Your weekly Indivisible Newsletter Indivisibles,
Last week, the Supreme Court gave us a (likely temporary) reprieve when they sent a challenge to the FDA’s ability to regulate mifepristone back to the lower courts -- ruling that the plaintiffs did not have standing to bring the case forward but leaving open the opportunity for new plaintiffs to try again.
This week, they could hand down a different, dangerous ruling as they decide whether states can ban doctors from providing emergency abortion care, right up until a woman is about to die, in violation of federal patient protections under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA).
For a fuller explanation of the EMTALA case, check out our explainer, but EMTALA guarantees that anyone experiencing an emergency medical condition that is a serious risk to their life or health is entitled to necessary stabilizing treatment. Sometimes that stabilizing care includes an abortion. Idaho is attempting to assert that their abortion ban supersedes EMTALA.
Once again, our rights are being left to the whims of an extremist Supreme Court hand-picked by Trump to rip them away.
The timing is fitting: Next Monday, June 24, is the anniversary of Trump’s Supreme Court reversing Roe v. Wade and setting our rights back fifty years. With the EMTALA decision potentially coming down Thursday or Friday of this week, we couldn’t have planned a better time to host our Majority Over MAGA Weekend of Action.
This weekend, leading up to the anniversary, Indivisibles will be hosting events all across the country to remind voters that Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans are an existential threat to our reproductive freedoms and our democracy.
Before you head out for an event this weekend (see below for more details on events), we wanted to make sure you were prepared:
- Check out our updated talking points for your Weekend of Action Event. Worried you won’t have answers to the questions you’re most likely to get this weekend? Use this resource as a guide to help you navigate the most important topics to convince voters to turn out in November.
- Make sure you’re prepared for the weather. We’ll be experiencing a potential heat wave all across the country this weekend. Make sure you’re prepared with all of the water, hats, sunscreen, umbrellas, and any other accessory you might need to take care of yourself (and your friends) in this weather.
In a poll released today, 21% of independents said Trump’s conviction made them less likely to support him. That’s a great first step, but a Gallup poll also showed that a record share of the US electorate is pro-choice and voting on it. When we combine these two results, we know we have a real chance to mobilize voters to defeat Trump in November.
We need to continue to remind voters that Trump is responsible for the repeal of Roe, that his re-election is a real possibility, and that if his campaign succeeds, he will continue to rip away our rights. It’s going to take your help to get it done.
With that, here are your weekly to-dos:
Your 4 weekly to-dos
- Check to see if there’s a Weekend of Action event near you. We need Indivisibles all across the country to mobilize for this Weekend of Action. Remember: 17% of voters currently blame Biden for the end of Roe. We need to get out into our communities, talk to those voters, and remind them of the truth -- Donald Trump caused the fall of Roe and if he’s re-elected he’ll do much worse.
- If there isn’t a Weekend of Action event near you, there’s still time to create one. Use this toolkit to put together an event for this weekend. From why we’re hosting a weekend of action (it’s the anniversary of the repeal of Roe), to ideas for events, to the resources we have available for groups wanting to host events, this toolkit is your one-stop shop for all things Weekend of Action. You could stage a protest, a rally, a district office visit, or something else completely different, but if there isn’t already an event near you, find a way you’d want to commemorate this weekend, get out there, recruit some friends, and make it happen.
- Sign up to phonebank, textbank, or write to voters with our new Majority Over MAGA: State to State resource. Neighbor2Neighbor (see below) may only be available in our target districts, but it’s going to take everyone coming together to drive wins in November. This State to State page will be our home for all of the other resources and strategies that will power us to a true Democratic trifecta that will codify reproductive freedoms and enact democracy reforms. Check this page to learn about phonebanks, textbanks, postcards, reimbursements, and more that will be the backbone of our 2024 election program.
- Neighbor2Neighbor is open!!!! Check and see if it’s available in your area, and help get out the vote. We have opened our highly effective, community conversation program -- Neighbor2Neighbor. If you want to have the biggest impact on voter turnout, this is the most effective way we’ve found to mobilize community members (our numbers prove it). Check and see if Neighbor2Neighbor is available in your area and, if it is, sign up today.
P.S. If you've completed your weekly to-do's and are looking for more ways to support this movement, 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.
Majority Over MAGA National Phonebank
Register for the Project 2024: Majority Over MAGA Weekend of Action National Phonebank for Sherrod Brown and Jon Tester this Thursday, June 20 at 7pm ET/4pm PT. Both the Ohio and Montana Senate seats are must-wins if we want to hold onto (and expand) our Senate majority in November. Brown and Tester are up against Trump-backed, MAGA extremists, and it is up to us to ensure that they have the support necessary to win their races, and every single vote is going to matter in these tightly contested seats. Help us move one step closer to a true trifecta by electing Sherrod Brown and Jon Tester. Bonus: The event will be kicked off by guest speaker Andrea Chalupa from Gaslit Nation. There will be a training to begin the event if you need a refresher on phonebanking.
The First Presidential Debate
The first presidential debate of 2024 is coming up on Thursday, June 27 at 9pm ET/6pm PT. For undecided voters, debates can serve an important role in deciding who to support at the ballot box. Debates provide candidates with equal platforms to clearly and effectively articulate their values and vision for the country, while giving voters an accessible format to gain valuable information about the candidates and their positions on important issues.
But Indivisibles aren’t undecided. We know there’s no actual debate here: Democracy and abortion rights are on the ballot, and nothing Donald Trump says on that debate stage will convince us that he and his MAGA Republicans will stop attacking our institutions, elections, and basic freedoms the second they get more power.
You may be thinking to yourself:
I know the stakes. I know that another four years of Trump would be the worst thing for this country. The debate won’t change my mind about that. Why bother with watching?
It’s a fair question. Here are five reasons why we think it’s worth watching;
- It gives us an opportunity to directly engage with, and respond to, what’s said on the debate stage. It’s unique and rare to be in conversation, in real time, with the future leader of our country, and we don’t wanna pass it up. Our national staff will be watching and putting our reactions out on social media throughout the debate for you to follow along with us. We’ll also be sharing takes from the movement, so be sure to tag @IndivisibleTeam on social media so we can see and share your posts.
- It keeps us attuned to what voters are hearing. In order for us to be effective messengers, we need to know what undecided voters are hearing. For a lot of those voters, the debate could very well be the first time they’re engaging with the election, making it their only reference point as they decide who to support.
- It reminds us of the stakes. Trump is going to say a lot of things during the debate that are truly unhinged and fascistic. Those should serve as a fortifying reminder of what we’re up against, of what the stakes are, and that we need to fight like hell against the anti-democracy, anti-abortion politics of MAGA.
- It’s a fun way to get together with your Indivisible community! These debates are bound to have an air of spectacle, so why not make an event of them? Invite over your community of Indivisible activists for a Debate Watch Party! They’re an easy way to bring some levity back to the hard and real work of saving democracy. You can even turn the debate into a game by playing Presidential Debate Bingo.
- It can help grow your local Indivisible movement. Debate Watch Parties also happen to be a low barrier space that can appeal to folks who are just getting activated and are looking for an organizing home to join. You found your way to this movement for a reason: a sense of urgency that we may lose our democracy if we don’t act now. There are people around the corner from you who are feeling your same urgency, but who haven’t found their community. A debate watch party is a great way to invite them into yours!
Making an impact in elections is hard and invaluable work, and it’s gonna take all of us to defeat the anti-democracy, anti-abortion politics of MAGA. And if we’re gonna make it the next 4.5 months without burning out or losing faith, we’ve gotta lean into our community, find space for joy and rest, and remind ourselves of why we’re in this fight.
That’s why we’re encouraging you to gather with your local Indivisible crew (and maybe invite some new people, too!) to tune into the first presidential debate of 2024! For more info on hosting a watch party (and the perks we’re offering to help kick your party up a notch), check out our Presidential Debate Watch Party Toolkit.
Don’t want to host or attend a watch party, but still want to engage with the debate? Play Presidential Debate Bingo!
Also plan to join our next Coffee Klatch on Monday, July 1 at 4pm ET/1pm PT. Hear directly from Leah and Ezra as they serve up organizational reactions and analysis about the debate, and answer some questions from the movement.
Demand Your Members of Congress Say No To Netanyahu
**Content Warning: Talk about the current humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Jump to the line break if you need to avoid this topic.** |
After the Israeli military announced plans to hold daytime pauses to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza, Benjamin Netanyahu immediately criticized the plan, calling it “unacceptable” and compelling the military to reassure him that there was no change in policy. At the same time, Netanyahu dissolved his war cabinet this weekend, closing the door on a unified government that had come together following October 7th.
Netanyahu’s actions reveal a stark truth: He is not concerned with achieving peace, rescuing hostages, or unifying the factions within the Israeli government. His primary concern is consolidating power and extending his influence under his own rule.
So why is our Congress inviting him to speak?
Netanyahu’s approval rating sits just above 30% in Israel and is similarly low in the US. Clearly, the vast majority of people worldwide lack confidence in his leadership. A trip to Washington will not change that.
Now is not the time for him to seek more power. Now is the time for him to focus on ending this brutal conflict and securing the return of the hostages.
A visit to Congress does nothing to achieve those goals, and our representatives need to make that clear to him.
Call your representative and tell them to say “No to Netanyahu” and skip his address to Congress. Rather than indulging in the political machinations of a Trumpian power-monger, our elected officials must get back to what’s actually important and impactful: Stopping the flow of offensive weapons into the hands of the Israeli military, using that leverage to broker a ceasefire, ensuring the return of the hostages, and allowing the free administration of humanitarian aid. No to Netanyahu, yes to peace.
Call your Members of Congress.
Justice Alito and SCOTUS Corruption
After it was reported that Justice Samuel Alito had flown two separate versions of flags that are symbols of support for the January 6th insurrection outside of his home, Alito has stated his refusal to recuse himself from cases involving Trump’s attempted overthrow of our government.
This would be a conflict of interest for any judge, but is especially horrific given our ongoing need for impartial checks and balances as Trump makes continued allusions to refusing to accept the results of an election.
The MAGA Supreme Court doesn’t just have a corruption problem, it has an insurrection problem.
It is past time for Congress to take action, and we need your help to make that happen:
If you have Senate representation, ask your senators to take a stand against Supreme Court corruption. Make sure your senators are being vocal about the need for a thorough investigation into Alito’s corruption. Congress cannot just accept a corrupt court; they must do everything in their power to expose that corruption and root it out.
Take a moment to defend our democracy today.
IndivisiWin of the Week
Co-Executive Director Leah Greenberg joined 80 activists at the Indivisible Massachusetts Statewide Convening.
Follow us on Facebook, Mastodon, Threads, and 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.
In solidarity, Indivisible Team
|