JOHN,

Last week, the House of Representatives passed HR 9495, a dangerous and unconstitutional bill that would give presidential administrations unchecked power to shut down any nonprofit organizations they disagree with. This attack on our right to dissent threatens the existence of groups like the NAACP, ACLU, Planned Parenthood, LGBTQ+ or environmental justice organizations, Palestinian human rights groups, or any nonprofit organization critical of government policy—including news outlets and schools.

Now we have to make sure this “nonprofit killer” bill doesn’t pass the Senate.

Even while this bill passed the House, 39 Democratic Representatives changed their votes in just one week and voted against this assault on our civil liberties, thanks to their constituents reaching out to them and pushing back on their previous “yes” votes.

This affirms that people have tremendous power to move their government representatives and reminds us how important it is to have elected officials who listen to their constituents.

Let’s keep this in mind come mid-January when Republicans control the White House, the House of Representatives, and the Senate: People will still have power at the local, state, and federal levels. Transformative change comes when the people demand it, and we cannot stop fighting for the society we need and deserve, where we all have equal rights and freedoms and everyone’s needs are met.

We know that most people want progressive change and are with us: In at least seven states where Trump got the majority of votes, the majority of voters passed ballot measures to increase the minimum wage, expand paid sick leave, or enshrine the right to abortion in their states’ constitutions.¹ In at least five states where Trump got the majority of votes, progressive state Supreme Court justices won against Republican opponents—including two judges I endorsed in my home state of Michigan. This expanded the left’s majority on our state Supreme Court with justices who will enforce our state Constitution’s abortion protections.²

I created the Rooted in Community Leadership PAC to help elect progressive candidates with working class backgrounds who are rooted in their communities and understand their neighbors’ struggles. These are folks who understand how urgently and desperately their constituents need change, and who aren’t afraid to push for bold progressive policies to make their neighbors’ lives better.

Will you chip into our Rooted in Community Leadership PAC today to support progressive grassroots candidates, especially as right-wing billionaires increase their spending in elections?

If you've saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your secure donation will go through immediately:

Thank you so much. And as a reminder: The presidential election was not a landslide. Even with $200 million from Elon Musk and roughly $2 billion from other far-right billionaires, Trump won less than 50% of the vote. There is no right-wing mandate, only the responsibility we all still have to each other to keep pushing for a better world.

People are understandably afraid about what’s coming with the upcoming presidential administration. I promise I will not back down when it comes to protecting our communities and making sure that our most vulnerable neighbors are safe, seen, and heard.

Always in service,

Rashida

1. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/nov/06/election-state-ballot-measure-results
2. https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2024/11/2024-election-progressives-judicial-races-allison-riggs.html