Indivisibles,

We know the news around coronavirus has been developing rapidly and, frankly, can be terrifying and harrowing.

Before we delve into the many, many action items we have for you, we want to acknowledge the massive degree to which the coronavirus impacts our ability to organize, empower others, and live our day-to-day lives. We want to reiterate that however you choose to engage -- or not engage -- in this work during this time is okay. Staying safe and healthy is of utmost importance, and if it helps you to take a step back from this work right now, we encourage you to give yourselves permission to do so.

For others, we know this moment underscores the importance of community organizing and maintaining community connections. As such, we’ll continue to provide resources and keep you updated on issues and bills as they move through Congress. We'll start with a quick "state of play" on what's happening in Congress, and then get to action items, resources and trainings down below. 

What's happening in Congress:

There are multiple pieces of legislation on coronavirus moving through Congress. On Wednesday, Trump signed the second coronavirus response bill into law. This bill was an important step to provide people with the support we will need as we endure the consequences of the coronavirus outbreak. However, we have to remember that Trump and his Republican allies pushed to weaken the bill before it passed the House, which will compound the effects of Trump's moves to actively make us less prepared to confront a pandemic. Congress cannot allow Trump and his lobbyist-stacked administration to hand out money to corporations while leaving families behind. Period. 

Fortunately, Congress has already started working on a third coronavirus response package intended to tackle the looming consequences of the outbreak. While negotiations are ongoing, there are several areas Congress must consider while crafting this legislation:

• Safeguarding our democracy
• Ensuring the health care system can meet the scope of this crisis
• Providing economic support to families
• Supporting workers and small businesses
• Preventing unaccountable corporate bailouts
• Ensuring all policies include marginalized communities

In keeping with these principles, we think that any effective response to this crisis must include the following three policies (and you can read more about what should go into the coronavirus response bill in our full resource here):

1. Nationwide vote by mail, as laid out in the Natural Disaster and Emergency Ballot Act.
2. Direct cash assistance to individuals and families, with strenuous requirements attached to any corporate bailouts.
3. Universal paid sick days, family leave, and expanded Unemployment Insurance to fill in the gaps from the second coronavirus response bill.

Read on to learn what you can do to make sure these critical safeguards to protect Americans become law. And make sure to bookmark https://act.indivisible.org/go/394497?t=7&akid=58163%2E1736305%2E3uFu4S to see the latest updates as the situation evolves.

Here are your top actions to ensure Americans get the support they need during the coronavirus outbreak:

1. Call your senator and tell them that the next coronavirus package must include these critical provisions. In this moment, we need to prioritize direct assistance to the people who we know are most impacted by this pandemic. That means mandating universal paid sick leave and expanded unemployment benefits. That also means establishing requirements for corporations who take taxpayer-funded bailouts. We can’t just hand over trillions of dollars to corporations -- we need to make sure that any taxpayer money they receive goes directly to workers, not to CEOs and shareholders. Call your senators now to demand they support these provisions be included in the next coronavirus relief package.
2. Call your representative and tell them the same. The previous coronavirus bills that passed originated in the House, and it didn't go nearly far enough in protecting folks most directly affected by this pandemic (millions of workers will be denied the protections in that bill). The House needs to make this right. Call your representatives now and demand that they support the above provisions be included in the next coronavirus package.
3. Demand your senators ensure safe, secure elections during the coronavirus outbreak. We know that the coronavirus is scary, and we’re all making sacrifices to minimize any further spread of the virus. We have seen some states make the very difficult decision to postpone primary elections in an effort to reduce community spread of coronavirus. But we can’t let this public health crisis impede the functioning of our democratic processes. That’s why we’re recommending states start now to build alternatives to in-person voting so that nothing will put the administration of the November presidential election at risk. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Ron Wyden have introduced a bill to assist states in expanding vote-by-mail for this November’s election. Call your senators to demand that the Natural Disaster and Emergency Ballot Act be included in the next coronavirus relief package.

Resources for organizing during social distancing

We know that this is a challenging and uncertain time -- and we’re here to help. We’ve compiled resources for how to organize effectively in the age of social distancing, as well as upcoming calls and events we’re hosting to help. 

• If you weren't able to join, watch last night's emergency COVID-19 National Activist Call. We were glad to gather with Indivisibles from all over the country for a conversation about organizing and activism during coronavirus and social distancing.
• Review our resource page for organizing during social distancing. This page includes information about organizing while social distancing, a relatively extensive list of video conferencing resources for virtual meetings, a list of actions you can take remotely, as well as reputable mutual aid resources for those who want to support their neighbors and communities during this time. Seriously, check this one out -- it’s got a LOT of good information. 
• What to tell your MoCs to do about Coronavirus. We know it’s been hard to keep track of what we can realistically ask our MoCs to do to support people throughout this crisis. Read and bookmark this resource which we’ll continue to update with the latest people-first policy demands around this pandemic. 
• RSVP to join our virtual office hours for transitioning in-person meetings to remote events. Indivisible Training Team is hosting office hours (on Zoom) to assist groups transitioning to virtual meeting spaces. Register for one of these casual Q&A sessions with Indivisible staff if you have any lingering questions on remote meetings! 

Monday, March 23 at 3pm ET/ 12pm PT

Tuesday, March 31 at 9pm ET/ 6pm PT

In solidarity,
Indivisible Team