This week, Ezra breaks down Texas Dems' bold move and previews a new call to
action for blue state Democrats. Then, you can take action to even the midterm
playing field, end forced starvation in Gaza, and join some powerful upcoming
calls.

Hey folks,

Call me a biased Texan, but I just have to kick off this week’s newsletter
with the GOP gerrymandering power-grab in my home state, Texas Dems’ bold
response, and what all this means for the authoritarian moment we’re
muddling through together. Let’s get to it.

You launch a power-grab when you fear your voters. Last month, Trump
signed into law the most regressive and least popular bill in modern
American history which, among other things, cut emergency response
services nationwide. That same day, a massive flood hit central Texas, and
both the local warning system and the state/federal response were so
horrifically inadequate that [ [link removed] ]more than 130 Texans -- including 37
children -- died.

(Before you click that link, a warning: I don’t often shed tears writing
these newsletter intros, but I had to pause to collect myself after
reading the obituaries of far too many 8- and 9-year-olds from that camp).

Republicans braced for backlash. If you’re the GOP, one reasonable
response to voter anger at your right-wing agenda and incompetent
governance would be moderation and contrition. An alternative response is
to cynically rig the rules ahead of the next election to prevent too many
losses. Trump and the Texas Republicans did not choose moderation or
contrition.

Instead, Trump told the Texas GOP to [ [link removed] ]take an already-gerrymandered
state and gerrymander it more. Texas Republicans heard the order loud and
clear, and now they’re expediting a norm-busting mid-decade redistricting
scheme that all but [ [link removed] ]guarantees Republicans five more House seats next
November. In a state that Trump won with 56% of the vote, Republicans
under this map would safely control 80% of the state’s congressional
seats.

Texas Dems are fighting back, with some help from friends. Right-wing
Republicans have run the Texas state legislature for a quarter century.
So, in a moment like this, Texas Dems could throw up their hands and
plead, “Well, what the hell do you expect us to do?” But instead, they’re
fighting back. They’re responding to historic anti-democratic
norm-breaking with historic opposition.

Their specific maneuver sounds boring, but it’s badass. It’s called
breaking quorum. It works like this: If more than ⅓ of Texas legislators
refuse to show up for votes, they freeze all legislative activity.

In all of Texas' history, legislators have deployed this strategy only
four times. This weekend, more than 50 Texas Dems deployed it again.
[ [link removed] ]They left the state, and many joined Governor Pritzker in Chicago. No
quorum means no new map as long as they hold out.

We don’t know how this will play out. The last two times Dems deployed
this tactic, it went on for more than a month before the coalition
fractured, a few Dems returned, and the Republicans moved forward with
their plans. If these Texas Dems are going to be more successful, they’ll
have to hold out longer, stick together, and rally both state and national
public opinion to their side.

It’s time to fight back. The fight for justice and democracy against an
authoritarian force often starts this way. The options are few. The odds
are long. It looks dicey. In moments like this, you need leaders with
intense strategic clarity. You need someone like a Texas State
Representative James Talarico to say: [ [link removed] ]"We are not fighting for the
Democratic Party. We are fighting for the democratic process, and the
stakes could not be higher. We have to take a stand."

When Talarico says “It’s time to fight back,” he’s not just describing the
strategic logic of his own actions. He’s calling out those on the
sidelines to join this righteous fight.

And now some elected Dems are cheering on the Texas Dem legislators [ [link removed] ]and
proposing blue state Dems use their power to pass their own new maps.
Fight fire with fire! This is what “courage is contagious” looks like in
real life.

I’m with Talarico, the Lone Star Indivisible Team, the local Indivisible
groups, and the rest of the fight-back faction of the Party. I think the
only real path forward is the courageous path. And I think we need more
leaders who understand what this moment demands of us.

If you’re there with me, I hope you get into the fight with this week’s
action items.

In solidarity,
Ezra Levin
Co-Executive Director, Indivisible

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Your weekly to-dos

 1. [ [link removed] ]Blue State Indivisibles: Call on state Democrats to fight fire with
fire by readying new congressional maps. If red state Republicans rig
the midterms by redrawing their maps to steal seats, blue state Dems
must even the playing field by responding in kind. Use our tools to
demand that Democratic governors and legislators act now.
 2. [ [link removed] ]Join the One Million Rising training on August 13 to start planning
a strategic non-cooperation campaign. In the final session of our One
Million Rising series, we’ll walk you through the process of designing
and executing a non-cooperation campaign with friends, neighbors,
colleagues, or other connections.
 3. [ [link removed] ]Email your Members of Congress to call for an end to Netanyahu’s
intentional starvation of Gaza. Trump acknowledges widespread
starvation in Gaza but hasn’t acted to address it. Members of Congress
from both parties must force the issue, with demands to lift aid
restrictions and allow trusted third parties to distribute food.
[ [link removed] ]See more from Indivisible here >>
 4. [ [link removed] ]Use our Epstein cover-up toolkit to call out Trump and MAGA
Republicans for trying to bury Epstein evidence. Congressional
Republicans fled DC early to avoid voting on the Epstein files, but
we’re keeping pressure on during August recess. Our toolkit includes
call scripts, pressure tactics, and social media tools to demand a
vote as soon as Congress returns.

P.S. Fundraising often slows down a lot in the summer, but we can’t say
the same about our work! We’re in the midst of training ONE MILLION people
to combat fascism, preparing for a big government funding fight, and so
much more. The summer slowdown is a big reason why recurring donations are
so important to keeping us going -- so [ [link removed] ]please consider starting a
monthly gift OR [ [link removed] ]chip in a one-time donation here.

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One Million Rising: Turning local action to national impact

We’re chipping away at the civic pillars Trump needs to cement and uphold
his power -- media, business leaders, civic organizations, and beyond --
by training one million Americans to lead strategic non-cooperation
campaigns in their communities. Together, we can force our institutions
off the sidelines to disrupt and defy Trump’s power-grab!

The August 13 session of One Million Rising will teach you basic campaign
design and how to implement it locally. We’ll also provide action items to
help you plug into the next phase of our work to save democracy.

[ [link removed] ]Digital flier for One Million Rising virtual training on August 13 -- Click
to learn more and sign up

[ [link removed] ]Register for the One Million Rising virtual session on August 13 so
you have everything you need to start a strategic non-cooperation campaign
with your community!

This is the final installment of our One Million Rising series, and you’re
welcome to attend even if you missed previous sessions! You can [ [link removed] ]watch a
recording of the kickoff call here and [ [link removed] ]catch up on the most recent session
here.

Watching the two previous sessions is encouraged, but not required, to make
the most of the final One Million Rising call on August 13.

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An expert's approach to building coalitions

Our Solidarity in Action speaker series is all about effective strategies
to support, uplift, and stand in solidarity with the communities most
endangered by authoritarianism. At our next session on August 18,
immigrant rights activist and author Cristina Jiménez will share her
strategies for building effective community support programs.

You’ll leave equipped with best practices for forming, managing, and
sustaining effective coalitions to amplify community support and advocacy
efforts.

[ [link removed] ]Digital flier for the Solidarity in Action session on building partnerships
and coalitions on August 18 at 7 PM ET -- Click to learn more and sign up

[ [link removed] ]Sign up for the Solidarity in Action event with United We Dream
co-founder Cristina Jiménez on Monday, August 18, at 7pm ET / 4pm PT.

Cristina’s book [ [link removed] ]Dreaming of Home is on Solidarity in Action’s recommended
reading list! Attendees do NOT need to read the book before joining this call,
but doing so may make the session even more powerful and informative.

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IndivisiWIN of the week

[21]Photo of three Indivisibles in swimsuits, beach towels, and swim goggles
outside a stuffy looking office park. One woman is holding a beach ball while
the other holds a sign that says NO ONE CAN DROWN OUR DEMOCRACY

When three Wisconsin Indivisible groups heard their GOP representative,
Tom Tiffany, was using sprinklers to disperse peaceful protestors outside
his office, they knew they had to respond creatively. Just like that, the
Tom Tiffany Beach Bash was born!

At their next protest outside Tiffany’s office, dozens of Indivisibles
showed up in street clothes like normal -- until the sprinklers came back
on. Rather than run from the petty waterworks, the Indivisibles stripped
down to their bathing suits, broke out their floaties, and kept on
protesting! Their creativity made their protest even more noticeable and
earned applause in [ [link removed] ]one of the nation’s most-read political blogs.

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