This week our senators and representatives are involved in two critical tasks upon which our democracy depends. The Senate Rules Committee is marking up S1, the For the People Act. S1 protects Americans’ voting rights at a time when Republicans are rapidly passing Jim Crow-era laws to restrict voting and enshrine minority rule. Our senators Padilla and Feinstein are on the Rules Committee, and they need to stand against its Republican members, including Mitch McConnell, to prevent S1 from being watered down.
At the same time, Speaker Pelosi is renewing the push to investigate the Capitol riots on January 6. Efforts to investigate this act of mob violence, which killed 6 people and threatened the lives of Congresspeople and their staff members, have so far stalled. But failure to hold the perpetrators of the insurrection accountable will make it that much more likely to happen again.
With voting rights and the peaceful transfer of power at stake, democracy hangs in the balance. We demand strong, serious action from our Members of Congress.
Tell our Senators: Protect S1, the For the People Act
S1, the For the People Act which will protect Americans’ voting rights, is being marked up in the Rules Committee. Both of our senators are on the Rules committee. But so are some of the most odious Republicans, like Mitch McConnell and Ted Cruz. Our Senators need to stay strong and protect our voting rights by protecting S1. Tell them to support S1 without giving in to Republican obstruction or the hesitancy of conservative Democrats.
Contact your Senators and tell them: Support S1 in committee without watering it down.
Accountability for the Insurrection on January 6th
Only 124 days ago, terrorists violently attacked the US Capitol, and hours later, 68 percent of House Republicans voted to overturn the election and appoint Trump to office. They tried to finish the rioters’ job and end democracy. Never forget it.
Contact your Members of Congress and tell them: there must be accountability for the January 6 insurrection.
Republican state legislatures nationwide are using the Big Lies that propelled the insurrection to justify hundreds of voter suppression laws across the country and undermine confidence in elections themselves. Republican Congressional leaders have been stalling on establishing either an independent commission or a select committee to conduct a coordinated national investigation of the insurrection. Let our MoCs know we are watching and demand accountability.
Congress can decide to pursue an investigation through either an independent commission or a select committee of Congress. There are pros and cons to either approach. An independent commission with no sitting members of Congress participating would reduce suggestions of bias and ideally reduce polarization. However, sometimes these commissions get less national attention and result in reference reports with less immediate impact. Select committees with televised hearings would draw more public attention to this critical attack on our government. Because they are based in Congress, select committees have led to significant new legislation in the past, but they are also vulnerable to partisan grandstanding.
Whatever approach is taken, we need to begin now to hold the insurrectionists accountable.
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All are welcome to join our events!
ISF Federal Working Group meeting: Thursday, May 13, 7–9 PM. Register here to help us develop strategies to influence our Members of Congress and the Biden administration to enact a progressive agenda. Zoom room opens at 7 PM for discussion and orientation, and the meeting agenda starts promptly at 7:30 PM.
ISF State and Local Working Group meeting: Friday, May 21, 7:30–8:30 PM. Register here to help us plan to propose legislation to our state legislators and support progressive initiatives on the state and local level.
Indivisible Marin & Common Cause For the People Phone Bank for HR1/S1: Saturday, May 15, 10 AM–12 PM. Phone bank with Indivisible Marin every Saturday to support the For the People Act and oppose the filibuster! Sign up for a shift here.
About this week’s photo
If you’ve seen our newsletter posts on Twitter and Facebook, you might have noticed that we include a photo or graphic with each issue. This week’s graphic comes from Samuel Corum for Getty Images, among other photos of the Jan 6 riots.
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Keep Fighting,
The Indivisible SF Team
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