Protect voting rights & promote accountability
Indivisible SF Newsletter
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Last week, we asked you to demand that our Members of Congress pass the For the People Act and create a framework for accountability for the January 6th insurrection. The House’s solution to investigate the events of Jan. 6 is weak and self-defeating, and the For the People Act is still languishing in the Senate because Democrats can’t mobilize to end the filibuster. So this week, we’re going to double down on pressuring our MoCs.
We expect our elected officials to put in at least as much effort to protect our democracy as we do. Let them know we’re watching, and that we want them to do more!
Call for stronger action on investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection!
Congress is not doing enough to investigate the mob attack on January 6, which was intended to keep Congress from certifying the 2020 election. To prevent future insurrections, and to keep the foundations of our democracy stable, the perpetrators must be held accountable. In addition, the Republican members of Congress who incited, aided, or abetted that mob violated the 14th Amendment and should be prevented from running for public office again.
The process of accountability has to start with a thorough public investigation and an accurate report of what happened and who did it, with no compromises to the integrity of the investigation. But the Investigation Commission proposed by Reps. Thompson (D-MS) and Ratko (R-NY) would be evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans, which would make it gridlocked and impotent. Republicans will be able to appoint commissioners who supported, incited, or aided the mob, or who filed suit in federal or state courts to nullify the election—allowing them to sit in judgment of themselves or obstruct the investigation. The commission’s proposed rules would also allow the Republican members to block subpoenas from being issued and prevent any report from ever being made public.
The commission proposal has to be voted on and passed by both the House and the Senate. It can, and should, be amended to make it a real rather than a sham commission.
Contact your Members of Congress and tell them ([link removed]) : the Thompson-Ratko proposal for a January 6th Investigation Commission is insufficient, and it needs to be replaced with a serious, effective process to provide accountability for the insurrection.
Call to Protect S.1, not the Filibuster!
Last week we heard a tape of an official from Heritage Action, the lobbying arm of the Heritage Foundation, explaining its role in drafting the voter suppression laws Republican legislatures have been enacting nationwide. S.1, the For The People Act, could stop this new wave of voter suppression bills in its tracks. It is also in keeping with the Election Clause in our Constitution which gives Congress the power to set a national standard for the ‘times, places and manner” of federal elections. But Senate Republicans can and will use the filibuster to stop S.1 unless Senate Democrats step up to repeal or amend the filibuster – something that is being blocked by the cowardice or wishful thinking of Sens. Manchin and Sinema.
Our Senators Feinstein and Padilla have said they support the For the People Act, but they need to do more to end the filibuster in order to pass it. We need to make it clear: the choice they face right now is between the filibuster and democracy itself, and we expect them to pressure their more moderate colleagues to abandon their fantasies of bipartisanship. With hundreds of voter suppression bills being rolled out based on the Big Lie of voter fraud, it’s long past time to end the filibuster, which has historically been used to sink civil rights laws, and defend the right to vote that is at the foundation of our democracy.
Contact your Senators and tell them ([link removed]) it’s time to choose: Democracy or the Filibuster.
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All are welcome to join our events!
ISF State and Local Working Group meeting: Friday, May 21, 7:30–8:30 PM. Register here ([link removed]) to help us plan to propose legislation to our state legislators and support progressive initiatives on the state and local level.
ISF General Meeting: Wednesday, May 26, 6:30–8:00 PM. Register here ([link removed]) for our general meeting, which sets priorities, reports back on our past actions, and works to promote progressive political goals and repair the damage done to our institutions and communities by the previous administration. General meetings are open to all and provide an overview of our working groups and other activities.
ISF Federal Working Group meeting: Thursday, May 27, 7:30–9 PM. Register here ([link removed]) to help us develop strategies to influence our Members of Congress and the Biden administration to enact a progressive agenda.
Indivisible Marin & Common Cause For the People Phone Bank for HR1/S1: Saturday, June 5, 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. ([link removed])
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 photo comes from Samuel Corum for Getty Images, among other photos ([link removed]) of the Jan 6 riots.
Keep Fighting,
The Indivisible SF Team ([link removed])
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