Tune in to our Monday night live broadcast for an up-to-the-minute strategy update from Capitol Hill.
Today is the day when corporate Dems and progressives on Capitol Hill face-off on whether the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill and the Budget Bill move forward together. US Rep. Chuy Garcia, one of our progressive champions who publicly pledged to vote for the bipartisan bill - if and only if - our transformative Budget Bill advances, will join us to discuss the latest!
Join us for our Monday night Organize to Win Broadcast TONIGHT at 8:30p ET/5:30p PT
We’ll also hear from the likely next mayor of Cleveland, Justin Bibb, who scored an upset victory in the primary and now heads to the general election with an edge over his conservative competition. He’ll fill us in on his people-powered progressive campaign and his vision of governance.
DON'T MISS MONDAY! RESERVE YOUR SEAT!
If you have questions for Chuy, Justin, or the Our Revolution Team, you can submit them here.
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Insider News from the Political Revolution!
HEADLINES: The Showdown over Bernie’s Budget | Repelling the Republican War on Voters | Calling out Corporate Dems | Fighting the Filibuster | Races to Watch | & MUCH MORE!
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TWO URGENT FIGHTS BEFORE US
Midterms are on the horizon, major policy wins are on the table, and our democracy is on the line.
This is a moment of immense opportunity - if we don’t let corporate Democrats blow it for us - and the stakes just got higher. Right now, we must redouble our efforts as progressives leading the fight on two fronts:
On one side, we have corporate Dems working overtime to undercut Bernie’s $3.5T Budget Bill and slash our progressive priorities. On the other side, we have right-wing Republicans using every trick in their arsenal to dismantle voting rights and gerrymander our elections.
Where there is great risk, there’s also promise of great reward. That’s why Our Revolution is doing everything in our power to seize this once-in-a-generation moment to make government work for the lives of working people by passing the boldest possible Budget Bill, and, at the same time, we must defend our democracy by passing the Freedom to Vote Act.
Not only must we force the Democratic establishment to deliver tangible benefits so Americans have a reason to cast their vote for the Party once more in the upcoming elections, but we must also fend off the Republican war on voters so these ballots actually get counted.
If we fail on these two concurrent challenges, Democrats could lose their House and Senate majorities in 2022, rendering the Biden presidency hostage to a Republican Congress, and opening the door for a Trump comeback in 2024.
It’s serious business, and we need your help to make a difference. This edition of The Revolution Report lays out the state of play in the Battle Over the Budget and struggle to defeat the GOP War on Voters, what they would mean, and how you can get involved to make them a reality.
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We’re on the frontlines of holding corporate Democrats accountable for standing against Bernie’s popular budget. Can I count on you to rush a donation now to support Our Revolution’s work to fight for the progressive policies in the budget?
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THE FREEDOM TO VOTE IS UNDER ATTACK
Ex-President Trump and the GOP are gearing up for the 2022 midterms by making false claims about voter fraud and enacting draconian laws to restrict voting in 18 states.
Let’s be clear - this isn’t about electoral fraud, this is a purely political play by Republicans who know they’re out of step with the majority of Americans and are resorting to brazen attempts to rig the electoral system to hold on to power.
Democrats in Congress tried to fight back against the GOP War on Voters earlier this year with the For the People Act - but the bill died in the Senate.
The good news is voting rights are making a comeback in Congress with the introduction of the Freedom to Vote Act - and President Biden has pledged to fight the filibuster to get the bill to his desk.
That’s why Our Revolution partnered with the Declaration for American Democracy to host a special Freedom to Vote Town Hall featuring US Sen. Jeff Merkley, US Rep. Mondaire Jones, and others to discuss our inside/outside strategy to get it passed before the midterms.
Sen. Merkley, a co-sponsor of the Freedom to Vote Act and a long-time champion of voting rights in the Senate, told us “The Freedom to Vote Act does the same three big things the For the People Act did: It stops billionaires from buying elections, it stops gerrymandering in its tracks and, most importantly, it defends the ballot box.
We've got a new name but it's the same battle to save our country - to save the vision of ‘For the People’.”
WHAT’S IN THE BILL:
Merkley didn’t parse words when it came to the opposition across the aisle. “The Republican power structure likes gerrymandering. They like billionaires buying elections with dark money, and they like blocking targeted groups from voting,” he said. “They are in the Jim Crow World of the past with no shame about it.”
US Rep. Mondaire Jones also joined our Freedom to Vote Town Hall to underscore the legal significance of the bill - “This is the first affirmative guarantee of the right to vote in our nation's history - for the first time, federal courts will be required to treat the right to vote as the fundamental right that it is.”
“That means that no state, local, or federal could make it harder to vote without proving that doing so is the least restrictive way to protect our elections.”
FIGHT THE FILIBUSTER
US Sen. Joe Manchin held up the For the People Act last spring with his futile quest for bipartisan support. Surely, by now, he must realize that Republicans will never support anything to expand the franchise.
Manchin signed off on the new Freedom to Vote Act, which having his approval for a total of 50 Dems in the Senate, must now pass with a bare majority - meaning, one way or another, the obstacle of the 60 vote filibuster must be removed.
Whether we are able to fix the filibuster will determine the fate of voting rights and much more. Filibuster reform could open a pathway for passing progressive priorities like the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, the PRO Act to empower workers and anything else we can get a Democratic majority on.
Sen. Merkley drove home the dire need to address the filibuster at our Freedom to Vote Town Hall:
“The filibuster puts a veto in the hands of Mitch McConnell which means a death blow to everything we care about - like expanding health care, creating living-wage jobs, and taking on climate change. We need people to send a message to every member of the Senate that there is no excuse for failing to deliver.”
BECOME A FREEDOM FIGHTER!
It’s up to us to repel the right-wing assault on democracy. We must rise up and speak with one voice and demand action.
That’s why Our Revolution is partnering with the Declaration for American Democracy to make calls to voters in target states to encourage them to pressure their Senators to support the Freedom to Vote Act.
Sign up for a phone banking shift HERE. You can also call the White House and send a letter to the editor and take additional action HERE.
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This week, Ex-President Donald Trump claimed our “so-called ‘Voting Rights Bill’ will be the end of our Democracy” and rallied Republicans to launch a massive resistance campaign to the bill in order to block federal standards to protect the franchise and end partisan gerrymandering.
Ahead of the 2022 midterms, and looking ahead to 2024, the threat of right-wing authoritarianism looms large. Now more than ever, Our Revolution needs your help to fight back against the GOP War on Voters - before it’s too late for our democracy.
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FORCING THE VOTE
While we work to ensure more people can vote, we must deliver on policy so more want to vote. This depends on the votes of every Democrat in Congress - who must pass Bernie’s Budget Bill to begin to restore the faith of the American people that Democracy can work for their lives and voting is worthwhile.
Americans expect the type of transformational change Bernie’s Budget Bill offers by expanding Medicare, fighting climate change, increasing family paid leave, and lifting millions of children out of poverty.
Inside the Capitol, Our Revolution is working hard to support Bernie and the members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) who won’t vote for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework unless the Budget Bill advances. Corporate Democrats are trying to call our bluff, but House progressives are standing their ground.
“Try us,” said Pramila Jayapal, chair of the CPC.
“I’ve got more than half of the caucus who feel very strongly, we’re going to deliver the entirety of the President’s agenda to the President.” Watch the video HERE.
Senators are also drawing a line in the sand. This week, 11 Senate Dems, including Bernie, Jeff Merkley (OR), Ed Markey (MA), Elizabeth Warren (MA) and Mazie Hirono (HI) issued a statement demanding the two bills move together.
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Outside the Beltway, Our Revolution organizers are hitting the streets to demand corporate Dems support Bernie’s bill. We’re protesting, making calls, writing letters, and bird-dogging lawmakers at their district offices - and even crashing their fundraisers - to hold Democrats accountable and force them to turn their promises into policy.
WE ARE TAKING DIRECT ACTION!
READ MORE BELOW...
We’re putting corporate Democrats like US Rep. Stephanie Murphy (FL) on the defense. Our Revolution Florida rallied outside her office last week after Murphy - the leader of the conservative "Blue Dogs"" - voted against key pieces of the bill and questioned its overall price tag.
“There’s a handful of people standing in the way, and she’s positioning herself as the leader of the opposition within the Democratic Party,” Our Revolution Executive Director Joseph Geevarghese told the Sentinel.
We’re continuing to bird-dog US Rep. Josh Gottheimer - the leader of the so-called “Problem Solvers” Caucus. Recently, Our Revolution New Jersey crashed his big donor fundraiser at the mansion of one of his billionaire benefactors. Two of our activists made their way inside the event, confronting Gottheimer on video about his blatant efforts to sabotage working class policies in the budget bill - until the cops escorted us out as we chanted “Tax the Rich,” that is.
We were back this week to disrupt Gottheimer’s photo-op with Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo as the two strolled through downtown Glen Rock, NJ. He emerged from his office and ran away from us - his constituents - as we tried to ask him questions. The local police then emerged to shepherd the Congressman away.
“We are fighting corporate Democrats like Rep. Gottheimer who are hellbent on tanking the most transformational legislation to happen in America in decades, and that is unacceptable,” Anna-Marta Visky, Our Revolution’s northeastern organizing coordinator, told The Huffington Post.
Our Revolution members are also taking to fight directly to lawmakers bankrolled by Big Pharma like US Reps. Kurt Schrader (OR), Scott Peters (CA), and Kathleen Rice (NY), whose opposition to empowering Medicare to negotiate drug prices is downright sickening in more ways than one.
Just this week, Our Revolution: New York Progressive Action Network rallied outside Rice’s Long Island office, carrying signs that read “Stand up for Grandma, not Big Pharma” and chanting “Patients over Profits!”
Not only are we hitting Big Pharma Dems, we’re also going after Big Oil Dems to hold their feet to the fire. Over the last few weeks, Our Revolution Texas rallied outside the office of US Reps. Filemon Vela, Henry Cuellar, and Vicente Gonzalez who sent a letter to Dem leadership at the behest of their oil baron benefactors to keep their lucrative subsidies flowing in.
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Our Revolution is leading the charge to pass Bernie’s bill. Over the last month we’ve hosted over 30 rallies with thousands of supporters to win The Battle Over the Budget — but we’re being outspent by big corporations. Donate NOW so we can ramp up our organizing to hold corporate Democrats accountable to working people.
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ICYMI: The New York Times featured Our Revolution’s work to save the former Mylan Pharmaceuticals plant in Morgantown, WV - the largest maker of generic drugs in the nation - from moving operations overseas. Joined by labor activists, we fought to keep the facility and thousands of jobs in West Virginia by demanding Sen. Joe Manchin and President Biden designate it as critical infrastructure essential for protecting America’s supply of high-quality affordable drugs.
Mylan executives, including former CEO Heather Bresch, Manchin’s daughter, got a windfall when the company merged with a Pfizer subsidiary to form Viatris, Inc. But that merger led to the plant’s closure on July 31. The question Sen. Manchin and the President must answer now is straightforward - will they use their power to reopen the plant, put Americans back to work, and keep our pharmaceutical supply chain secure?
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Solidarity is the cornerstone of the political revolution. We welcome you to be part of our community by becoming an Our Revolution member today. We are living through a period of great change, and we must build power together to fight collectively to meet the challenges of our time.
We all have a part to play in this historic moment. Someday, when we look back, let’s know we did everything we could to save lives, save democracy, and save the planet. Whether you give of your time as a volunteer or invest financially as a recurring donor, you have a critical role in this fight for our future.
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Our Revolution is on the frontlines electing the next generation of progressive champions. Now that the last primary elections have wrapped, Our Revolution is turning our attention to the November general elections, where we face important battles in cities across the country. In just over 5 weeks, we have the opportunity to build progressive power in cities from Buffalo to Minneapolis - Read more below!
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UPCOMING RACES TO WATCH!
Ahead of November, Our Revolution is focused on making progressive gains up and down the ballot and setting the stage for the 2022 midterms.
Buffalo mayoral candidate India Walton soundly won the Democratic primary in June, but still faces a write-in campaign from four-term incumbent Mayor Byron Brown. If not for Brown’s Trumpian refusal to accept the results of a free and fair election, Walton would be sailing into the mayor’s seat in this deep blue city. She’s still the favored candidate, but here at Our Revolution we take nothing for granted - the fight always continues right up through Election Day. Last night, Our Revolution-NYPAN co-chair George Albro joined OR-endorsed NYC candidates for Comptroller, Brad Lander, and Public Advocate, Jumaane Williams, to co-host a fundraiser for India.
These two Our Revolution candidates won city-wide in New York City’s June primary, as did OR candidates for Brooklyn borough president and 16 City Council districts. Most of these races are essentially decided in the primary in this overwhelmingly Democratic city, but the victory of Felicia Singh is unique: she now has an opportunity to take out the last Republican Councilmember in Queens in November’s general election.
In Cincinnati, Our Revolution-endorsed Aftab Pureval was the top vote-getter in the race to become the next mayor of Cincinnati advancing to the general election in November. The son of immigrants, Aftab was the first Democrat elected as Hamilton County Clerk of Courts in over 100 years.
Cleveland mayoral candidate Justin Bibb, who will be joining us live during our Monday Organize to Win Call, came out way ahead of all the other candidates to secure one of two spots going into the general election that kicks off next week. In the race to shape the next City Council in Cleveland, five Our Revolution Ohio-endorsed candidates will proceed to the general election, potentially shifting the balance of power in that body. Our Revolution-member Kahlil Seren qualified for the November ballot in the race to be the first Mayor of Cleveland Heights, as did Shayla Davis in the race for Mayor of Garfield Heights.
Our Revolution endorsed Jeremiah Ellison for re-election to the Minneapolis City Council. George Floyd’s murder last year put Jeremiah at the center of the movement to rethink policing in our cities. He has been leading the fight in Minneapolis to create a Department of Public Safety that would oversee policing.
In Philadelphia, Our Revolution helped Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner fend off an aggressive primary challenge led by the Fraternal Order of Police and win re-election by a two-to-one margin. The primary was seen as a referendum on whether a new generation of Our Revolution-backed progressive prosecutors who won their elections by championing criminal justice reform — measures like reducing prison time and ending cash bail — would be vulnerable to “tough on crime” challengers.
WHEN WE ORGANIZE, WE WIN!
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If you believe in our movement, please consider becoming a member of Our Revolution today. The stakes couldn’t be higher at this moment with our progressive agenda and our democracy on the line.
We are in the trenches fighting to pass our policies into law and elect progressive officials up and down the ballot. Your recurring investment in Our Revolution funds the important work that delivers results. This is how we win.
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PARTY OFFICIALS CALL OUT DEMS BETRAYING PARTY PLATFORM
Thomas Kennedy, Nadia Ahmad, and Sanjay Patel, three Our Revolution Florida leaders and members of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), took corporatists to task in their recent op-ed in the Orlando Sentinel.
They called on US Rep. Stephanie Murphy (FL) and US Sen. Joe Manchin (WV) to stop derailing the Budget Bill and the critical measures it includes for working class people - doing so directly undermines the Party’s agenda, Biden’s presidency, and our country’s pandemic recovery.
“Democrats were elected to deliver results,” the progressive party officials wrote. “While we hold power in the White House, Senate, and House of Representatives, it is mind-boggling that a handful of politicians continue to question the reconciliation package.”
Kennedy, Ahmad, and Patel show us why we fight to transform the Democratic Party from the inside out. Having progressives in the DNC helps keep party members honest in promoting progressive policies.
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It’s up to us to repel the right-wing assault on democracy. We must rise up and speak with one voice and demand action.
That’s why Our Revolution is partnering with the Declaration for American Democracy to make calls to voters in target states to encourage them to pressure their Senators to support the Freedom to Vote Act.
Sign up for a phone banking shift HERE. You can also call the White House and send a letter to the editor and take additional action HERE.
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RALLY TO REIN IN BIG TECH
Join Our Revolution and other progressive groups Thursday for a rally on Capitol Hill to urge Congress to investigate Facebook.
A series of recently leaked documents reported on by The Wall Street Journal exposes the need to rein in Big Tech.
If Facebook won’t listen to their own internal researchers, let’s make it impossible for them to ignore us.
RSVP here and we will keep you posted via email on the final time and location for the rally.
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Don’t miss our Monday night live broadcast for the latest on The Battle over the Budget from US Rep. Chuy Garcia. We’ll also hear from the likely next mayor of Cleveland, Justin Bibb, who scored an upset victory in the primary and now heads to the general election with an edge over his conservative competition!
Join us for our Monday night Organize to Win Broadcast this Monday at 8:30p ET/5:30p PT
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LAST CALL FOR OUR STICKER PACK!
Our Revolution is actively working to pressure corporate Democrats to move forward on these priorities: taxing the rich, lowering prescription drug prices, protecting voting rights, ending fossil fuel subsidies, expanding Medicare, stopping new oil extraction, increasing a union’s right to organize, and more!
That’s why we put together a series of stickers to promote all the important organizing work that Our Revolution members are doing across the country.
Chip in at least $10 or a recurring donation of any amount to get the sticker pack from Our Revolution!
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