John,
I hope you'll allow me a moment to speak candidly with you about the political moment we find ourselves in.
Democrats threw everything into defeating Donald Trump, electing Joe Biden, flipping the Senate, and holding control of the House in 2020. We brought out a historic number of voters and won elections no one thought we could win — including ours in St. Louis where we defeated a 20-year incumbent.
We organized for bold, progressive change — but in recent weeks and months, Republicans and conservative Democrats have used the Jim Crow filibuster to defeat voting rights legislation, Build Back Better has stalled in the Senate, folks still do not have the protection they need against COVID-19, and student debt has yet to be canceled.
I'm not telling you this today to be pessimistic, John. Instead, I'm asking you to join me in channeling our frustration into action, because I need your support more than ever to continue pushing for the transformative policies our communities need.
I was an organizer before coming to Congress, so I know that progress is possible — but it will take all of us working together to bend the trajectory of our country towards justice.
These aren't just empty words. Since our first day in Congress, we've done whatever was necessary to address the issues people are facing — because I know personally what the stakes are in our politics. I understand firsthand what it's like to live paycheck to paycheck, to be evicted, and to struggle to feed your family while our politicians ignore us.
It was only our first week in Congress, but during the January 6 insurrection, we got to work introducing a resolution to investigate and expel the Republican Members of Congress who helped incite the deadly attack.
It hadn't been done before, but we led a call for action on the steps of the Capitol, staying there for five days, calling on the Biden Administration to extend the eviction moratorium.
And our movement for abortion justice made history when I testified about my decision to have an abortion for the first time publicly in a House Oversight Committee hearing to demand reproductive rights.
We must act with the fierce urgency this moment calls for. As a politivist — as that politician and that activist — I promise to continue my work in the House to pass Medicare for All, the Green New Deal, and the People's Response Act, and I hope I can count on your support to keep me here, John.
Your Congresswoman loves you.
Thank you,
Cori
