Hey Indivisibles,

Can you believe it's December already? Time really flies when we don't have a right-wing extremist for a president! Even though this is the last month of the year, we are looking forward to seeing movement in Congress on two things: democracy reform and reconciliation. So, it wouldn't be an Indivisible email if we didn't take some time to update you on where we stand on these issues. Or, click here to take immediate action on democracy reform if you are ready now.

You've heard us talk about two critical democracy reform bills all year long: the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act (sometimes called "the VRA") and the Freedom to Vote Act. The Freedom to Vote Act would override some of the worst anti-democratic bills that have already passed at the state level over the past few years -- stuff like closing polling places, purging voter rolls, limiting vote by mail, and overall attempts to block people of color from voting. The VRA would prevent bills like this from going into effect in the first place. That's why we need both of these bills to pass as soon as possible. 

Despite the fact that both of these bills are extremely popular among voters across the political spectrum, Republicans have done everything they can to block them. As we're sure you know, Senate Republicans filibustered both bills repeatedly over the summer and into the fall. This prompted Sen. Schumer to send out another "Dear Colleague" letter to his fellow senators last month. In this letter, Schumer said that even if he cannot get enough GOP support behind these democracy reform and voting rights bills, Senate Democrats are not going to stop fighting to "restore our democracy" -- even if they have to go at it alone. 

Simultaneously happening in the Senate is budget reconciliation talks. To refresh your memory, representatives stuck to their promises and passed Biden's full Build Back Better agenda (BBB). Now the bill has made its way to the Senate, where we expect senators to come to an official vote as soon as possible. Biden's full Build Back Better Agenda will make badly needed public investments across the economy, so we need to keep pushing for a vote to get past the last few hurdles. These hurdles include pushback from the usual Sens. Manchin and Sinema, who have done nothing but offer vague criticisms of the agenda and attempt to water it down to please their corporate donors.

With that, here's how you can help our fight:

1. Call your senators and demand they fix the filibuster and move quickly to pass the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. Sen. Schumer and other Democratic senators have agreed to move forward with democracy reform, even without Republican support for the bill. Call your senators and let them know you stand with Sen. Schumer, and you want them to adjust the filibuster now to pass the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act before they leave town for the holidays.
2. Call your senators and demand they pass BBB as quickly as possible! The House did its job and passed the Build Back Better Act (BBB). Now it is time for the Senate to do its job and pass BBB this week. With just a few weeks left before Congress recesses for the holidays, it is urgent that you call your senators and tell them how important it is that we pass an inclusive recovery bill that works for everyone ASAP.
3. Next, keep yourself, friends, loved ones, and future Indivisibles informed by sharing our social media pages. By doing this, you can make sure you and everyone you know is updated on the fight for reconciliation by following us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and texting INDIVISIBLE to 97779.
4. Make a donation to Indivisible. 'Tis the season of giving, so why not give the gift of a future investment to our movement? With everything we need to do to prep for the Senate fight over BBB, plus democracy and all the other priorities that await us when senators return, we're hard at work building resources, call scripts, and more, and spending a lot of money to do it. If you would like to fund this fight and many fights to come, click here to make a monthly donation to Indivisible.

The fights for democracy reform and reconciliation are long ones, and we couldn't do it without you. With your continued support, we will keep making great strides towards progress in the House and Senate. Thank you for always fighting with us.

In solidarity,
Indivisible Team