We're going to keep updating this, John, because we can't lose sight of what's happening or let Congress treat this as a "one protest and done" issue.

Elon Musk's private citizens at DOGE now have access to Medicare and Medicaid payment data. This comes on top of these unvetted, non-government employees showing up at the headquarters of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to access their IT infrastructure and try to fulfill one of the goals of Project 2025, privatizing the government weather data that we all rely on so these private companies can charge us for it.

We MUST keep up the pressure: Call your member of Congress via the switchboard at (202) 224-3121 or find their direct number for the House or Senate. Call their state or district offices if you don't get an answer in DC. Ask them if they support the President taking these actions and if Congress has given up checks and balances and their constitutional authority.

If you haven't been following this, there's a lot more information below, but -- voting rights or not -- it's on us to stand up for the country and government we deserve.

Onward,

The Voter Action Project Team

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This crisis is expanding, John, not receding. We guess you could call what's happened at USAID, Treasury, and OPM a "successful beta test" in the eyes of the illegal DOGE operation.

Elon Musk's team of private citizens continued their assault on agencies, now turning their attention to the Department of Education. The acolytes at DOGE are reportedly probing data from the department while it puts dozens of employees on administrative leave, looking to gut the agency even though it would take an act of Congress to shut it down.

Many members of Congress posted videos yesterday, saying their phone lines were jammed. Our message is getting through to them and we need to keep it up!

We're asking again: Call your member of Congress via the switchboard at (202) 224-3121 or find their direct number for the House or Senate. Call their state or district offices if you don't get an answer in DC. Ask them if they support the President taking these actions and if Congress has given up checks and balances and their constitutional authority.

We know -- none of this directly impacts voting rights. However, the implications of these sweeping and illegal actions seem like the tip of the iceberg -- which is why we're not letting this go or turning away just because it's not our main mission. Our democracy is forged by all of us, so we must fight on these other issues before DOGE turns it's focus onto our fundamental rights, like voting.

Sincerely,

The Voter Action Project Team

If you've been watching events unfold this weekend, John, then you know what we're talking about. If not, here's an overview:

Elon Musk's team of private citizens gained access to the Treasury Department's classified payment system. Musk's "DOGE" team -- filled with non-federal employees and not a department created by Congress or presidential commission created legally -- is now reportedly "turning off" payments Congress approved, line by line. Reportedly the "engineers" accessing these systems are former Musk company interns.

Federal workers blockade the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). These workers spent the weekend protesting outside OPM after Musk's team accessed potentially classified data there as well. They reportedly blocked more "data miners" from "DOGE" from getting in the building and taking more information on hard drives.

Now Musk and Trump are trying to illegally shut down USAID, the U.S. Agency for International Development. USAID was created by Congress in 1961 as a way for the United States to aid allies around the world. USAID employees were reportedly told to not come to work and USAID's grants around the world have apparently been turned off. Presidents can only be granted "reorganization authority"  to close or consolidate agencies by act of Congress, which was last granted to Ronald Reagan decades ago.

None of these things directly impact voting rights. But we're terrified by the implications of these sweeping and illegal actions -- likely just the tip of the iceberg -- so we're putting aside our plans for today to ask you to act. We all need to demand that Congress do their jobs, find out what's going on, walk down to these departments and knock on the door and demand answers.

Please: Call your member of Congress via the switchboard at (202) 224-3121 or find their direct number for the House or Senate. Call their state offices if you don't get an answer in DC. Ask them if they support the President taking these actions and if Congress has given up separations of powers.

No one else can hold them accountable, so we must do the hard work of our democracy before too much harm is done.

Sincerely,

The Voter Action Project Team

Interested in supporting our work defending our fundamental right to vote? If you've saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately:

Integrity First Voter Action Project is dedicated to expanding ballot access and increasing voter participation across the country.

Since the Supreme Court gutted key provisions in the Voting Rights Act, extreme politicians have taken advantage to pass harsh laws that restrict access to the ballot box. These restrictions particularly affect disadvantaged communities and people of color. It’s our goal to bring awareness to these laws wherever they may crop up and organize voters to take action to ensure the right to vote is available to everyone in their states and communities.

Your support is crucial to our efforts. Will you donate today to help us protect voting rights?

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