Indivisibles,

Trump and his Republican enablers have failed us on COVID -- and not just because they won’t wear masks (not even MAGA ones). While the number of cases has dropped dramatically in Europe and Asia, the U.S. has reached a high of new cases for the 27th day in a row. Even though Trump would like you to believe that the pandemic is over, the numbers make it clear that, unlike the rest of the world, we’re not just stuck, we’re going backward.

Take the fact that last Thursday, the European Union (total population: 446 million) saw fewer new cases than both Florida and Texas combined (total population: 50 million). And as cases go up, so does unemployment. The unemployment rate is now at 11.1% and almost 600,000 people lost their jobs permanently during the month of June alone. 

The crisis doesn’t end there: research confirms that COVID-19 disproportionately impacts the most vulnerable among us. Compared to white cases, Black and Latinx people are three times more likely to be infected and nearly twice as likely to die. Part of this is because of increased exposure: Black and brown people are typically frontline, essential workers who can’t stay home even if they wanted to. If you needed a more clear example of the constant reality of systemic racism, there it is. It also may explain Trump’s new strategy to simply hope we “grow numb” to tens of thousands of folks dying.

Republicans know all this and still won’t address what’s right in front of them: unemployment insurance is getting ready to expire and the Senate left on Thursday for recess without taking any action on the Heroes Act to help the folks who are hurting during this pandemic or to provide states with much-needed election assistance funds to help keep voters safe. 

This crisis illustrates now more than ever why we can’t afford four more years of Trump and his Republican enablers in the Senate. After you take action this week to demand your senators do their job and pass the Heroes Act, mark your calendars for the kick-off of our general election program to win in November. We’ll be holding a week of action from July 27th to August 2nd to beat Trump, flip the Senate, and save democracy. For more, check out our We are Indivisible July 2020 Kick-Off resource to learn about our big goals and how you can get plugged in. 

And with that, we leave you with our weekly to-dos:

 Your 5 weekly to-dos 

1. Call your Senators and demand they pass the Heroes Act without watering it down. Unemployment insurance benefits from the CARES Act are set to run out on July 31. We must extend and expand coronavirus relief legislation -- vulnerable people across the country are depending on it. Read about how the Heroes Act will protect working families and call your Senators to demand they pass the Heroes Act.
2. Call your local officials to express your support to defund the police and invest in Black communities. So many of you joined the fight to support and protect people of color from state-sanctioned violence, but the truth is a lot of that work has to happen locally, in your town and cities. Call your local officials and demand that they defund the police and invest those funds in resources. If you need more context, check out our latest video where we explain exactly what we mean by #DefundThePolice.
3. Call your Senators and demand they cosponsor the D.C. statehood bill. This historic bill passed in the House last week, acknowledging that D.C.’s 700,000+ residents live without their constitutional rights as Americans, lacking full representation in Congress and control over their own affairs. A historically-Black city, D.C.’s lack of statehood is a remnant of Reconstruction when racist white politicians sought to prevent the District’s plurality of Black residents from gaining political power. Check out our resource about why D.C. statehood is a racial justice issue and call your Senators to demand they support D.C. statehood. 
4. Join the DFAD #DemocracyOpenMic to inspire our elected leaders to act now to protect our elections. While COVID-19 cases continue to rise in states across the country, too many states lack the resources to ensure safe and accessible voting this fall. The disastrous primary elections in Wisconsin and Georgia demonstrate the urgent need for Congress to act now to #ProtectOurVote. That’s why we’re calling on activists, artists, and creators across the country to make your voice heard by participating in a Democracy Open Mic. Record a video, create a protest sign, design a graphic, and more -- the possibilities are endless! 

 2020 Update 

• Tomorrow is the New Jersey Democratic primary, and Indivisible-endorsed candidate Dr. Arati Kreibich has been working hard to defeat Rep. Josh Gottheimer in the 5th district. Challenging an incumbent? Well, Dr. Kreibich actually volunteered to help re-elect Gottheimer in 2018 but quickly became disillusioned by how he represented the 5th district. Rep. Gottheimer is one of the most conservative Democrats in Congress, co-chairing the Problem Solvers Caucus, which often is responsible for weakening progressive legislation. He is also one of the Democrats that most often votes in line with Trump’s positions. Indivisibles in the district have worked hard to get Dr. Kreibich’s message out and make the case for why the 5th needs a true progressive representative.
• July 27 marks 100 days until the general election. We’re giving it our all over the next 100 days to defeat Donald Trump in November -- but we need all the help we can get. That means rallying behind Joe Biden as the Democratic nominee and doing everything we can to help his campaign. If you’re as committed as we are to beating Trump, make sure you’ve signed our 2020 Indivisible Pledge.

 Find a virtual event "near" you 

1) Indivisible Textbanking Training

Wondering how you can get involved in upcoming elections from wherever you are? We’ll teach you how to start texting with the IndivisiText program on our platform, TextOut!

Date: July 7, 2020 at 08:30 PM EST -- Register HERE.

2) Week of Action Prep Training

As we get ready to kick-off of our General Election Strategy, join us for this hands-on training to get the resources you need to carry out your General Election work with Indivisible’s Direct Voter Contact Program. During this training, you will learn how to set-up and host a successful General Election Kick-Off event, put together a timeline for your Week of Action events, and train your group members on how to sign up for text banking and phone banking. 

Date: Monday, July 13 at 8 PM EST --  Register HERE.

Date: Tuesday, July 14 at 3 PM EST --  Register HERE.

 Support the Payback Project during our Week of Action 

This week, with the Payback Project week of action, we’re kicking into high gear to replace 11 of the worst GOP senators this November. Our four-step plan is in motion: we’re building accountability, boosting local political power, organizing to win, and getting out the vote. And with an ongoing pandemic, those steps are taking more careful planning than ever before -- from texting and phone calls to running ads nationwide. We need your help to make it all happen: can you donate $10 to support the Payback Project, take back the Senate, and fund all our work?

 IndivisiWin of the Week 

This weekend, IndivisiCandidate Ed Markey joined Indivisible's in Boston at a #SAYHERNAME march.

For this week’s IndivisiWin, we wanted to shout out Indivisible-endorsed candidate, Senator Ed Markey, and all those who showed up for Black lives at the #SAYHERNAME march in Boston. We expect every candidate to do the work and say it loud and clear: today and every day, Black Lives Matter.

In solidarity,
Indivisible Team