HEADLINES: The Showdown over Bernie’s Budget | Calling out Corporate Dems | Fighting Facebook | Progressive State Dem Party Action  Mayors Marching to Victory | & MUCH MORE!

★ ★ ★

If Democrats fail to pass Bernie’s budget, we will lose control of Congress to an increasingly fascist Republican party. Rush a donation now to help us get Bernie’s budget over the finish line and into law!

★ ★ ★

A MONUMENTAL MOMENT FOR PROGRESSIVES


Outside the Capitol this week, Our Revolution members joined with other progressive organizations and members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus to support Bernie’s budget bill. We called on Democratic leadership to hold the line against the corporate-backed Democrats hellbent on undermining this $3.5T investment in the lives of working people.

We demonstrated the power of our inside/outside strategy when Speaker Nancy Pelosi pulled the vote on the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill on Thursday after members of the CPC pledged to vote it down as a unified progressive voting bloc unless a deal was reached on our budget bill.

As Our Revolution’s Executive Director Joseph Geevarghese told US News, “it’s a monumental moment for progressives” because, for the first time in decades, Congressional progressives - backed by Our Revolution’s grassroots army - are flexing their muscle at the negotiating table.

With obstructionist corporate Democrats on the defensive, our movement has a real shot to win transformational legislation on a scale not seen since the Great Society and the New Deal.

Wielding progressive power, we’ve kept the two bills tied together and kept our leverage.

Rep. Pramilla Jayapal, chair of the CPC, issued a press release making clear that House progressives intend to pass the full agenda.

“This is not some fringe wishlist,” the statement read. “This is the President’s agenda, the Democratic agenda, and what we all promised voters when they delivered us the House, Senate, and White House.”

As the budget process continues, we must keep up the pressure on Sens. Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema as they seek to tank our progressive priorities. We cannot let that happen when our work has paid off, getting 96% of the Democratic Caucus behind our agenda.

★ ★ ★



Tune in to our Monday night live broadcast for an up-to-the-minute strategy update from Capitol Hill.

Rep. Jamie Raskin (MD) will be with us to talk about the budget and strategy on the path forward for our policy priorities. We will also hear from Our Revolution activists on the work being done to make the Democratic Party a more progressive party at the state level.

Join us for our Monday Night Organize to Win Broadcast this Monday at 8:30p ET/5:30p PT
RESERVE YOUR SEAT

If you have questions for Rep. Raskin or the Our Revolution Team, you can submit them here.

★ ★ ★

Corporate lobbyists are using Joe Manchin, Kyrsten Sinema, and other corporate Democrats to help kill Bernie’s budget, and Our Revolution is fighting back with targeted ads, protests, and mass mobilization. Please chip in now to help us fight back as we enter the critical final push!

★ ★ ★



★ ★ ★



CPC VICE-CHAIR: OUR HARDBALL STRATEGY

US Rep. Chuy Garcia checked in with our broadcast Monday night, fresh off the House floor to update us on the effectiveness of our strategy in the budget process.

If not for the work of Our Revolution, “we wouldn’t have the fortune of discussing strategy around this once-in-a-lifetime agenda like we’re doing,” Garcia said.

But, he didn’t sugarcoat the difficulty and intensity of the fight we’re in to get it over the finish line.

“Let me say it straight out - we’re facing very significant hurdles ahead if we want to drive home a truly transformational package,” Garcia told us. “You’ve made yourselves felt already, but we need to fend off the efforts of conservatives in our party like Joe Manchin in the Senate and Josh Gottheimer in the House.”

For Garcia, failure is not an option: “The stakes for working families, for immigrants, for the future of our planet are just too high.”

Progressives rising up on the outside bolster the resolve of our allies on the inside to be able to take tough ‘no’ votes against the bipartisan bill to maintain our leverage to pass the Budget Bill.

“Without your dogged advocacy and relentless pressure campaigns, we wouldn’t have the White House or the Senate or the House. And, as a result of your advocacy, we didn’t take a vote on the bill,” Garcia lauded our members.

★ ★ ★



“PEOPLE’S WATCH” ON CAPITOL HILL

Our Revolution activists gathered at the Capitol as part of the People’s Watch Coalition all week to make sure Congress did not vote on the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill (BIF) before taking action on Bernie’s Budget Bill.

Joined by progressive allies in Congress, the watch kicked off Monday with speeches by Reps. Mondaire Jones, Jamaal Bowman, Ro Khanna, Rashida Tlaib, and Ayanna Pressley, who called for their colleagues to hold the line against corporate influences working to derail the bill.

Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Cori Bush, and others stood with our coalition on Thursday, speaking strongly on our inside-outside strategy to deliver this legislation.

We refused to allow a vote on the BIF that would’ve removed our leverage to pass the transformational Budget Bill. One will not pass without the other. This was the deal set forth by the President and the Senate, and we’re holding power to their word.

★ ★ ★

Our coalition made national news Wednesday night at the Congressional Baseball Game, where activists chanted and dropped banners from the stands reading “Our lives are not a game, pass $3.5T.” We continue to bird-dog lawmakers on the street and even on the water with ‘kayaktivists’ surrounding Manchin’s yacht with signs reading: “Don’t sink West Virginia!”

★ ★ ★

Our Revolution isn’t just leading the charge on the Hill - over the last month we’ve hosted over 30 rallies across the country with thousands of supporters to win The Battle Over the Budget.



GOING HARD AGAINST GOTTHEIMER

Our Revolution NJ activists and allies are going after the so-called “Problem Solvers Caucus” Leader Rep. Josh Gottheimer relentlessly. We were back at our weekly Monday protest at his office in Glen Rock driving home the message that we won’t let him sink Bernie’s Budget Bill.

This is our 6th action against Gottheimer in the last month, including confronting him directly by infiltrating one of his fancy fundraisers and bird-dogging him on the street during a photo-op.

More than 100 activists from several organizations have participated in our repeated actions against Gottheimer, garnering attention from the local press and raising eyebrows from within the Congressman’s circle.

He must have no choice other than to disobey his donors and deliver on healthcare, climate action, childcare, and more for his constituents. We’ve already whittled down his Nefarious Nine to the Sinister Seven through direct action that forced Reps. Vicente Gonzalez and Filemon Vela to change course and support the Budget Bill.

TAKE ACTION! We need to continue holding the line! Tell your representatives - No Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill without the Budget Reconciliation Bill!



DON’T MESS WITH OUR REVOLUTION TEXAS

Our Revolution Texas isn’t messing around! Our activists and allies continued their pressure campaign at Dallas City Hall last week showing Reps. Marc Veasey, Colin Allred, and Eddie Bernice Johnson that we’re serious - and, we won’t be satisfied with anything less than Bernie’s Budget Bill.

We need these Texas representatives to stand with the people over Big Oil, which doesn’t want to end government subsidies to fossil fuels. We were glad to be joined by Dallas City Councilman Jesse Moreno who spoke on the importance of the Budget Bill for the residents of Dallas and beyond.

Our Revolution can stand up to corporate Democrats and demand they do the right thing because our organization doesn’t take corporate money. Please help us step up the pressure to pass Bernie’s bill by chipping in whatever you can here!

★ ★ ★



RALLY TO REIN IN BIG TECH

On Thursday, Our Revolution joined with other progressive groups and Reps. Jan Schakowsky (IL) and Lori Trahan (MA) for a rally on Capitol Hill to urge Congress to investigate Facebook. You can watch it HERE.

A series of leaked documents reported by The Wall Street Journal recently exposed the damage caused by the social media platform and the need to rein in Big Tech.

In December, Minnesota Attorney General and OR Board Member Keith Ellison joined a broad, bipartisan coalition of 48 attorneys general in filing a lawsuit against Facebook.

Ellison said, “Facebook’s dominance in social networking is no accident: they illegally used their market power to buy or crush any other companies that dared challenge them, all the while building obstacles to make it impossible for any viable competitor to rise - all in the pursuit of profit, not better serving consumers.”

In July, Rep Cicilline (RI) joined us to discuss the suite of bills regulating Big Tech monopolies that had just passed his Judiciary Committee. As those bills move on to the full House and Senate, we will continue our fight to pass these critical regulations.

We have also seen President Joe Biden move forward with executive actions to give competition a fighting chance by scrutinizing mergers, restoring net neutrality, and more.

If you haven't already signed Our Revolution’s petition against corporate monopolies, do it now!

★ ★ ★



CIVILIAN CLIMATE CORPS FOR RACIAL JUSTICE

Thanks to the progressive strategy, the Budget Bill is on track to include a new Civilian Climate Corps (CCC) - one that is more racially inclusive and equitable than its New Deal predecessor.

Paul Baicich, chair of Our Revolution Howard County (MD), wrote a piece in Jacobin, explaining why we can’t let the shortcomings of the original Civilian Conservation Corps deter much-needed support for a new CCC - a key climate and jobs program at the heart of the Green New Deal.

Baicich takes on the arguments that portray the New Deal program as “fundamentally racist” noting that although overcame Jim Crow and ultimately “provided jobs for hundreds of thousands of young African Americans and other men of color, affording them with much of the same benefits as white people, overall, the CCC was flawed — but it was better than the country it served.”

The new Civilian Climate Corps is an opportunity to incorporate lessons from the past, create good-paying jobs and prioritize work in historically marginalized communities - those least responsible for climate disruption who suffer the brunt of its effects.

So far, the Budget Bill is set to allocate $35 billion to fund the new CCC and adjacent projects like conservation, wildfire prevention, and reducing hazardous fuels near population centers. This is a good start and something to build on in the fight for racial and environmental justice.

★ ★ ★

Our Revolution is leading the charge to pass Bernie’s bill, making national news, and working directly with Congressional Progressive Caucus leaders to help hold the line and save Bernie’s budget. Donate NOW so we can ramp up our organizing to demand that corporate Democrats pass Bernie’s budget as soon as possible!

★ ★ ★



OUR REV MARYLAND SEES GOOD USE FOR SURPLUS

As the state of Maryland ends its fiscal year with a $2.5 billion surplus, Our Revolution Maryland Chair Chrissy Holt was tapped by local news to discuss how the extra cash could be best spent.

“If you have excess, surplus money, why don’t you fully fund the government agencies that are specifically designed to help people?” Holt suggested.

Our Revolution Maryland has been pushing for eviction relief and other protections for the vulnerable throughout the pandemic.

The surplus was generated by federal stimulus money from the pandemic in addition to corporate taxes coming in 30% higher than estimated.

★ ★ ★



★ ★ ★



BIBB TALKS GRASSROOTS PATH TO CLEVELAND MAYOR’S SEAT

Justin Bibb, likely the next Mayor of Cleveland, dropped into our live broadcast Monday night to update us on his progressive campaign as voting day nears.

Bibb said the campaign is carrying a lot of momentum, but they’re leaving nothing to chance. With the national endorsement of Our Revolution and a well-oiled field organization, Bibb told us success depends on the grassroots activists pounding the pavement to bring home the win.

“I truly believe we’re building a bold, new, dynamic, and progressive vision in the City of Cleveland that’s going to shock the world come November 2,” Bibb said. “And, I know I couldn’t have done it without the great support from Our Revolution - we’ve been knocking doors, calling voters, texting voters.

Bibb has been a dauntless champion of the Safer Cleveland Ballot Initiative which would put one of the toughest independent civilian oversight boards on the ballot on November 2nd. “I believe that before we can have true safety in cities like Cleveland, we’ve got to have trust between residents and our police,” Bibb said. “And, as mayor, I am willing to share power with the people to get that trust. That’s critical.”

Early voting starts Tuesday in Ohio. Click here to see Our Revolution Ohio’s full slate of candidates in the November general election.

★ ★ ★



INDIA WALTON WINDS UP FOR WORKING-CLASS WIN

Our Revolution-backed India Walton is heading into the home stretch of her Buffalo mayoral race with a shot of adrenaline after Our Revolution: New York Progressive Action Network joined with some of our endorsed candidates in NYC, including Comptroller Brad Lander and Public Advocate Jumaane Williams for a progressive fundraiser.

Walton won the Democratic primary handily by running on a bold progressive platform and defeated the machine of four-term incumbent Byron Brown - who, in Trumpian fashion, refused to concede. Brown is now running a legally questionable write-in campaign, bankrolled by Trump’s corporate donors.

Our Revolution executive director Joseph Geevarghese told the Buffalo News: “It's fundamentally important that the Democratic Party respect the progressive wing of the party. When we win, they shouldn't try to kneecap us.”

Become a recurring donor to Our Revolution HERE - so we can continue to elect powerful progressive candidates to enact our values.

WHEN WE ORGANIZE, WE WIN!

★ ★ ★



The ultra-wealthy and mega-corporations have endless resources to spend against us - but we have the people!

If everyone reading this right now takes action to become a monthly donor, we could grow our movement in ways that completely shift the dynamic of this David vs. Goliath battle over who our government works for. We are taking back our Democracy, and we hope you will pitch in to fund the strategic plan we’ve laid out to do so. We spend every dollar with the utmost efficiency and effectiveness.

★ ★ ★



★ ★ ★

Part of our mission at Our Revolution is to transform the Democratic Party into a more progressive body. Read about some big developments below.



ARIZONA DEMS PLEDGE ‘VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE’ IN SINEMA

The Arizona Democratic Party, led by Our Revolution members and other progressive activists overwhelmingly passed a resolution pledging a Vote of No Confidence in Sen. Kyrsten Sinema if she refuses to support the Budget Reconciliation Bill or reforming the filibuster.

The state party released a statement that if Sinema “continues to delay, disrupt, or vote to gut the Reconciliation Package of its necessary funding,” the Arizona Democratic Party Chair and Executive Board have the authority to censure her with the clear understanding she could lose the party’s support in her race for re-election in 2024.

“Her argument that the filibuster protects the rights of minorities has become laughable in face of Republican state legislators’ actions on voting rights, public health during the pandemic and abortion rights,” the statement reads. It goes on to reaffirm the Arizona Democrats’ support for the “immediate elimination of the ‘Jim Crow relic’ known as the Senate filibuster.”

Just last week, Sinema’s camp leaked privately that she intends to vote down Biden’s agenda if it involves raising taxes on the ultra-wealthy and corporations - the key funding source for the Budget Bill that makes the legislation poll even higher when included.

Sinema has also publicly announced her opposition to critical Budget Bill components like enabling Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices with Big Pharma - despite campaigning on this very issue in her Senate race.

It’s no coincidence that a PhRMA-backed dark money group began running ads for Sinema just before she threatened to take down Democrats’ drug pricing plan. To date, she has received more than $500,000 in campaign cash from the pharmaceutical industry.

As always, follow the money.

Corporate power thinks they can buy our political process by supporting corrupt Democrats like Kyrsten Sinema. Our Revolution is fighting back by exposing their corruption and demanding a real democracy of the people. Please chip in here to support our work!

★ ★ ★



OR MASSACHUSETTS WINS VOTE TO TRANSFORM THE PARTY

Our Revolution's efforts to improve the Massachusetts Democratic Party’s 2021 platform have been successful. We petitioned party leaders to reduce the number of signatures needed for amendments to qualify for consideration - and we won the vote!

As a result, the initial eight amendments and 16 additional qualifying amendments all passed to officially become part of the Massachusetts Democratic Party Platform.

The platform section on climate and environmental justice was expanded to eliminate state funding to the fossil fuel industry such as tax breaks, financial assistance, royalty relief, direct federal research and development, and other loopholes.

The platform section on healthcare now includes expanding Medicare by lowering the eligibility age, enabling 23 million additional people to access the program; improving Medicare benefits to cover dental, vision, and hearing; and lowering the price of prescription drugs by empowering Medicare to negotiate drug prices for all Americans, saving more than $450 billion over the next decade.

This success is the result of Our Revolution members engaging in the process, becoming delegates, and voting for actual democracy in determining what the Democratic Party stands for in Massachusetts. Rand Wilson, a member of Our Revolution Somerville, will be joining our National Organize to Win Call on Monday to talk about this work.

★ ★ ★



★ ★ ★



Tune in to our Monday night live broadcast for an up-to-the-minute strategy update from Capitol Hill.

Rep. Jamie Raskin (MD) will be with us to talk about the budget and strategy on the path forward for our policy priorities. We will also hear from Our Revolution activists on the work being done to make the Democratic Party a more progressive party at the state level.

Join us for our Monday Night Organize to Win Broadcast this Monday at 8:30p ET/5:30p PT

★ ★ ★



Join Our Revolution Minnesota for a Get Out The Vote Virtual Rally! Hear from our endorsed candidates and special guests about what's at stake on November 2nd!

RSVP HERE

★ ★ ★



Democrats have a fleeting window of opportunity to expand healthcare and lower prescription drug prices for everyone. We need Sen. Bob Menendez to stand with people, not with pharmaceutical industry donors and lobbyists. He must deliver for our families, our seniors, and our communities.

Join Our Revolution New Jersey as we call on Sen. Menendez to do the right thing!

RSVP HERE

★ ★ ★


This week was a crucial victory in the ongoing Battle for the Budget, but we still need your help to get this life-changing legislation over the finish line.

Call your member of Congress and tell them to hold the line and fight for our priorities!

★ ★ ★



★ ★ ★