Indivisibles,

TL;DR the House and Senate are nearing a deal on coronavirus legislation 3.5 and it’s not great. As we said in this tweet thread last night, this bill is far from the kind of people-first response we wanted to see from Congress. 

• No money for the unemployed or those in need
• No requirements on large companies to maintain payroll
• No health care for those who don’t have insurance
• No hazard pay or Essential Worker Bill of Rights
• No aid for states and cities (in fact, Trump has said he doesn't want it in there because he wants to use it as leverage later to get states to open sooner)
• No rent, mortgage, or utility shut off freeze
• No money for the USPS
• No money or other provisions to secure our elections before November

We need to continue pressuring our members of Congress to #PutPeopleFirst. Last Friday, we held a national call-in day on the need for Congress to adopt Senator Warren's plan for $4 billion in the next coronavirus package to protect our elections. With your help, we drove over 3,000 calls to the Senate but we must continue to put pressure on Congress until there's a vote.

This morning, Leah joined an amazing group of members of Congress and movement leaders to say just that. Here's a great tweet from Indivisible TX-24 urging folks to call their members of Congress with video of Leah’s remarks. And folks can watch the whole livestream here. Please watch and share. And here are some talking points that you can use from Leah’s remarks that explain why we think this bill falls short:

• We didn’t get here by accident. The last coronavirus relief bill prioritized corporate profits over workers' protections and wages. 
• We need sustained economic support for families and workers that are suffering, instead of band-aid after band-aid.
• We need to make sure everyone -- no matter who they are, regardless of immigration status -- has access to free testing and treatment, period. 
• We need to make sure our elections are safe. Wisconsin’s election showed Republicans’ hand -- how they plan to force Americans to choose between their safety and their vote. That’s a choice that we can’t accept and should not allow. 
• We know that Republicans are taking advantage of this moment to shovel more money to big corporations. They are simply indifferent to the human suffering that’s unfolding before our eyes.

Okay. All that being said, we’ve got a few days to really hit Congress on fighting for better coronavirus legislation. Our advocacy is *really* important right now to encourage members of Congress to grow a little spine and continue the fight for the people who need help in this moment of crisis. 

And now, let’s get to those to-dos:

 Your weekly to-dos 

1. Demand Congress ensures a safe, secure election during the coronavirus outbreak. Take action now to ensure elections can happen safely. States that have not yet held their primaries must develop more robust vote-by-mail systems (including offering mail-in ballots to any voter that requests one), extend vote-by-mail deadlines, and increase drop-off locations for ballots. And the federal government must help states fund these improvements. All changes must be in place by Election Day in November.
2. Reach out to your state elected officials to demand they take action on coronavirus. The federal government has put out three coronavirus relief packages so far, but there is plenty more that your state and local governments can do to create a more robust and equitable response.
3. Call your senator and tell them to prioritize a coronavirus People’s Bailout. We need a package that prioritizes protecting our democratic systems, providing accessible health care for all, and direct economic support to everyone. Call your senators now to demand they support the People’s Bailout.
4. Call your representative and tell them the same. Millions of people could be left behind while corporations rake in trillions of tax-payer dollars. 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.
5. Record a video demanding your members of Congress prioritize a People’s Bailout and tell us how the coronavirus crisis has impacted your life. We’ll uplift you and show reporters and members of Congress that even though we’re not rallying in the streets, Indivisibles are still working hard to hold their members of Congress accountable and build a sense of shared community. Use this opportunity to use your voice to control the narrative. 
6. Register for our upcoming National Activist Call on May 7th. The National Activist Call is a monthly space for Indivisible leaders, members and other activists to hear updates and connect with one another. 

 Indivisible Census 

Our movement will play a crucial role in this fall’s election, and one goal we've set out to achieve this year is to be able to evaluate our network and assess our impact so that we can understand where we are right now, and where we are headed. Being able to tell the story of our work this year is a way that we show our power, but in order to do that, we need to build a shared understanding of who we are as a community -- and to provide a way for you, as the leaders of this movement, to share that with us directly. 

To that end, we are excited to work with Dr. Dana Fisher, a prominent researcher on American political movements, and her team at the University of Maryland to launch the Indivisible Census, and we’re asking you to participate. Please, help us tell the story of our movement -- click here to fill out the Indivisible Census now.

 2020 Update 

Since Senator Bernie Sanders’ departure from the Democratic primary two week ago, former VP Joe Biden has been riding a steady wave of successes and rolling out endorsements. Early last week, he received the endorsement of both Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders, as well as former President Barack Obama. He has also received the endorsements of End Citizens United and Let America Vote and, just announced today, the League of Conservation Voters. Biden currently has 1305 delegates and needs at least 1991 delegates to officially win the Democratic nomination. Read on to learn more about what’s been happening with the 2020 primary:

• The first priority of a Biden Administration will be democracy reform. Former VP Joe Biden is drawing on the For the People Act (H.R. 1), which is flush with democracy reforms that would radically improve our current system, to shape his day one priorities. We've been pushing all the Democrats on prioritizing democracy reform and we're thrilled to see Team Biden moving in this direction!
• Former VP Joe Biden won Wyoming’s Democratic caucus. Biden received 72.2% of the vote with Senator Bernie Sanders pulling down 27.8%. Wyoming’s caucus was conducted fully by mail. Of the approximately 40,000 ballots mailed out to WY “caucus-goers,” 15,428 were returned; roughly a 38% return rate. Although he has dropped out, Sen. Sanders was awarded four of the state’s delegates, while Biden’s win earned him 10, bringing his delegate lead over Sanders to greater than 360. 
• Progressive challenger Jill Karofsky defeated conservative incumbent Dan Kelly for Wisconsin’s highly sought-after state Supreme Court seat. Karofsky’s win comes with broad potential implications for voting rights in Wisconsin’s November general election. Justice Karofsky may be in a position to be the swing vote on a case before the court that could purge more than 200,000 people from the Wisconsin vote rolls. In a swing state where Trump won by fewer than 23,000 votes, it’s more important than ever to have Karofsky on the court -- we know the facts of every case will be front and center, helping end what has been a string of partisan decisions from the court.
• Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont has pushed the state’s presidential primary to Aug. 11 due to coronavirus concerns. Gov. Lamont and Secretary of State Denise Merrill announced late on Friday that “to protect the health and safety of voters, poll workers and the most vulnerable populations, it just makes most sense to extend the date out to August.” The extra time will also allow state officials to better prepare for the anticipated increase in demand for absentee ballots. August 11 aligns with existing Congressional primaries, state legislature, and local offices, saving towns money they would have otherwise spent holding two elections in one calendar year.

 Find a virtual event near you 

 We can win in 2020 

News is changing every day, but one thing hasn’t changed: we’re still all in to win the presidency, take back the Senate, and expand the majority in the House this November. It’s more clear than ever that that’s what it’ll take to build a government that puts people first, not corporate profits.

Even as we continue fleshing out our plans for doing all of that during a pandemic, we know we’ll have to use and expand a lot of the tools we’ve already got. That’s where you come in -- we rely on grassroots donations to make it all possible. Can you pitch in $10 to support all the work we’re doing this year?

 IndivisiWin of the Week 

Missed our Co-Executive Director, @Leahgreenb peaking at the #PutPeopleFirst press conference with progressive Members of Congress? Don't worry you can watch her here!

We've said this before, but in times of extreme crisis, the nation needs real and steady leadership. With Trump failing at every level, we need Congress to step up and ensure the safety of the American people and the safety of our democracy now more than ever.

In solidarity,
Indivisible Team