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Indivisibles,
Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) collapsed late last week, spooking markets
worldwide. The collapse was quickly followed by New York regulators
shuttering Signature Bank, adding to fears of a broader banking crisis.
Stock markets are fluctuating. Investors are skittish. A number of tech
employers are scrambling to make payroll as their employees are wondering
whether they are going to get paid.
The collapses we’re seeing are happening because the Trump administration
loosened Obama-era Dodd-Frank regulations on “regional and community”
banks. The problem is some of these banks are still very large, and when
their risky bets go sideways, there are significant consequences on our
economy. But the bank lobby got through to Congress, Congress loosened
regulations, and now banks are asking us to fix their mess…again.
Fine! As always, the American people would be the most impacted by any
banking crisis. But these banks can’t lobby to reduce regulations that
keep the people safe and then come asking for government help when those
loosened regulations drive a collapse. Fortunately there are some
complicated tools already in place at the Treasury Department and the
Federal Reserve to stop this crisis from spreading.
But Kevin McCarthy and his crew of MAGA extremists are hard at work
creating an even bigger financial crisis by threatening to force the US to
default on our debts, sending us into unpredictable economic chaos. [ [link removed] ]The
MAGA Default Crisis doesn’t have any quick fixes, and in fact the GOP
wants it that way. The threat of financial harm on everyday people is
exactly what they’re hoping to use to extract political concessions. Which
is why we need to prevent it from happening in the first place.
MAGA Republicans are content to hold the global economy hostage in order
to cut services vital to the American people like Social Security and
Medicare. In order to force those cuts, MAGA extremists have signaled that
they are willing to allow America to default on its debt for the first
time in our country’s history. This would have disastrous effects on the
lives of all Americans as well as the global economy.
It’s important to note: There is no reason for the US to default on our
loans besides MAGA gamesmanship. Raising the debt ceiling is a basic,
simple step successfully and regularly taken by nearly every peer economy
in the world. But Republicans are willing to tank the global economy for
nothing but their own greed and disregard for the American people.
The work we do today ensures that we don’t have to face an international
crisis this summer. Let’s stop MAGA from throwing the country, and the
world, into chaos.
With that, here are your weekly to-dos:
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Your 5 weekly to-dos
1. If you have a Republican representative, [ [link removed] ]call and tell them you
oppose the MAGA default scheme. Republicans on the House Ways and
Means Committee have advanced a scheme to “prevent a default” that
would essentially give congressional MAGA extremists the power to
decide which bills get paid (and potentially put critical payments to
hospitals, schools, and social safety net programs at the back of the
line). Call your Republican representative and tell them you oppose
the “debt prioritization” scheme.
2. If you have a Democratic representative, [ [link removed] ]call and tell them to add
their name to the Boyle, Jayapal, Kuster letter opposing any cuts to
Social Security and Medicare. Republicans are threatening to hold the
world economy hostage. Democrats need to stand strong and join
President Biden in saying we’re not negotiating with hostage-takers.
Every Democratic member who signs onto this letter makes it clearer to
Republicans that Dems won’t cave, and clearer to all Americans that
the Democratic Party can be counted on to protect Medicare and Social
Security. When you’re through, [ [link removed] ]check out our full page on the MAGA
Default Crisis.
3. If you have a Democratic representative, [ [link removed] ]write a letter to the
editor (LTE) to encourage your MoC not to negotiate with MAGA
hostage-takers. As the Republican Party continues its descent into the
clutches of MAGA extremists, Democrats must stand strong -- and that
includes their constituents. Write an LTE to show your MoC (and your
community) that you will not sit idly by as Republicans hold critical
American programs hostage. Millions of Americans count on these
life-saving programs -- including folks in our communities and
districts -- and we need to raise as much public attention on this
threat as we can. We’ll win this fight together!
4. If you have a Democratic senator, [ [link removed] ]call and tell them to ditch the
“blue slip” and confirm as many judges as possible. Federal judges
have an outsized impact on the execution of national policy. One
conservative judge in the right position can completely block
progress, or delay it enough to make it essentially useless. Biden has
been nominating judges at a historic pace, but Senate Democrats are
still handing significant power to Republicans to block confirmations
through an archaic Senate rule called the “[ [link removed] ]blue slip.”
Unsurprisingly, Republicans did not follow this rule when they
controlled the Senate under Trump. Some Democrats have recently
signaled they’re open to eliminating this rule, something they have
the power to do immediately. Tell your Democratic senator to support
ditching the “blue slip” today!
5. Do you live in a rural area? [ [link removed] ]Click here to join our National Rural
Program. We have resources and calls specifically for our rural
Indivisibles where you can learn more about strategies and issues
specific to Indivisibles living in rural areas. If you want an idea of
what that looks like, [ [link removed] ]check out our agenda and notes from previous
meetings.
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.
[ [link removed] ]If you’re able, click here to donate to help fund our work.
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[11]WE LOVE TO SEE IT!
***In the 2023 Indivisible Guide, one of the most important things we
wanted to see was our Members of Congress (MoCs) show up as fighters! We
need a Congress that works for the people, not just their bank accounts
and special interests! So, why not highlight those fighters? We Love To
See It! will highlight the work being done by MoCs fighting for everyday
people’s well being, advancing democracy, and/or protecting personal
freedoms. Let’s stand up for our representatives when they stand up for
us! We Love To See It!***
Rep. Summer Lee, PA-12
[ [link removed] ]Rep. Summer Lee giving a speech defending student loan debt
cancellation on C-Span
Rep. Summer Lee of Pennsylvania with an incredible speech defending the
millions of Americans who should be receiving relief from Biden’s student
debt cancellation last summer. As the MAGA majority in the Supreme Court
stand poised to negate any relief, Rep. Lee reminds us that these problems
are systemic and targeted at the most vulnerable by bodies of people who
are fully insulated from the impacts of their rulings. [ [link removed] ]Watch Summer
Lee’s blistering speech here.
Rep. Jamaal Bowman, NY-16
[ [link removed] ]Rep. Jamaal Bowman defending trans people while addressing the House
Committee on Education and the Workforce
Rep. Jamaal Bowman of NY doing the necessary work of defending trans lives
before the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. As we watch
MAGA Republicans continue to pass harmful legislation across the country
targeted at achieving the goal that, as the Daily Wire’s Michael Knowles
said at CPAC, “transgenderism must be eradicated from public life,” Rep.
Bowman asks the simple and poignant question, “[ [link removed] ]why can't we leave
trans people alone?”
**Bonus Points: If you see your MoC showing up as a fighter and want to
highlight them, reply to this email with a link to the story and we
might feature it in our next Newsletter.**
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IndivisiWin of the Week
[ [link removed] ]Tweet from Indivisible Team that with a picture of Ezra on Rachel
Maddow
We’re going to take a moment this week to shout out our very own Ezra
Levin for an incredible appearance on the Rachel Maddow Show last Monday.
Rachel gave a great primer on Indivisible’s beginnings and Ezra knocked it
out of the park teeing up our new [ [link removed] ]Unrepresentatives campaign
highlighting the 18 House Republicans who currently serve in Biden-won
districts from 2020. Watch the interview, [ [link removed] ]check out the campaign, and
let’s hold these Unrepresentatives accountable.
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month.
The threat of a default grows closer every day and MAGA Republicans are
abdicating their basic duty to protect the American people by weaponizing
that potential crisis for their own selfish gains. Make your calls today
to keep us safe before a catastrophic economic crisis becomes inevitable.
In solidarity,
Indivisible Team
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