Indivisibles,

Last week, Kyrsten Sinema announced she was leaving the Democratic Party to become an independent. 

This sent shockwaves through the news media, inspiring stories asking what this meant for progressive priorities moving forward. The answer? Nothing. 

Sinema’s defection is one in name only. 

Sinema already legislated in the interests of her big money donors, rather than with her constituents or progressive colleagues in mind. Her announcement doesn’t remove the benefits of us winning a 51st seat last week, because she intends to caucus with Democrats for committee purposes -- meaning Democrats will still control committees and wield subpoena power.

The biggest reason it changes nothing is because we already knew we were looking at a divided Congress. Sinema’s vote was never going to be the deciding factor in accomplishing our legislative goals because come January, those goals won't survive an obstructionist Republican House. 

This is why the final session is so important. We have just a few weeks left now before we lose our trifecta and, with it, much of our power to pass even the most basic legislation through the House. Republican extremists would rather watch Americans suffer than agree to any substantive policy that might reflect well on Democrats.

To combat the incoming chaos of a Republican-controlled House, we must push our representatives to pass as much legislation as possible during this final session, and that starts with an omnibus funding package.

With that, here are your weekly to-dos:

 Your 5 weekly to-dos 

1. Call your Republican senator today and tell them to pass an omnibus government funding package. When Republicans take over control of the House, we are guaranteed chaos -- not only because that is what comes with Republican rule, but also because a chasm is slowly opening in the Republican party with Donald Trump at the center, even forcing some Republicans to acknowledge the turmoil a MAGA House majority will create. We need them to act like it. Call your Republican senators and demand they agree to a full year of funding for the government, preventing extremist House Republicans from forcing a shutdown.
2. If you have a Democratic senator, call them and tell them they need to stay in session until their work is done. We know there is a clock running out on how much time is left to achieve legislative victories, our Democratic senators know it too. Let’s encourage them to stay in session and achieve as much as is possible. Word behind the scenes is that they are already thinking about staying in session, call today to make sure those thoughts become a reality.
3. Call your Democratic representative and ask them to stay in session until their work is finished. Thanks to the final session, the Respect for Marriage Act is on its way to Biden’s desk, but we can’t stop there. Remind your representatives that this historic legislation is only the tip of the iceberg. There’s more they can accomplish.
4. If you have a Republican representative, call them and demand that they pass more popular legislation during the final session. The Electoral Count Act and the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act are two widely popular pieces of legislation that would protect against future attempts to steal a presidential election and codify into law protections for reasonable accommodations for employees affected by pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions respectively. These are simple, popular pieces of legislation that need to be passed. Put the pressure on your representatives to get it done today.
5. Sign up for the Indivisible Truth Brigade. Propaganda, false characterizations, intentionally misleading messages, and outright lies threaten our democracy and even our lives. People believe sources they trust! Sign up to learn how to fight disinformation in a way that drives change and protects our communities from the threat of extremism.

P.S. We rely on your support to keep call pages up and running, fund ads to get the word out, and continue all the work we’re doing this year. If you’re able, click here to donate to help fund our work.

 Georgia on our mind 

Last Tuesday, Rev. Raphael Warnock won reelection to the Senate, preventing MAGA Republican Herschel Walker from bringing his brand of Trump-backed extremism to Washington. 

This was all made possible by the work of Indivisibles across the country, with a special shoutout to all of the Indivisibles on the ground in Georgia. Our work in Georgia included: 

• 📱 Over 870,000 texts sent to recruit volunteers and mobilize voters
• 📞 Over 80,000 calls to voters
• 📬 30,000 pieces of mail sent to rural southern Georgia + 10,000 postcards sent by GA groups to voters in their home counties
• 🖥️ GOTV digital ads that launched the weekend before Election Day
• 🚪 Our Neighbor States Program that brought nearly 100 Indivisible volunteers to Georgia to boost our door-knocking efforts
• 📄 Thousands of pieces of custom-designed canvassing lit for GA groups and volunteers who have knocked on more than 13,000 doors 

Indivisibles pushed this campaign across the finish line and assured us the 51 seat Senate majority we so desperately needed -- a testament to what we can achieve when we believe in the power of grassroots organizing and put in the work to achieve our goals. 

To get a head start on our strategies and perspectives leading into the next cycle:

• Read and share our newest Indivisible Unpacked resource on Trump’s Push for Political Violence. Trump has brought open hate speech and violent rhetoric back into the mainstream Republican Party. Read up on his tactics, the deadly results of that rhetoric, and what we can do to combat it. 
• Read and share our Indivisible Unpacked resource on the MAGA War on Free Elections. Last Wednesday, SCOTUS heard arguments in Moore v. Harper, a case that revolves around the crackpot ‘independent state legislature theory’ that MAGA Republicans want to use to seize control of our elections. While our wins in the midterms insulated us from the worst-case scenarios in the short term, 2024 looms large. Learn more about the case, how we’re talking about it, and ways to take action.

The 2022 election season is finally over. Take some time to rest and recuperate. We’ve got a long road ahead of us looking toward a treacherous 2024 electoral map, but if this year has shown us anything, it’s that Indivisibles are ready to defy expectations and put in the work to win! Recharge, read up, and get ready to fight.

 National Events 

Register for the Truth Brigade BIG TRUTHS BIG PARTY this Wednesday, December 14 at 6:30pm ET/3:30pm PT. Join us for our final Truth Brigade call of 2022! We’ll celebrate our successes, talk about Twitter, preview our plans for 2023, and launch a very special customizable Truth Brigade Thank You Truth-Tellers message campaign for the holidays.

 IndivisiWin of the Week 

Indivisibles from VA, WI, NY, CO, CA, and OR joined Georgia’s own Indivisibles to help GOTV for Rev. Warnock’s win.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to keep up on the latest information, and text “INDIVISIBLE” to 59798 to opt-in to our text messaging program where we send rapid response actions a few times a month.

Elections are over, and the final session is in play. We have less than a month to accomplish as many of our legislative priorities as possible. Let’s make sure this opportunity doesn’t pass us by. Hop on the phones and tell your representatives to take advantage of the final session today!

In solidarity,
Indivisible Team