COVID-19 relief is still not here. Here’s why, and what you can do.
The COVID-19 crisis has never been more devastating. 300,000 people are dead. State and local governments who are on the front line fighting the pandemic are going bankrupt. The CARES Act relief that has been keeping some small businesses barely afloat will expire in days. So too will the extensions of unemployment benefits that have barely sustained millions of families. Hunger-lines are growing longer and longer and the national eviction and homeowner foreclosure moratoriums are about to end. Yet Republicans in Congress are blocking the emergency relief we need.
Back in May, House Democrats passed the HEROES Act providing the $3.3 trillion that is actually needed. Fearing that four Republican senators might support it, McConnell refused to allow it to be debated or voted on. We call this kind of power-play “stonewalling,” and its effect is to nullify all legislative impact by Democrats and disenfranchise the voters who elected them. Democrats then proposed a $2.2 trillion bill and asked Republicans to meet them halfway. Republicans again stonewalled. McConnell then proposed a pathetically inadequate $500 billion package that provided money for businesses and a meager extension of reduced unemployment benefits but contained NO money for state/local governments, yet did include blanket COVID-19 liability immunity for businesses that refuse to protect their employees and customers.
A group of moderate Republicans and conservative Democrats proposed a “compromise” $908 billion bill that is—in essence—McConnell's proposal plus an inadequate pittance for state/local governments using funds that mostly come from CARES Act money that Republicans prevented from being spent. McConnell again balked. To appease him, they are now proposing to split their so-called compromise into two bills, one containing the business aid and benefit extension and the other for state/local government aid AND the COVID-19 liability immunity. Everyone knows that if separated from the corporate assistance bill, the second bill has no chance of ever being enacted.
Despite McConnell’s shocking opposition to any emergency relief for Americans, he is still a politician facing public pressure. State governments and even some corporations are already asking elected officials to act on pandemic relief fast. Public pressure on our Members of Congress nationwide might just get us the help we need. Indivisible National is asking members across the country to call their Members of Congress—and we’re doing the same.
Here’s what you can do.
- Mutual aid. An important part of organizing in your community is taking the initiative to help your neighbors in need. Indivisible National has come up with a list of resources, actions to take, and organizations to donate to in order to support your community and fellow citizens while we are in the midst of the pandemic during the holiday season.
Get ready for the Assembly District Delegates (ADEMs) election!
The ADEMs election is coming up soon, and it’s all vote-by-mail—the safest and most convenient way to vote! Register for a vote-by-mail ballot by January 11.
California Democratic Assembly District Delegates (AD delegates) are responsible for working within the Democratic State Central Committee to shape the party’s platform on behalf of their community. There are 14 delegates from each California assembly district. The delegates elected in each district represent the district in the Democratic Party conventions; those elected in the coming year will be your district’s representatives in 2021 and 2022.
AD Delegates vote within the CA Democratic Party on behalf of the community they represent. They can affect important California Democratic Party initiatives such as:
- Ballot proposition endorsements
- Electing California Democratic officers, including the Chair
- Endorsements for statewide offices
- The California Democratic State Party platform
We can move the Democratic party to progressive initiatives by electing Assembly District Delegates who represent those needs.
You must register for a vote-by-mail ballot by Monday, January 11, 2021. Register for a ballot here. You must be a registered Democratic Party voter. (Do not fill out this application if you signed up to run as a candidate.) After you register, you will receive a ballot in the mail. Fill out your ballot and mail it back in time for it to be received before Wednesday, January 27.
Fighting to win in Georgia.
Organizations in Georgia are ramping up to GOTV for the Senate runoff. And we’re joining in! Remember, we want to follow the lead of the community organizers on the ground in Georgia. Local organizers know what the community needs and how voters in Georgia are feeling. We must listen to them and give them the resources they need. Here’s how you can help right now:
- Donate to Fair Fight and the candidates. Fair Fight, led by Stacey Abrams, contributed greatly to flipping Georgia. The candidates, Jon Ossoff and Rev. Warnock, are up against Republican incumbents with the full force and funding of the Republican machine behind them. They will need a lot of money to fund their campaigns.
- Contact voters to get ready for the runoff. Democracy Action SF and the New Georgia Project have already organized some phone banks, and more will be coming.
- Sign up to volunteer with local organizers. There will be plenty of opportunities to phone bank, text bank, and even canvass, but we want to make sure local Georgia organizations are leading.
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ISF General Meeting: Sunday, December 20, 1–3 PM via Zoom. Register here to join our online meeting. The meeting is open to anyone interested in resisting Trump's radical agenda of hate, division, and greed.
GA Runoff Elections Phone Bank with DemAction SF and Swing Left. Please join us to make calls for the runoff elections in Georgia. This work is more crucial than ever. Add your voice!
Daily through January 5, 2:00 PM–5 PM: Make calls with the New Georgia Project Action Fund. With the Senate runoffs coming up on January 5, NGP is phone banking every day to get Georgians to the polls! Sign up for a shift here.
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Keep Fighting,
The Indivisible SF Team
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