Hey Indivisibles, 

Yesterday, President Biden signed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework (BIF) into law, after the House passed the bill on Nov. 5 Although Congress hasn't yet pass the Build Back Better Act (BBB) along with it, we did get commitments from some of the obstructionist Democrats that they will vote for the BBB no later than the week of November 15 (that’s this week!), as soon as they get fiscal information from the Congressional Budget Office.

This is no small thing! The BBB includes progressive priorities we have been fighting for, including climate action, paid leave, universal pre-k and affordable child care, investments in affordable housing, elder care, and more. These conservative Democrats are now on record saying they will vote for the package (just after one last performative delay). But we know that commitments from these members cannot be taken at face value, so there’s still a necessary role for us in this fight.

Now it’s our job to hold these members of Congress (MoCs) to their word. Follow up with your MoC to tell them what you thought of how they chose to act. While it can be tempting to move on to the next thing if your MoC voted the right way, it’s critical to finish the process by making sure to thank MoCs who did the right thing, and express frustration, disappointment, anger, even outrage, to the MoCs who failed to vote for the relief people desperately need. 

Thanking those who did the right thing helps create a virtuous cycle where they’re more likely to push for progressive amendments, or avoid defecting if they’re more conservative, in the future. And making sure that your Republican MoCs know that you’re watching, and that you aren’t giving them a shred of credit for any of the good provisions in this package, is critical too! 

Here's What You Can Do

1. If you have a conservative Democratic member of Congress (particularly Reps. Ed Case (HI-01), Stephanie Murphy (FL-07), Kathleen Rice (NY-04), Kurt Schrader (OR-05), Jared Golden (ME-02) , and Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05)), give them a call and make sure they stick to their word on passing an inclusive recovery in the House. 
2. If your representative is one of the majority of Democrats who are fighting hard for an inclusive recovery that works for all Americans (i.e. every Democrat except the 5 above), call them and say “thanks”. 
3. If you happen to have a Republican representative, don’t fret: call them and remind them that the priorities outlined in the BBB plan transcend policy lines, and you demand they vote yes. While you likely won’t change their mind on this, you’ll instill some worry in them, which may help to moderate their positions on other things in the future. Additionally, you’ll be showing them that their constituents are watching and that you know they voted “no” and won’t let them get away with taking credit in the figure when the benefits of this package reach their districts later. 
4. Chip in 10 bucks to help us keep all our tools online and support our work -- from keeping our call lines open to pushing MoCs for stronger commitments and better votes, we’re going to keep fighting until we win, and we rely on grassroots funding to make it all possible.

We know it has been a long fight, but the most important thing Democrats can do right now is deliver on the promises that got them elected. The Build Back Better Act includes strong actions the people need, and it’s popular nationwide. Thank you for always fighting with us. 

In solidarity,

Indivisible Team