John – Welcome back to another edition of BNC Insider, your weekly recap of everything that’s happening in the world of Brand New Congress.

In this issue:

• Countdown to Election Day
• Cori’s call for student debt relief for HBCUs
  
• Rashida’s Justice for All Act
  
• Odessa leads counter-protest against transphobic policies
  
• Ways to take action
  

Get ready to dive in.

Countdown to Election Day

There are only TWO WEEKS LEFT until Election Day, and voting is already underway in most states.

Everybody needs to make a plan to vote. Here’s why it matters:

• Polling places are sometimes changed at the last minute to create confusion for voters.
  
  
• Having a plan will make sure you don’t actually forget to vote on Election Day – it happens!
  
  
• If you plan to vote by mail or absentee ballot, you’ll need to make sure you follow the rules to have your vote counted.
  

Your vote is your voice and your power. Don’t let anyone take that power away from you. Make a plan to vote today.

We encourage everyone to visit Vote.org to check their voter registration status, look up deadlines for requesting a ballot, find your polling place, and much more.

Cori calls for student debt relief outreach to HBCUs

Last week Cori Bush sent a letter, jointly signed by Rep. Alma Adams, to Education Secretary Miguel Cardona calling for the Department of Education to conduct targeted outreach to borrowers from Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
 
Their letter noted that HBCU borrowers hold a higher debt burden than their peers from other universities, and that reducing this debt is a matter of racial and economic equity.

Applications for Student Debt Relief by the Biden-Harris Administration are now open at studentaid.gov. The process takes only a few moments. If you owe student debt, apply for your loan forgiveness today.
 
You can help BNC re-elect Cori Bush so she can continue fighting for transformative policies like these by splitting a contribution between her campaign and Brand New Congress now.

Rashida re-introduces the Justice for All Act
 
First introduced in 2020, BNC Rep. Rashida Tlaib last week re-introduced her landmark Justice for All Act, a bill aimed at strengthening civil rights by creating the legal tools to defend against – and ultimately dismantle – modern forms of discrimination.

The fight for civil rights never ended. Over the years, many of the legislative and legal victories have been eroded by the courts or new laws.

Rashida’s bill aims to address that by creating both the legislative framework and the legal resources needed for ordinary people to stand up for their rights against the institutions that maintain systems of oppression to this day.

You can read more about Rashida’s Justice For All Act here.

And help BNC re-elect Rashida by splitting a contribution between her campaign and Brand New Congress now.

Odessa leads counter-protest at transphobic far-right rally

On Friday, GOP Senator Marsha Blackburn and former congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard headlined a far-right rally against gender affirming care in Nashville. But BNC’s Odessa Kelly wasn’t having it.

Odessa joined counter-protestors to loudly condemn right-wing policies that are harming LGBTQ+ youth and sowing hatred.

Odessa’s opponent in TN-07 is well-noted for his homophobic remarks. But when Odessa wins, she will be the first openly gay Black woman elected to Congress.
 
We need Odessa’s fearless leadership in Congress. Help Odessa flip this seat by splitting a contribution between her campaign and Brand New Congress now.

Maxwell Frost talks about building a long-term strategy for progressive wins

BNC’s Maxwell Alejandro Frost was recently profiled by HuffPost on his historic run for Congress.

Most people know Maxwell as the soon-to-be first member of Gen Z elected to Congress, but there’s a lot more to his candidacy – and his long-term political strategy – than his age.

Even at the age of 25, he has racked up considerable experience as an activist and organizer. Now he’s taking his movement-building vision to Congress. From the article:

Frost says he can’t create change alone.
 
“It’s never about one person. It’s always about a movement,” Frost told HuffPost.
 
He has donated money to 20 candidates across the country and supported a number of down-ballot candidates in Central Florida.
 
“We need to build a Congress that looks like the country, so I want to make sure I’m doing everything I can to get good candidates in,” he said.

You can read the entire piece here.
 
Maxwell is right on the money – candidates cannot create change on their own. Our candidates depend on Brand New Congress and other coalition partners to amplify their message and help them build the momentum to win.
 
You can help by splitting a contribution between Brand New Congress and Maxwell’s campaign now. Any amount will make an impact as we work to turn out the vote these last two weeks and gear up for the new cycle.

Each week we highlight volunteer opportunities for different BNC candidates. This week we are featuring Odessa Kelly and Katie Porter.

Team Odessa is hosting a rally for abortion rights this Saturday, October 29, 2022. If you’re in the Nashville area, join Odessa and special guest, BNC Rep. Cori Bush, for the Roevember Rally at 2pm CDT! Sign up on Mobilize for more details.

Team Porter hosts a weekly phonebank that you can join from anywhere! The next one is tomorrow, October 25, from 5 to 8pm PDT. Sign up on Mobilize below.

Thanks for reading our BNC Insider! 💜 Watch for this update every Monday to stay on top of what’s happening in the world of BNC.

Until next week,

The entire team at Brand New Congress

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