Weekly To Do’s

This week we’re kicking off our largest-ever election protection program, demanding the Senate refuse to put another Trump lackey in charge of the US intelligence community, and putting in a final big push to help Abdul El-Sayed overcome massive outside spending and win the Democratic nomination for Senate in Michigan.

The usual intro from our co-executive director Ezra Levin will return next week, but if you like this shorter newsletter format, you can let us know here and we’ll send you a short, digest-like newsletter permanently.

In solidarity,
Indivisible Team

Your weekly to-dos

1. Join our Hands Off Our Vote kickoff call THIS Thursday, July 30 for the national launch of our campaign to protect every single vote from Trump’s election subversion (8pm ET/5pm PT). Don’t wait until October to get into election protection formation! Our work starts NOW to build the foundation for an unshakeable movement equipped to defend voting rights and mobilize in rapid response moments if and when Republicans try to undermine free and fair elections. No matter where you live, you can help ensure every vote is counted this November.
2. Call your US senators and demand they oppose Jay Clayton — another of Trump’s lackeys and golfing buddies — for Director of National Intelligence. The Senate is voting on Clayton’s nomination TONIGHT. Outside of the very basic and disqualifying problem that Clayton has almost no experience tackling intelligence issues, he refused to say that Joe Biden fairly won the 2020 election during his Senate confirmation hearing. We absolutely cannot afford another Trump loyalist at the helm of American intelligence — the implications for surveillance and opportunities for abuse of information are endless. After you’ve called, follow up with a quick email.
3. Then, call your US senators and tell them to oppose legislation that would entrench Trump-Netanyahu military partnership. Last week, the House narrowly passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) with provisions that would further interweave the US and the Israeli militaries through weapons development and intelligence sharing. However, Democrats were nearly united in opposition — proof that we do not have to rubber-stamp Trump’s partnership with Netanyahu. Our senators must reject these provisions in the NDAA, but they need to hear from their constituents. For further reading, check out today’s Substack post for more history, context, and actions you can take.
4. While your Members of Congress are home for August recess, use our Indivisible resources to schedule an in-district visit or event. If you have Republican Members of Congress, this is a great opportunity to raise your voice in opposition to their attempts to pass voter suppression legislation, pour billions into Trump’s illegal war, and hand more money over to ICE and CBP. If you have Democratic Members of Congress, urge them to refuse to give a single inch to Trump’s authoritarian takeover and illegal and unconstitutional power grabs. Read on for more about the August recess and what our MoCs left unaddressed until September.
5. With just EIGHT days until Abdul El-Sayed’s Senate primary, join a phonebank for Indivisible’s endorsed candidates in Michigan this Thursday, July 30 or next Monday, August 3 (5:30pm ET/2:30pm PT). El-Sayed is up against a record amount of outside spending for his establishment Dem, Schumer-backed opponent Haley Stevens. With $50 million pouring in to prop up Stevens, we need to bring the people power to this race to help El-Sayed across the finish line. You’ll also get to talk to voters about Donavan McKinney (MI-13) and William Lawrence (MI-07), our other Michigan endorsees. Paid for by Indivisible Action. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate

P.S. From Michigan to Hawaii, Tennessee to Minnesota, some of our toughest primaries against establishment, corporate-funded Dems are coming up in the next two weeks. We have a real opportunity to build a stronger Democratic Party by electing progressives dedicated to defeating fascism and fighting for working families, not capitulating to Schumer and the status quo — but that fight takes funds and lots of on-the-ground grassroots momentum. If you can chip in today, you’ll help us continue to mobilize Indivisibles across the US to get out the vote for our endorsed candidates in this final stretch.

Hill Update: House Republicans tacked the SAVE Act onto everything and then fled town

On Friday, the House adjourned for over a month of recess, with the Senate set to join them on August 7. The House won’t return until August 31, and the Senate until after Labor Day — and in the meantime, there are a number of bills that have the potential to seriously impact Americans just waiting on ice.

• Legislation with a side of voter suppression was the name of the game for House Republicans before going on recess last week. When the SAVE America Act — Trump’s bill that would make it much, much harder for people to register to vote — couldn’t get enough votes to pass on its own, the House GOP broke it up piecemeal and attached it to the National Defense Authorization Act, reconciliation 3.0, and a faux congressional stock trading ban. This legislation is SO unpopular that Trump and his sycophants have to hide it in other bills. Even with these desperate tactics, the bill still doesn’t have a path forward in the Senate — by itself or attached to these other bills.

• Reconciliation 3.0, the latest Republican effort to bypass the filibuster in order to fulfill Trump’s agenda (see the backgrounder on reconciliation here) passed the House last week. The bill would give Trump more funding to wage his illegal war on Iran and, you guessed it, implement parts of the SAVE America Act. Due to deep divisions between House and Senate Republicans, the bill could be DOA in the Senate, but that hasn’t stopped the GOP from talking about a FOURTH reconciliation bill, possibly during the lame duck period after the election.

• And through it all, working families are struggling to pay for groceries, gas, and healthcare while our taxpayer dollars fund Trump’s death and destruction in Iran and ICE kidnappings and killings on our own streets. All too often, Members of Congress use the August recess as an excuse to hide from responsibility — but you can get loud to make it impossible for them to avoid accountability.

Good News for a Change

Last week, ICE officially withdrew its plans to convert two Pennsylvania warehouses in Berks and Schuylkill counties into concentration camps.

DHS intended to jail up to 9,000 immigrants in the facilities, but eventually gave up after the state denied drinking water and wastewater permits and local communities rose up in protest. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro emphasized the health, safety, and infrastructure risks the detention centers would pose.

This news is part of a growing wave of warehouses offloaded by ICE, in no small part due to local resistance and organizing for immigrant justice. Our pressure campaigns are working — and we have to keep up the fight.

 Upcoming events + Election shifts

These nationwide events, calls, training sessions, and electoral volunteer opportunities are coming up soon. For even more Indivisible happenings, check our national calendar and get in touch with Indivisible groups near you!