Happy New Year Indivisibles,

As the anniversary of the January 6th insurrection wrapped up with incredible rallies and events from Indivisibles across the country, congressional leaders announced that they had reached a framework to avoid a government shutdown on January 19.

The framework largely keeps in place the handshake deal to avoid a debt ceiling disaster from June, which House Republicans have since done everything in their power to dishonor. The deal includes clawing back COVID funding from states and accelerating cuts to the IRS, hindering the country’s ability to handle the ongoing pandemic during a surge and ensuring that more billionaires will be able to avoid tax accountability. 

But MAGA Republicans aren’t done. 

Congress is on a tight deadline to pass funding bills and Republicans still plan to insert poison pills into the legislation, putting our ability to avoid a shutdown in jeopardy. Republican extremists will attack any plan to move this country forward regardless of the consequences.

It’s not just the government funding bills. Republicans are also weaponizing a supplemental funding package in order to sneak through horrific Trump-era restrictions on immigration including:

• An end to asylum for everyone except those who can afford a plane ticket
• Mass deportation -- nationwide -- without a hearing
• A restart to Trump’s signature Title 42 policy
• And a dramatic increase in the incarceration of asylum-seekers, including families.

We must be clear: We can’t support a bill that imposes Trump’s immigration agenda. Because that is what we are facing -- a future in which Republicans attempt to force Democrats to bargain a spending bill at the expense of throwing innocent children in cages.

If you have a Democratic senator, and kids in cages sounds as horrific to you today as it did during the Trump administration, call your senator now and demand they reject Trump-Era immigration policies.

We cannot allow our representatives to bargain away the liberty of children in order to appease Republicans who are “not willing to do too damn much right now to help a Democrat.” They don’t care about the policy, immigration, or the American people; Republicans care about maintaining their authority and control. 

Compromising our ideals is a path toward more devastation, not bipartisanship. 

With that, here are your weekly to-dos:

 Your 4 weekly to-dos 

1. Join our Battleground NY phonebank for the NY-03 special election this Thursday, January 11 at 6pm ET/ 3pm PT. The road to a Democratic majority starts today! When George Santos was expelled from the House of Representatives, Democrats were given an opportunity to start the work of flipping the House early. Though the seat will still be up for re-election in the fall, starting the race from incumbency would be a huge advantage for Democrats. Help us flip this seat now, and then keep it again in November. This event is not just for NY Indivisibles; all are welcome. 
2. Write a letter to the editor (LTE) to tell your community that AIPAC is a threat to our democracy. The American Israel Public Affairs Committee's (AIPAC) efforts to undermine the Democratic Party and support anti-democratic insurrectionists are alarming and dangerous. Not only has it continually attacked progressive candidates (especially women of color), but it has also supported over 100 Republicans who refused to certify the 2020 election. We cannot allow AIPAC to continue their anti-democratic campaign unchecked. Let your community know.
3. If you have a Democratic MoC, write an LTE about Trump’s threat to repeal the ACA. We need to make sure every American knows that he’s planning to strip away healthcare from millions of people. This is a direct attack on the health and safety of the people alongside what would have a devastating impact on our economy. Make sure your community knows what’s at stake this November.
4. Write an (LTE) warning your community that No Labels is a threat to our democracy. No Labels is planning to run a spoiler candidate in the 2024 presidential election in order to deny any candidate the 270 electoral votes needed to be elected. That would send the decision about our next president to the MAGA-controlled House of Representatives and clear the way for a second Trump presidency. Make sure your community knows just how dangerous No Labels’ plan would be for our democracy.

P.S. We rely on grassroots supporters to help fund the tools Indivisibles use on a daily basis -- including the call pages and LTE tools on your to do list! If you're able, pitch in today to help fund our work and keep this movement going.

Call for a Humanitarian Ceasefire

Since we last wrote, the death toll in Gaza has risen to over 23,000, including over 9,600 children. Those numbers are only likely to continue to rise as the UN warns that over half of all Gazans are at risk of starving.

A crisis that began when over 1100 Israeli, American, and foreign citizens were murdered by Hamas and over 200 taken hostage has been driven by Netanyahu’s military campaign into some of the “highest levels of food insecurity ever recorded” according to a UN emergency relief chief.

Last week, Sens. Van Hollen and Merkley traveled to the Middle East to see first hand the conditions for humanitarian aid in the region. In addition to the impossibly cumbersome screening process, Van Hollen commented that according to international aid operatives he spoke to, “they’ve never seen a worse process for assuring the safe delivery of humanitarian assistance.”

Hamas’ attack on innocent Israelis was unquestionably brutal. The continued punishment of the entire population of Gaza, children included, cannot be an acceptable response. We must call upon our leaders to demand a ceasefire, distribute aid to the Gazan people, broker the return of all hostages, ensure Netanyahu’s military conforms to international law, and avoid the wide-scale regional war that this crisis is potentially encouraging. Contact your reps today:

• Call your representative and urge them to support a humanitarian ceasefire publicly, use their position to push for an end to hostilities, deliver urgently needed humanitarian assistance, and ensure that all hostages are released.
• Call both of your senators now and ask them to do the same.
• Email your MoCs and tell them that the bombing has to stop. This crisis is a challenge to our humanity. It is hard to witness brutal acts of violence and not believe that violent retaliation is the only response. But we must eschew those instincts and find a pathway to peace.

 IndivisiWin of the Week 

Celeste Theis from CCoHOPE Indivisible in NY-17 got an LTE published about her Unrepresentative, Mike Lawler’s, silence on Trump’s horrific statements. Read the LTE here.

 Indivisible Civics -- Powering Progress 

Join Indivisible Civics’ Powering Progress campaign for a book conversation about “The Persuaders” with author Anand Giridharadas and Co-Executive Director Ezra Levin on Thursday, January 25 at 4pm ET/1pm PT. As we begin a new year, Indivisible Civics wants to arm you with the skills necessary to change minds and make an impact. Join us for part one of our new, five-part, communication skills training series, Persuasion to Power. If you’ve ever wondered how you could make your arguments more accessible, Giridharadas’ “The Persuaders” is a great place to start, come check out our discussion on January 25.

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Time to get back to the fight! We’re so excited to bring you new programs and new opportunities to put your skills to work. Thank you for continuing this work with us.

In solidarity,
Indivisible Team