cuts. He’s agreed to make both the Medicaid work requirements and cuts to clean energy tax credits hit sooner than they was originally planned. The number of people knocked off of their healthcare by this will be larger than before, of course, but Republicans are trying to get to a full vote before we learn by how much.
Never mind. We don’t need an updated CBO score to know what our job is. We must call our representatives loudly and often right now, and make them understand the full force of our fury. If we don’t have a Republican representative let’s try to think of friends who do and text them a short script and the Capitol Hill switchboard number (202-224-3121). Better yet, let’s look up their House representative’s district office phone number and send them that! You’d be surprised how many people will call when you make it as easy as possible for them.
A friendly reminder for those who are new here: as good as it may feel to call representatives who aren’t ours, their staffers almost definitely won’t record your call, so you’re wasting both your time and theirs. Call your own rep as often as you like, but let’s leave other lawmakers’ phone lines open for constituents. That’s just the way it works!
One last thing: I’ve been surprised at how many people with whom I’ve spoken are convinced that passage of this bill is a foregone conclusion. There are even folks who think it’s already passed, or that it will have passed by the end of this week. Nothing could be further from the truth!
Remember, we have at least six weeks left in this process—the bill has to pass the House, then head to the Senate where it will likely be rewritten almost completely, then be passed there, then be brought back to the House for reconciliation, and then, if the House changes that version at all, go back to the Senate for another vote. Every step of that process is a place for us to kill it.
We have no idea how this will end, but please remember that we were supposed to lose the ACA fight in 2017, too, and we didn’t. The Knicks weren’t supposed to beat the Celtics this season. The Democratic candidate wasn’t supposed to unseat a three-term Republican incumbent in Omaha, Nebraska last week. To warp an old saying slightly, “we make predictions and God laughs.” Crazy things happen all the time.
We must work with the belief that we can prevail in this fight. That way, even if we lose, we’ll still know we tried our hardest. So let’s take a deep breath and get back to the battle one more time. Chop wood. Carry water. Rest. Repeat.
Because we can’t win if we don’t play, folks. So let’s get our game shoes on and get to work.
Call Your Senators
Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is ______.
I’m deeply alarmed by DOGE’s cuts to the National Weather Service. It is deeply understaffed as we head into hurricane and tornado season—that’s a formula for disaster. While we don’t yet know if this staffing shortage was responsible for 27 deaths in Missouri and Kentucky this week, we do know that people will die as a result of these cuts. We need this funding restored. Extreme weather is a fact of life now. We’ve never needed the NWS more.
Also, I expect the Senator to vote no on the Genius Act (S. 394). Congress needs to make it harder, not easier, for the corrupt Trump administration to profit off of the presidency. I’ll be outraged if this bill passes. You guys work for us. Protect us from Trump’s corruption. Vote no. Thanks.
Call Your House Rep
Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is _______.
I understand that Republicans have passed an even more draconian version of their reconciliation bill with bigger cuts to Medicaid and clean energy tax credits. It’s unacceptable. I strongly oppose cuts to programs that Americans need and want, all so that rich people can buy more yachts. Also, the climate crisis is real and accelerating. The fact that Republicans are trying to cut clean energy tax credits, which are not just helping with climate but also saving Americans money and creating hundreds of thousands of jobs, is insane. Vote no on all of it, please.
Any Republican who supports this bill will lose their seat next year. We will make sure of it. Thanks.
Extra Credit
My subscriber Karen C.S. came up with this action. She said:
I heard former Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger say it would only take a couple of Republicans to defect to begin the end of this administration. With Senator Murkowski voicing her fear of going against the administration I thought it would be a great opportunity to send her hand written postcards telling her she is not alone in her fear and that if she makes a stand as other fearful Americans are doing she will be overwhelmingly supported and cheered on for her courage. I’ve started writing Senator Collins as well.
Here are the addresses for both Senators:
Senator Collins, 68 Sewall St., Room 507, Augusta, ME, 04330
Senator Murkowski, 510 L Street, Suite 600, Anchorage, AK 99501
Here are some samples of what I’ve written—I just try to keep the message positive.
1) You are not alone in your fear, there are millions of Americans who are afraid too but who will support you if you make a stand for the rule of law, the constitution and for what is morally right. We so need a heroine right now! Please be our heroine, put country before party!
2) It would only take you and a couple of your Republican colleagues to stop this madness. Millions of Americans would cheer you on, we are with you! Have courage, change the course of history, and put country before party!
3) Please make a stand, put country before party and begin to end the madness. Millions of Americans will support you. Have faith & courage!
I sign it, “your fellow American, ______” and on the return address on the front I put my state with my zip code.
Imagine if every one of us sent a card to each of those two Senators? Let’s do it!
Jessica Craven, Chop Wood, Carry Water