Indivisibles,

It’s been a little over a month since Joe Biden and Kamala Harris entered
the White House with the promise of building back better. But, even though
they were ready to get started back in December, their starting line was
pushed further and further away as [ [link removed] ]Trump stalled Biden’s transition
team from receiving crucial COVID-19 data. Trump’s failures during his
administration and during Biden’s transition process meant that the Biden
Administration has inherited a country in crisis. [ [link removed] ]Over the weekend, the
U.S. death toll from the coronavirus reached 500,000. This number becomes
even more shocking in context: more than a fifth of all COVID-19 deaths
worldwide have occurred in the U.S., which has less than 5% of the global
population. 

We’re all anxiously awaiting the passage of the COVID-19 relief package,
and here’s what to look out for this week:  

* We need to hear from the Senate parliamentarian, the person who
assesses how the bill conforms to the rules of [ [link removed] ]budget
reconciliation. 
* Depending on the parliamentarian's advice, some House Democrats may
get cold feet and look to water down the bill (think: removing the
provision to increase the minimum wage), even though they are not
required to use the same rules as the Senate.
* We’re expecting a vote in the House very late this week (could come on
Friday or Saturday). From there, the bill moves to the Senate.

We won’t know what the final package looks like until we hear from the
Senate parliamentarian, but we’re calling on the House to keep as many
progressive priorities as possible (like raising the minimum wage and
survival checks that are not further restricted) instead of stripping them
preemptively before it heads to the Senate. [ [link removed] ]Call your representative
and ask them to pass the strongest possible COVID-19 relief bill to send
to the Senate. 

With that, here are your weekly to-dos:

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 Your weekly to-dos 

 1. [ [link removed] ]Call your representative and ask them to pass the strongest
possible COVID-19 relief bill to send to the Senate. While we wait for
the Senate parliamentarian’s report, it’s crucial that Democrats
remain firm on their priorities for a COVID-19 package that meets the
moment. They should know we expect them to pass the bill without
making any preemptive concessions.
 2. [ [link removed] ]Take action for democracy reform with the For the People Project.
Now that we have a Democratic trifecta, we have to move quickly to
unrig our democracy so all of our other priorities can be within
reach. To start, that means pushing our MoCs to pass the For the
People Act (H.R. 1/ S. 1), make D.C. the 51st state (H.R. 51/ S. 51),
and eliminate the filibuster. Our For the People Project page is your
one-stop shop to learn more about our plans and find ways to take
action.
 3. [ [link removed] ]Call your representative to ask them to pass the U.S. Citizenship
Act. Immigration reform is one of our core priorities and, while this
bill needs some improvements, it’s a step in the right direction.
Namely, it provides a path to citizenship for most, but not all,
undocumented immigrants living in the United States as of this year.
Let your representative know they should immediately advance this bill
-- and work to make positive changes -- so immigrants can know by
spring that they are welcomed to citizenship.
 4. [ [link removed] ]Check out this directory with details about how to help communities
in Texas. This guide provides information about different ways to
provide support to the people of Texas. It’s a long list of
organizations all over the state that are working tirelessly to get
people the help they need. If you are able, consider making a donation
to any one of these organizations today.  
 5. [ [link removed] ]Sign up for our March Indivisible National Activist Call. After a
busy few weeks, be sure to join group leaders, group members, and
other Indivisible activists on our March National Activist Call. On
the call, we’ll cover legislative updates and a few ways to get
involved in our current and upcoming fights.

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 Moving on the Hill 

Democracy: H.R. 1, the For the People Act and H.R. 51, the DC Statehood
bill are moving! These democracy reform bills are the first step to
ensuring our democracy works for all and that we have a functioning
government to pass all our other priorities. The House will vote to pass
H.R. 1 the week of March 1 and there's a hearing for H.R. 51 scheduled for
March 11. Call your representatives and ask them to move swiftly to pass
H.R. 1 and H.R. 51. Then, call your senators and tell them not to let the
filibuster get in the way of vital democracy reform. Since the vote for
H.R. 1 is coming up soon, [ [link removed] ]be sure to check out our For the People Act
explainer video by clicking here.

Civil Rights: The Equality Act was reintroduced in the House. This
landmark legislation for LGBTQIA+ rights would amend existing civil rights
law to include protections for sexual orientation and gender orientation.
While we expect the bill to pass the House imminently, the bill will
likely face staunch opposition in the Senate from Republicans and will be
unlikely to clear the 60-vote threshold to bypass the filibuster. Bills
like the Equality Act are exactly the reason why we must eliminate the
filibuster or risk leaving communities vulnerable to attack. 

Immigration: The House introduced the U.S. Citizenship Act, its
immigration marker bill, last week. The bill prioritizes keeping families
together and creates some pathways to citizenship. While the bill is a
good start, Congress must do more to protect immigrant families from
deportation and create pathways to citizenship for ALL undocumented
immigrants. This is even more necessary after the Biden administration
released a disappointing memo that effectively rescinded the 100-day
deportation moratorium. Read and share our tweet thread on the memo
[ [link removed] ]here. 

In good news, Rep. Castro and Sen. Padilla will be introducing a proposal
to get a pathway to citizenship for essential workers. We have endorsed
this proposal and will be launching a call script after the bill’s
introduction to get it included in the next recovery bill.  

P.S. We rely on your support to keep call pages up and running, fund ads
to get the word out, and continue all the work we’re doing this year.
[ [link removed] ]If you’re able, click here to donate to help fund our work.



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 National Events 

POC (People of Color) Caucus Monthly Call 
Join with staff of color from Indivisible National to talk and connect
around issues that directly affect POC, the work that we do, and the world
in which we try to create lasting change. Please note that this is a space
specifically for people of color/indigenous group leaders and members.
Feel free to email [email protected] if you have any
questions! 
Date: TOMORROW, Tuesday, February 23 at 7:30 pm ET -- [ [link removed] ]Register here. 

February National Rural Call: Rural Talk Radio
Wondering how to penetrate the angry echo chamber of rural talk radio?
Learn from rural talk radio experts how to call in and amplify your
message about Democrats on the airwaves. We'll also hear from rural 3M
Indivisible about their rural talk radio toolkit they're creating so you
too can combat conspiracy theories and promote positive messaging about
Democratic policies (perhaps even about the filibuster) on the air! Don’t
miss this exciting event. 
Date: Wednesday, February 24 at 8 pm ET -- [ [link removed] ]Register here.

March Indivisible National Activist Call
Join us for the monthly Indivisible National Activist Call! All group
leaders, group members, and other Indivisible activists are welcome. At
these calls, we provide an overview of our current top federal policies
and where they stand in Congress, discuss upcoming Indivisible campaigns
and actions, and more.
Date: Wednesday, March 4 at 8 pm ET -- [ [link removed] ]Register here.

If you’re curious (or just trying to plan ahead) [ [link removed] ]click here to take a
look at our calendar with all upcoming webinars.

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 IndivisiWin: February Recess 

Indivisibles weren’t taking any breaks over February recess. After weeks
talking about eliminating the Jim Crow filibuster, Indivisible Mendocino
said, “We’ve got it.” 

Their challenge? Senator Feinstein is on record in favor of keeping the
filibuster and, at the time, Senator Padilla hadn’t yet made a statement
about his position. In response, these California Indivisibles made their
demand loud and clear:

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After taking this photo (masked and distanced) they sent photos to their
senators, shared them online, and pitched them to local media. And it
worked: because of constituent pressure, Senator Padilla is now on the
record in support of ending the filibuster. Talk about rural power!

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 Black Futures Month  

This month, we’re sharing some extra content that relates to our mission
and Black Futures Month. Here’s what we’re reading and streaming: 

🎞 Watch: [ [link removed] ]Black Futures: An Ode to Freedom Summer
This is a short Afrofuturist film that reflects on the events of last
summer and imagines a future where Black people are truly free. (The
Movement for Black Lives) 

🎧Listen: [ [link removed] ]The Mothers Who Raised Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X and
James Baldwin
Too often, history erases the role of women -- especially Black women.
This short podcast episode tells the stories of the mothers of three civil
rights legends. The episode is a conversation with Anna Malaika Tubbs, the
author of her new book by the same name. (1A, February 17) 

📖 Read: Haymarket Books, a nonprofit book publisher, is offering 40% off a
selection of books on the history and politics of the Black freedom
movement.
This offer is only valid for the month of February, [ [link removed] ]so make sure to
check out their options here. 

We hope these selections motivate and inspire you to take action -- we
need all hands on deck to secure meaningful COVID-19 relief, pass the
first of many democracy-saving reforms, and so much more. 

In solidarity, 
Indivisible Team

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