D.C. statehood is a real possibility.
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Frankly, we’ve written too many toppers like this over the last four years. But, as we were getting ready to hit send on this email, we got word of an active shooter situation unfolding in Boulder, Colorado. First, our thoughts right now are with everyone there. Please stay safe and take care of each other.
Second, you’re going to see another round of thoughts and prayers and "we can't do anything yet, there was a tragedy" hand-wringing from Republican politicians over the next few days. Tell them enough is enough. We need to end gun violence now. People should be able to shop at the grocery store without fear of being shot. Eliminate the filibuster and pass real gun violence prevention legislation.
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Indivisibles,
Here at Indivisible HQ (aka our living rooms), we’ve spent today watching the House Oversight Committee’s hearing on D.C. statehood. In short, here’s what happened: Republicans made ridiculous arguments like, “D.C. shouldn’t be a state because it doesn’t have any car dealerships,” (which first, what does that have to do with anything? And second, D.C. does have dealerships!). Democrats and statehood supporters made a powerful case for why D.C. statehood is a moral imperative and a civil rights issue. We thought Rep. Rashida Tlaib really said it best:
"Put simply, if you oppose D.C. statehood, you support taxation without representation. It is shameful that anyone would claim to support democracy and freedom and oppose statehood."
D.C. statehood is a real possibility -- this Congress can take action to give 700,000+ D.C. residents a voice and a vote in our government, and a new poll shows that 54% of Americans support statehood. But the GOP is pulling out all the stops to keep the power with them, not with the people, and we can’t lose a single Democratic vote. If you have a Democratic senator -- particularly Sens. Manchin, Sinema, Kelly, Shaheen, Tester, Ossoff, Hickenlooper, or Independent Sen. Angus King -- click here to call them today and make sure they know you support D.C. statehood.
And of course, it’s never just one thing in a trifecta. We’re still hard at work on H.R. 1 (the For the People Act), the filibuster, and more. Keep scrolling for your weekly to-dos, planning for the upcoming recess, and more.
Your weekly to-dos
- Take action for democracy reform with the For the People Project. With today’s D.C. statehood hearing and this Wednesday’s hearing on the For the People Act (S. 1), make sure to take swift action this week for democracy reform. Check out our For the People Project page as your one-stop shop to learn more about our plans and find ways to take action.
- Prepare for Recovery Recess (March 29 to April 11) by signing up to attend or host an event. This March recess, or “Recovery Recess,” we’re asking our MoCs to respond to the needs of our communities. We need a bold recovery package that delivers real climate solutions, and advances racial, Indigenous, gender, and economic justice. Along with a recovery bill, we’re applying pressure on MoCs to pass the democracy-saving reforms we care about, like the For the People Act and the D.C. statehood bill. Get involved by signing up to attend an event or host one near you.
- Ask your representative to co-sponsor the THRIVE Resolution. With the climate crisis continuing to intensify, the economy entering a deep recession, and the need for racial justice and healing being felt as acutely as ever, the case for Green New Deal-style policymaking is stronger than ever before.
- Join Indivisible New Rochelle tonight, March 22, at 8pm ET/5pm PT for their launch of #BigTechIsBroken and learn about why defending democracy requires that Congress fixes Big Tech. This is an opportunity to tell Committee members before March 25 when the House Committee on Energy and Commerce will be meeting with the CEOs from Facebook, Google, and Twitter.
- RSVP for our upcoming April National Activist Call. Join us for our next National Indivisible Activist Call on April 1 at 8pm ET/5pm PT. Learn more about March recess and other upcoming Indivisible programs to get involved in.
Recovery Recess
Next week, Indivisibles across the country will kick-off the start of Recovery Recess! The American Rescue Plan was just the first step on our road to long-term recovery. That’s why this March recess (March 29 - April 11) we’re pushing our members of Congress to support a bold, inclusive recovery package and reforms that strengthen our democracy. Join our Recovery Recess Week of Action to demand that our members of Congress prioritize passing a transformational recovery package and critical democracy-saving reforms.
Here’s how to get involved:
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. If you’re able, click here to donate to help fund our work.
National Events
THRIVE Agenda 101
The THRIVE Agenda presents a bold new vision to revive our economy. It outlines the policies we need to enable dignified work, healthy communities, a stable climate, and racial, economic, gender, and environmental justice. Join us to learn how the THRIVE Agenda meets these needs and ushers in a new era for American workers. Leave equipped to talk to anyone about THRIVE and why we must rise to this occasion and support this agenda.
IndivisiWins
Indivisible groups across the country are revving up their progressive engines to show their support for D.C. statehood and H.R. 51! Stand Up Alaska Indivisible, a state whose own statehood fight was not long ago, presented Senator Lisa Murkowski with a 51 star flag and letters from District residents.
We’re excited to see more and more states joining the fight for D.C. statehood and can’t wait to see more actions next week during Recovery Recess.
Women's History Month
We’re continuing our celebration of Women’s History Month by sharing some extra content that honors the women who made an impact, envisioned a better future, and continue to strive for change. Here’s what we’re reading and streaming:
🎧How Octavia Butler's Sci-Fi Dystopia Became A Constant In A Man's Evolution. Octavia Butler is one of the best American Science Fiction writers, and her visions of the future (and what we must change to avoid dystopian futures) are close to prophetic. (Throughline, Feb. 18).
📝Collection: Celebrating Selena -- The Queen of Tejano. As we’re nearing the icon’s 50th birthday, delve into a collection of stories and essays about Selena Quintanilla and her impact on a generation of Latinx folks. (Texas Monthly, March 19).
💻Conversations from Indigenous North America, Justice for Indigenous Women and girls. A panel of grassroots advocates discuss how we can end the crisis of violence against Indigenous women and girls, as well as the recent book How We Go Home: Voices from Indigenous North America. (Haymarket Books, Oct. 19 2020)
It’s been a tough few weeks of fighting for relief for the millions of folks who’ve been impacted by COVID-19 and we hope you’ve had the chance to rest and rejuvenate. We’ve got big goals for this Democratic trifecta, and a limited time-frame to get it all done, which is why we’re pushing hard for a bold, inclusive recovery. We can’t wait to see your Recovery Recess events next week and to watch all of our democracy fights level up over the next few weeks.
In solidarity,
Indivisible Team 
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