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Indivisibles,

It is day four of our [ [link removed] ]MAGA Default Crisis Week of Action today, and so
far, it has been a smashing success. 

From Pennsylvania, to Texas, to California, to Minnesota, to Georgia,
Indivisibles all across the country have been staging incredible events
demanding that their representatives avoid a default without throwing
teachers, seniors, and children under the bus.  

Indivisibles are hosting over [ [link removed] ]120 registered events across the country
and still counting. 

But events are not the only numbers we’re watching. The default day
(potentially June 1) is fast approaching and Republicans are still playing
games. 

Last Friday, McCarthy’s team abruptly walked away from meetings with the
White House about avoiding a default. They returned a few hours later,
clearly showing their hand that this tantrum was more Republican theatrics
to try and strong-arm Democrats into giving in to extremist demands at the
expense of the American people.

Where does that leave us?

[ [link removed] ]Ezra wrote an incredible medium piece detailing the current state of
play last Friday. Read the whole thing, but the main takeaway is that
there are four things we need to accomplish to avoid this crisis:

 1. Unite Democrats
 2. Circumvent McCarthy
 3. Play hardball
 4. Apply pressure locally

That means getting all Democrats to sign onto the discharge petition,
picking off vulnerable Republicans to break from their party and prevent a
default, making sure Democrats are using all options on the table (more on
that in a moment), and continuing to apply pressure to our representatives
that can only come from their constituents. 

You know what these tactics have in common? They are all achievable during
this Week of Action. You get to tailor your tactics to your representative
to achieve one piece of the whole. Every one of us, whether our reps are
MAGA extremists, members of the Progressive Caucus, moderates,
Republicans, Democrats, or any other designation has a part to play. 

We are just over one week out until June 1. How are you going to help
prevent a default crisis?

A note on hardball options for Democrats:

There has been a lot of recent talk surrounding the different tactics
Democrats can use to avoid default. With extremist Republicans doing
everything they can to hold us hostage, a typical and simple vote brought
forth by the Speaker is not guaranteed to occur (but Biden does need to
continue holding talks with House Republican leadership, it’s the right
thing to do). 

In the meantime, there are a few other viable methods that we need to hold
on to: 

Plan A) Discharge petition: The [ [link removed] ]discharge petition is a strategy that
would allow House Democrats to circumvent McCarthy to bring a vote to
avoid default to the floor. It would require every single Democrat and
five Republicans to sign on. As of right now, 210 Democrats have signed
on. We will be putting pressure on the rest of the Democratic caucus and
vulnerable Republicans to sign on ASAP to avoid a default. 

Plan B) The 14th Amendment: The 14th Amendment states, “the validity of
the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts
incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing
insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned.” Some legal experts
argue that this language makes the debt ceiling unconstitutional and that
President Biden is constitutionally required to ignore it in this
circumstance ([ [link removed] ]here’s an explainer from the Congressional Progressive
Caucus Center). It is important to note:

* This has never been tried before
* This would almost certainly end up before the Supreme Court and we
know that the extremist SCOTUS majority is in the pocket of
Republicans 

These notes are important to keep in mind for why the 14th Amendment is
important for Biden to keep in back pocket as a ‘break glass in case of
emergency,’ but that the most strategic Plan A remains the discharge
petition. 

As default day draws closer, Dems will need to continue to pursue multiple
strategies to ensure this crisis doesn’t become a reality. We are here to
make sure that they do.

With that, here are your weekly to-dos:

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 Your 4 weekly to-dos 

 1. [ [link removed] ]Find a Week of Action event near you today! Do you know if there’s
an event near you that you can participate in? Check in with our event
map and RSVP for any event near you today! With events ranging from
virtual skill-shares to in-person rallies, there is something for
everyone in the works.
 2. If you have a Republican representative, [ [link removed] ]call and demand they sign
the discharge petition to avoid a default. We are just over a week
away from a default that would cripple the global economy. House
Republicans are still trying to use that threat to do horrific things
like slash 100,000 jobs for K-12 teachers and cut health care to
seniors and disabled children. Now is not the time for them to be
playing these games. We need just five Republicans to sign the
discharge petition so that we can vote to avoid a disastrous default.
Contact your representative today and let them know that they need to
sign the discharge petition today! Once you’ve called, [ [link removed] ]write a
letter to the editor demanding the House GOP stop pushing us towards a
default.
 3. If you have a chance to see your Republican representative in person,
[ [link removed] ]use this birddogging guide to get your Republican representative on
record about Kevin McCarthy’s horrific debt bill. We must hold our
Republican representatives accountable for their capitulation to the
most extreme members of their party. Republicans know cuts to these
programs are deeply unpopular. Get your rep on record today and make
sure everyone knows just where your representative stands.
 4. If your Democratic representative signed the discharge petition,
[ [link removed] ]call your representative and thank them for publicly supporting no
cuts to Medicaid, education, or other programs we rely on. If your
Representative is not Jared Golden or Ed Case, they have signed the
discharge petition to clear a route for a vote on the default crisis
without needing McCarthy’s help. This is great! Our representatives
need to know when we’re in support of their actions, there’s no better
way to let them know than to call them directly. The stronger we show
our support, the more likely they are to work for the people in the
future. When you’re finished calling, [ [link removed] ]write an LTE thanking your
representative for committing to protect vital programs. Don’t just
support your MoC in private, submit an LTE thanking your
representative so that your community, and other MoCs paying
attention, know that your representative is doing the right thing and
supported by their constituents. Public praise helps put the pressure
on the remaining MoCs to sign on too. 

P.S. If you've completed your weekly to-do's and are looking for more ways
to support this movement, [ [link removed] ]consider making a donation today. Your
contribution will help keep our call pages up and running, fund the tools
we use to mobilize volunteers, and continue all the work we're doing this
year.

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[ [link removed] ]MAGA Default Crisis Week of Action Call-In Day Tuesday, May 23. Text
Default to 59798

Tomorrow, Tuesday, May 23, we will be holding a MAGA Default Crisis Week
of Action Call-In Day! 

We’ve been asking you to contact your representatives a lot. That is
because it is, outside of earned media, one of the most impactful ways to
push our elected officials to act. When they start to feel the pressure
from their constituents, our reps get scared. We need to key into those
feelings of self-preservation. 

Tomorrow, we are asking folks all across the country to take one extra day
to make sure to contact their representatives. The more calls we can drive
on one day, the more we have the opportunity to really show a groundswell
of attention on the MAGA Default Crisis. 

Even if you have a set day that you call every week. Even if you
participated in a Week of Action event this weekend. We need you to add an
extra call to your schedule. Join us in turning the heat up on our Members
of Congress to avert this crisis. 

Look out for an email tomorrow morning with more details.

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[14]WE LOVE TO SEE IT!

***In the 2023 Indivisible Guide, one of the most important things we
wanted to see was our representatives show up as fighters! We need
representatives that work for the people, not just their bank accounts
and special interests! So, why not highlight those fighters? We Love To
See It! will highlight the work being done by reps fighting for everyday
people’s well being, advancing democracy, and/or protecting personal
freedoms. Let’s stand up for our representatives when they stand up for
us! We Love To See It!***

Megan Hunt, State Senator, NE

[ [link removed] ]Image of Megan Hunt addressing the legislature. Tweet reads: NE State
Sen. Lou Ann Linehan (R) complains filibusters of anti-trans bills made
her miss her grandson's preschool graduation. Sen. Megan Hunt (I): You
won't come off this bill that hurts my [trans] son. You hate him more than
you love your own family. That's why you're here.

State Senator Megan Hunt has been engaged in a protracted fight to ensure
the safety of trans Nebraskans. Through organizing, fiery speeches, and
filibustering every bill, Hunt and Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh have stood
vocally and visibly in support of the trans community. Unfortunately, they
lost their fight this week as Nebraska lawmakers passed a new combined ban
on gender affirming care for trans youth and a 12-week abortion ban last
Friday. But it did not go without one more brilliant quote that
encapsulated the entire debate.

As one of their colleagues complained that Hunt and Cavanaugh’s filibuster
has caused her to miss her grandson’s preschool graduation, [ [link removed] ]Hunt,
whose son is trans, explained, “you won’t come off this bill that hurts my
son. You hate him more than you love your own family. That's why you’re
here.”

Though this particular bill has passed, the people of Nebraska are in it
for the long haul. Watch Senators Hunt and Cavanaugh exit the legislative
session to a huge crowd giving thanks and chanting “we will win,” here:

[ [link removed] ]Megan Hunt and Machaela Cavanaugh emerge from the legislative session
to a crowd of cheers. Sen. Hunt's tweet reads: We haven't lost because we
haven't quit. Tomorrow is another day to fight with love, compassion, and
the knowledge that we are righteous in the cause of justice.

 

Rep. Jasmine Crockett, TX-30

[ [link removed] ]Image of Jasmine Crockett addressing the HOAC. Tweet reads: Crockett:
My Republican Colleagues want to talk about keeping DC streets crime free.
They can't even keep the halls of Congress crime free.. My freshman
Colleague has just been indicted on 13 counts...

During a House Oversight and Accountability Committee hearing on crime in
Washington, DC last week, Rep. Jasmine Crockett took the gloves off while
concisely and pointedly calling out Republican hypocrisy. 

Republicans have been holding up DC recently as an example of out of
control crime in an attempt to continue holding undue control over
policing in the nation’s capital. In response, Rep. Crockett reminded them
to get their own house in order first as they “can’t even keep the halls
of Congress crime-free.” [ [link removed] ]Check out a clip of her response to
Republican criminal hypocrisy here.

**Bonus Points: If you see your rep showing up as a fighter and want to
highlight them, reply to this email with a link to the story and we
might feature it in our next Newsletter.**



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 IndivisiWin of the Week 

[ [link removed] ]Group of Indivisibles at a rally in MN holding signs that say things
like 'Don't cut veterans care' and 'Don't cut meals on wheels.'

We will have more coverage of the incredible Week of Action events when it
is all done but here is a preview of just one of the incredible rallies
put on by groups across the country. Indivisibles in Minnesota rallied in
front of Pete Stauber’s office this weekend.

Follow us on [ [link removed] ]Facebook, [ [link removed] ]Twitter, and [ [link removed] ]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.

Our Week of Action runs through this Friday. [ [link removed] ]Find an event near you
today! Do everything you can before June 1 to help us prevent a default.
Our teachers, our veterans, and our children depend on it.

In solidarity,
Indivisible Team

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