Indivisibles,

This week, we’re taking over our usual newsletter’s slot with a big update: Today, we’re launching Deadline for Democracy, a movement-wide, all-hands-on-deck campaign to get the For the People Act passed in July.
The next six weeks will make or break the For the People Act. Our allies in the Senate are directly asking for a massive show of grassroots force. So here's what we're planning -- a nationwide campaign called Deadline for Democracy during the July 4th Recess, which starts on June 28th, two weeks from today.

This email outlines our very best assessment of where we stand on getting the For the People Act through the Senate, why we think that June and July are absolutely crucial, and what you can do about it. But as you’ve probably noticed, things are moving fast. So keep an eye out for more updates via Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram or text INDIVISIBLE to 97779 to be added to our rapid response text message list.  

It’s time to dig deep and plan events that will attract the attention of activists, local media, and of course, your senators. This is a great opportunity to try something new and go as big and as bold as possible. We’re always blown away by Indivisibles; creativity, from cakes and chickens at town halls, coffins for democracy, to votercades and light brigades -- it’s why we started Indivisible in the first place, and why we continue! Together, we were made for this moment.

With that, here are your weekly to-dos:

 Your weekly to-dos 

1. Check out the Deadline for Democracy website, with resources and materials to help you get up to speed. That’s where you can find and register events, see the full partner list, and more. 
2. Find an event near you and sign up to attend, then be sure to write it on your calendar (in ink!). No event nearby? Register to host one yourself. If you’re one of the thousands of people in all 50 states who pledged this month to take action during recess, this is the action for you! 
3. Read Ezra’s Medium Post about Joe Manchin. We know lots of folks are worried about Manchin, and we don’t blame you! Check out what Ezra had to say last week and let us know what you think. 
4. Sign up for Indivisible Texts: We send out breaking news and action alerts to our text message rapid response team. Text INDIVISIBLE to 97779 to join. 
5. Donate to Indivisible. Running digital ads, providing event merch, updating policy explainers, hosting maps and websites, and sending recruitment texts all cost money -- plus all our ongoing expenses. We’re spending $505,154 to make Deadline for Democracy happen, so if you can, please chip in to make it and all our work possible.

 This Week on the Hill 

July is the deadline for democracy. How do we know that? Elections experts advise us that if the For the People Act is going to take effect in time to impact the 2022 elections, it needs to pass by this fall. We also know that when the House leaves for the long summer recess at the end of July, they won’t fully return until September 20. When they return, we know that Democrats will face a MASSIVE legislative time crunch. They want to pass an ambitious recovery package. They need to pass a federal budget. They might have a debt ceiling fight. In short, they’ve got a lot to do and not a ton of time to do it in, and there’s a real risk that democracy reform just falls off the agenda. All this points to one clear political reality: If the For the People Act doesn’t pass in July, there’s a good chance it’s dead in the water.

Congress doesn’t act unless pushed. Here’s the other thing we know as former congressional staffers: Congress never does anything hard unless pushed to do it. If it’s possible to kick a can down the road, they will. And we know it will be hard for Democrats to unify to overcome the filibuster and pass the For the People Act. It will require a public moment of reckoning for several senators -- something every politician tries to avoid whenever possible. Ask yourself why Congress always waits until the last possible moment to deal with the debt ceiling, pass a budget, or reauthorize an expiring program -- it’s because they procrastinate as long as is politically possible. If the public (or the donor class) isn’t clamoring for something, if the media isn’t covering it, and most of all, if there isn’t a deadline -- Congress will probably not do it.

Overcoming the filibuster is hard. Corralling all 50 Senate Democrats to get behind significant democracy reform is hard (even if it shouldn’t be). And so right now, in this very moment of the legislative fight, we need drama, we need media attention, and we need wide-scale public pressure. Not in September. Not in early 2022. Right now -- in the weeks leading up to the final showdown in July.

Our Senate allies are asking us to do our part. This is not just our best read. One of our allies in the Senate asked us, “Are you ready for the toughest legislative fight of your lives?” They tell us how this ultimately goes down: Majority Leader Chuck Schumer will attempt to bring the For the People Act up for a vote next week. Mitch McConnell will filibuster it. The Senate Democrats and Republicans will adjourn to their separate chambers. Behind closed doors, Mitch McConnell will demand and achieve unanimous opposition from his GOP senators. Senate Democrats will stand up and talk about how important the For the People Act is. Our allies will try to convince the holdouts. And eventually -- maybe on that first attempt, maybe days or weeks later on the next attempt -- there will be that moment to choose. Will they stick together? Will they overcome the filibuster? Will they save the republic?

Nobody can guarantee to you what will happen next -- not the optimists who say the Democrats will ultimately get it done and not the cynics who say Manchin and Sinema are ungettable. The truth is that that future is still being created. But what our allies in the Senate tell us is simple: Our greatest chance for success in that moment will come if the Senate as a whole feels overwhelming public pressure to get this done.

How to make the Deadline for Democracy have an impact. We know we talk about congressional recess a lot. If it helps, don’t think of this as just another congressional recess. Think of this as the last best chance to have an impact on the future of this legislation. Sure, this happens to fall on a congressional recess -- but the driving strategic imperative here is not the recess -- it’s the legislative deadline.

This is a big deal. We would put it on par with actions in 2017 to beat back McConnell’s attempt to repeal Obamacare. We have a lot of resources to share below, but we’re not asking you to just “show up.” We’re not giving you marching orders. We’re asking you to do something hard -- pull out all the stops, get creative, and think of how you and your group can help demonstrate the nationwide demand for this bill. Hopefully, some of our materials are useful and inspiring, but ultimately this is going to come down to you and your Indivisible group’s expertise that you’ve been building for years. You’re leading this, and we’re here to help.

And we’re not alone. Indivisible is anchoring the nationwide local events for Deadline for Democracy, but the campaign has more partners than we could list in this email. It includes the Declaration for American Democracy, End Citizens United, Racial Justice Network, Common Cause, Fix Our Senate, Sum of Us, Just Democracy, Public Citizen, and Standup America, among many, many others.

We’re all in this together, and we’re all going to do our part.

 National Events

Deadline for Democracy Community Planning

Need help brainstorming before your Deadline for Democracy event? We invite you to join one of our upcoming virtual community planning spaces, where you can work with other Indivisibles to crowdsource ideas, ask questions, and connect. 

TONIGHT: Monday, June 14 at 8pm Eastern Time/5pm Pacific Time
Wednesday, June 23 at 3pm Eastern Time / 12pm Pacific Time

For the People Act Movement Call

On Tuesday, June 15th at 7:30 ET / 4:30 PT, we’ll be hosting a Movement Call to brief activists on the critical moment we’re in and what’s needed to pass the For the People Act. We’ll be joined by co-founder Ezra Levin, members of Congress, movement and coalition leaders, and activists. Please join us to learn how you can help ensure the passage of this historic legislative package.

Deadline for Democracy is our biggest campaign this week and next, but of course, it’s not the only thing going on! Here are two other big events we have upcoming soon: 

Truth Brigade Orientation & Workshop

Wednesday, June 23rd at 6:30pm Eastern / 3:30pm Pacific 

Are you outraged by the continued BIG LIE and how it’s being used to suppress votes (#Fraudit!) and stop Congress from passing democracy-saving legislation? Yes, there IS something we can do about it! Join the thousands of activists in the Indivisible Truth Brigade (which you may have read about recently in The Washington Post or Axios).

We change minds by sharing authentic, strategic, and consistent messages--in big numbers, again and again. Come to our June Orientation & Workshop call. Bring a few friends and shift the national narrative.  #TruthBrigade

Register for June 23rd Orientation Workshop
Join the Truth Brigade here! 

Current campaign: FACTS FOR FAUCI! Share this message on and offline.

Unpacking Deep Canvassing Training series w/ Indivisible’s Rural Caucus

Every Wednesday in June starting at 8:00pm Eastern Time / Pacific Time

Join us for a training series on the listening, curiosity, conversation, and practical skills needed to successfully have deep canvassing conversations to move folks toward progressive values and action in your community. This is a 4-part series of sessions that build on each other, but drop-ins are very welcome if you haven’t made earlier sessions!

 IndivisWin of the Week 

West Virginia Indivisible groups are busy showing their support for democracy reform, including organizing a series of Light Brigades to show Joe Manchin that West Virginians care more about protecting our democracy than protecting the Jim Crow Filibuster.

We know that this movement has what it takes to win because, for more than four years, you’ve never failed to answer the call -- whether it was attending the Women's March or airport protests against the Muslim Ban, saving the Affordable Care Act, or pushing for Trump's impeachment. You've contacted your member of Congress, knocked on doors, attended countless town halls, written, called, and texted millions of voters. Through it all, you have kept up this work even in the face of a global pandemic and fought for racial justice and against white supremacy. We’re so close to structural reforms that will make our democracy fairer and more inclusive -- and protect it from the onslaught of Republican attacks. But we’ve all got to stand indivisible and push together to get over the finish line.

In solidarity,
Indivisible Team