Indivisibles,

As we move toward the Nevada debate and caucuses, we’re also keeping an eye on the chaos that is the post-impeachment Trump administration. You know, just to confirm that Trump has, as Senator Collins put it, “learned his lesson.” But, of course, we’re already knee-deep in yet another scandal involving his administration’s corrupting influence, this time involving his crony, Attorney General Bill Barr and the Department of Justice (DOJ).

So here’s what happened:

You may have seen that, on February 11, all four prosecutors who were working on Roger Stone’s criminal case withdrew in protest from the case. One of those prosecutors resigned from the Department of Justice completely. Roger Stone, the deeply corrupt former campaign adviser to Donald Trump, has been convicted of obstruction of justice, lying to Congress, and witness tampering. The four prosecutors working on his case had originally recommended to the judge that Stone be sentenced to 9 years in prison. Then, all of a sudden, they all withdrew.

Why? Good old-fashioned corruption. Now, since those prosecutors stepped down, more than 2,000 former DOJ officials have signed a letter calling for Bill Barr to be impeached. We’re floored by the courage of these officials and any calls to bring Trump’s henchmen to justice are welcome.

But here is our take on AG Barr:

Should he resign? Yes. 
Is he going to? No.
Should he be impeached? Probably.
Would that succeed? Not a chance in hell.

So let's talk about what Congress can do about it:

Bill Barr is the most corrupt Attorney General in American history and has no business continuing to serve. So, for starters, yes, we need to investigate him. In fact, the House is set to begin their own investigation on March 3, with Barr scheduled to testify.

But Congress can even go a step further to stop Barr from further corrupting his office and the Department of Justice: defund his office until he recuses himself from any investigation related to Donald Trump or his associates (#DefundBarr).

The asks for your members of Congress are simple. Let's review them.

• For Democratic reps, tell them you have their back in investigating Barr's ongoing misconduct and demand they support defunding Barr’s office until he and all other Trump appointees at the department recuse themselves from any Trump-related investigations.

• For Republican senators, demand that they support investigations into Barr’s misconduct and publicly support defunding Barr’s office until he recuses himself from any investigation or prosecution relating to Trump or any of Trump’s co-conspirators.

This fight is going to heat up next week and we want you to be ready. Tell us you're all in to #DefundBarr and get everything you need to take action here.

And now, let’s get to those to-dos:

 Your weekly to-dos 

1. Demand your Representative defund Attorney General Bill Barr. The Attorney General of the United States himself, William Barr, personally intervened to try to score a lighter sentence for Roger Stone, the deeply corrupt former campaign adviser to Donald Trump. The Department of Justice is not a private law firm. The Attorney General is not the president’s personal lawyer. Yet Bill Barr is exploiting his position to run favors for the president. Call your representative, Democrat or Republican, and demand that Congress investigate Bill Barr and defund his office until he recuses himself from any Trump-related investigations or prosecutions.
2. Text PAYBACK to 977-79 and join this fight right now. Even in the month since we launched the Payback Project, we’ve already seen twists and turns and had to drop everything to respond to new Republican schemes. We know that’s not going to stop, which is why we need even more folks texting, donating, and joining local groups as we continue to get payback now until the election!
3. Tell your Representative it's time to end surprise medical bills. Congress needs to act in the next few months to end the exploitative practice of surprise medical bills. Every day, over 10,000 families in the United States receive a surprise medical bill. Surprise bills can cost up to tens of thousands of dollars -- a devastating amount for most people. Congress needs to act to protect patients, and in the process hold down health care costs for families and the health system overall. Call your Representative and tell them to end surprise medical bills for health services!
4. Send a Letter to the Editor calling on the Senate to pass H.R. 1. Watching Donald Trump get off scot-free was a sad moment for our democracy. Now we need to focus on what we can do to repair our democracy. The House has already passed H.R. 1, the For the People Act, a major pro-democracy bill, but Republicans in the Senate refuse to bring it up for a vote. That's where you come in. Our friends at the Declaration for American Democracy have put together a helpful Letter to the Editor tool that you can use to raise this important issue with your local newspapers.

 2020 Update 

Another week, another recap! After the primary in New Hampshire, the race to the nomination is still as wide open as when we started the primary season at the beginning of the month. With only two contests under our belt, there are still plenty of opportunities for candidates to prove their mettle. Read on for a recap of the past seven days, as well as a look ahead to the upcoming Nevada caucus:

• We’ve got verified New Hampshire primary results! With a less than 4,000 vote margin, Sen. Bernie Sanders edged out Mayor Pete Buttigieg for the 1st place finish. Both candidates were awarded nine delegates, bringing their delegate totals to 21 and 22, respectively. Sen. Amy Klobuchar was allocated six delegates for her breakout performance in the primary, likely benefitting from the momentum of her fiery debate performance four days earlier. No other candidates were allocated delegates. 

  Additionally, three democratic candidates dropped from the race -- entrepreneur Andrew Yang, Sen. Michael Bennet, and Gov. Deval Patrick -- narrowing the field down to eight candidates. In case you’re losing count on your fingers like we are, that leaves us with Sen. Bernie Sanders, VP Joe Biden, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, entrepreneur Tom Steyer, Mayor Mike Bloomberg, and Rep. Tulsi Gabbard.

• Former NYC Mayor Mike Bloomberg has hit the DNC's polling threshold and qualified for the 9th Democratic debate on Wednesday. Fellow candidates are undoubtedly eager to force Bloomberg to speak to his record -- his open defense of stop-and-frisk & redlining, his opposition to the Affordable Care Act, accusations of sexual misconduct, and his past support of Republican candidates -- and we fully expect these conversations to take place during Wednesday night's debate. 

  This will also be a great opportunity for voters to hear him defend his record first-hand and then to ask themselves what kind of Democratic party they want -- one controlled by the ultra-wealthy or a party of and for all people, with a multiracial movement at its core? The bottom line is that whether you’re enthusiastic about Bloomberg’s run or he leaves a bad taste in your mouth, we need our nominee to be vetted. Accountability and scrutiny strengthen our democratic process and ultimately give us the strongest possible nominee to take on Donald Trump in the general election.

• On to Nevada where more than 18,500 Democrats turned out for the first day of early caucusing! These numbers are nearly double the turnout Nevada saw during their first day of early caucusing in 2016, with current RCP polling averages showing Sanders leading the pack, followed by Biden, Warren, and Buttigieg. Nevada’s caucus takes place on Saturday, Feb 22, and will be allocating 36 delegates to candidates who meet the viability threshold. Want to improve your candidate’s chances in Nevada? There’s still time for you to make an impact in this primary and your home state's contest. Check out Indivisible’s “How to Impact the Primary” resource for more info on what you can do. Not sure who to support? Take a look at our scorecard.

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   Support the Movement 

  With the impeachment “trial” over, we’re hard at work at what’s next -- taking back the Senate in 2020. GOP senators proved they’ll always prioritize protecting their president over protecting our democracy, so it’s time to vote them out. That’s what the Payback Project is all about.
  
  We have a four-step plan to take back the Senate this year. We’re building accountability, organizing and boosting political power to win, and getting out the vote in key states nationwide. But we need your help to make it happen. Can you make a $10 donation to take back the Senate and fund all of Indivisible Action’s work this year?

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   IndivisWin of the Week 

   

  Folks from One Queens Indivisible and Empire State Indivisible worked together to write over 300 postcards to help Georgians in their fight against voter suppression.

  That’s all we’ve got this week. Make sure to enjoy the company of your fellow Indivisibles at your debate watch parties tomorrow, and keep your eyes open for more updates on how to take action to end the corruption of the DOJ and #DefundBarr. 

  In solidarity,
  Indivisible Team