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By Shepard Fairey via Amplifier

Hi, all, and happy Tuesday.

Welp. House Republicans have cleared—barely—the key procedural hurdle to reopening the federal government. There were a few attempted rebellions—GOP Reps. Byron Donalds, Andy Ogles, Troy Nehls and Victoria Spartz all withheld their votes at first—but, as usual, the lawmakers involved folded. This means that the five other funding bills that were outstanding will be funded through September, and we have until next Friday to get everything we want into the DHS funding bill. This, of course, is because of the two-week CR the Senate passed last week.

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How these negotiations play out is, to a great extent, now up to us. Republicans are starting from a position of recalcitrance. Mike Johnson claims that banning masks or forcing ICE to use judicial warrants are both “off the table.” Ron Johnson wants to demand the SAVE Act in exchange for concessions on ICE. Thune has expressed that two weeks won’t be enough for anything to be accomplished and that another stop-gap funding bill will be needed.

Democrats must be a hard no on all of these. A ban on masks and a requirement of judicial warrants for ICE should be the bare minimum we demand. Poison pills like the SAVE Act can be nowhere in the conversation. And another stop-gap bill cannot happen. If Republicans feel like they can keep kicking the can down the road they’ll concede nothing. The truth is that a DHS shutdown of some duration may be necessary in order for us to get what we want—and Democrats should be willing to force Republicans’ hands in that way if necessary. The American people are with them! It’s time to play hardball.

Republicans seem to be under the illusion that they still have public opinion behind them. They do not. The country has turned rapidly and emphatically against ICE and Trump’s mass deportation agenda. Americans want ICE reined in; they want accountability. This will only grow more true every day as Noem, Miller, and the other architects of this disastrous and cruel policy push ICE to new depths of depravity. The upcoming weeks will be tough, but we must push Democrats to stand strong and demand actual change. They won’t if we don’t force them to.

There’s a lot more going on, but it’s time for talk to end and actions to begin! Let’s get to it!

Call Your Senators (find yours here) 📲

Hi, I’m a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is ______.

Now that negotiations on the DHS bill are beginning in earnest I want to say, again, that ICE is a lawless, brutal, racist agency that needs to be abolished. But for now we want no masks, more training, body cameras, and clear ID for all ICE agents. We want independent investigations into the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti. We want ICE to secure judicial warrants. We want more oversight in detention facilities. And we demand the firing of Kristi Noem and Stephen Miller. [add anything else you want to see].

[If Dem add:] I want to be clear. Nothing less will do. I expect Democrats to play hardball, here. No concessions, no caving, and no more stopgap funding bills. Republicans have zero leverage in this situation—they’re on the wrong side of history, the law, and public opinion. Make them yield; we should not. Thanks.

[If GOP add:] This cannot be about party. This can’t be about Republicans trying to “win” this negotiation. People are dying. Children are being teargassed in the streets. Citizens are being abducted. ICE is building massive new concentration camps everywhere. The Senator cannot claim to be a Christian and support this. Please help Democrats achieve their very reasonable demands. Thanks.

Call Your House Rep (find yours here) 📲

Hi, I’m a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is _______.

First, Congress needs to claw back the $170 billion in funding allocated to ICE and CBP by H.R. 1 last year. We need that money in so many other places—for Medicaid, the ACA subsidies, or Social Security, to name a few***.*** Where we do not need it is for more lawless, under-trained, over-armed agents to maim and kill American citizens while ripping apart immigrant families. Repeal those funds!

Second, Kristi Noem and Stephen Miller need to be fired or impeached and Tulsi Gabbard’s whistleblower report needs to be released. The corruption and incompetence in this administration is shocking and unacceptable. Frankly, all of them need to go. Thanks.

Extra Credit ✅

[H/T Jennifer Tanner]

Wow! Amazing! We stopped Senate Dems from caving to crypto! All Democratic Senators on the Ag Committee voted NO on the crypto bill! Your calls helped make this happen!

There is no version of the crypto legislation being considered today that would meaningfully protect consumers, preserve strong oversight, prevent abuse and corruption or protect financial stability. The bill passed 11 to 10 as Republicans have the majority in Committee but they need the Democrats vote on the floor because we have the filibuster. Democrats being united voting no on this terrible crypto legislation is a huge win for us. It’s not over but it’s a big deal because of you!

The Banking Committee will next hear the bill. If your Senator is one of the below they are on that committee and also need calls.

Banking committee

Jack Reed, Rhode Island 202-224-4642

Mark Warner, Virginia 202-224-2023

Chris Van Hollen, Maryland 202-224-4654

Catherine Cortez Mastro Nevada 202-204-3542

Tina Smith Minnesota 202-224- 5641

Raphael Warnock, Georgia 202-224-3643

Andy Kim, New Jersey 202-224-4744

Ruben Gallego, Arizona 202-224-4521

Lisa Blunt Rochester, Delaware 202-224-2441

Angela Alsobrooks, Maryland 202-224-4524

Our message is the same as before.

Script :

My name is _____ and my zip code is _____ . I’m asking the Senator to vote no on the Digital Commodities Intermediaries Act (formerly Clarity Act) when it comes up in the Banking Committee soon. Democrats shouldn’t give away the future of the American economy to crypto oligarchs who are dismantling our democracy. Nor give a blank check to crypto corruption in the White House. I am counting on him/her to vote no. Thank you!

Get Smart! 📚

DHS—the agency entrusted with protecting our homeland—must actually do its job to both serve and protect Americans and must also uphold the rule of law rather than violate it repeatedly. On January 28, 2026, the Center for American Progress identified five commonsense reform priorities that Congress must immediately demand from the unaccountable, out-of-control DHS:

DHS must be held to the same standard as local police, and ICE and CBP officers must wear uniforms that clearly identify their agency, be unmasked, and be equipped with body-worn cameras during public enforcement actions.

DHS must reform hiring, screening, and training to remove unqualified personnel.

DHS personnel must be held accountable for improper use of force and allegations of misconduct.

DHS must preserve Americans’ constitutional rights and operate within the rule of law.

DHS must enhance accountability to Congress and the public.

Please join CAP on Wednesday, February 4 at 2PM ET, to discuss these commonsense reforms, the latest updates on what Congress can do, and what the next steps should be. RSVP here.

Messaging! Messaging! Messaging! 📣

America’s Voice has released a new messaging document about where we are with ICE and CBP. There’s a ton of useful talking points in there that you can use to persuade your friends, family, or anyone else that ICE’s abuses must be curbed. Check it out!

Give 💰!

VERY EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT!!

Our States Project Giving Circle — Chop Wood, Carry Statehouses — is raising money for state legislatures in 2026! Right now, we have the opportunity to build more governing power in Minnesota, the power state lawmakers need to protect real people from immediate harm.

If you want to have a concrete electoral impact, joining our Giving Circle here is one of the most important and radically pragmatic actions you can take. The Minnesota House tie was held by 8 (!!) votes in 2024, and the single-seat majority in the Senate was won by fewer than 200 votes. With every legislator we help send to St. Paul, the message is louder and the guardrails are stronger.

Join the CWCS Giving Circle here and help us reach a $25K goal for the absolute fighters in Minnesota! Let’s go!

Win Races! 🗳

Cartoons For Democracy is back with new address and card kits and new cartoon postcards. While everyone is focused on Minnesota, we shouldn’t forget about how pivotal Michigan is going to be in November. In addition to all the down-ballot races, there are several flippable Congressional seats (including one open seat), the Senate election, and the Governor’s race. With readily-recognizable caricatures of GOP Reps John James (MI-10) and Tom Barrett (MI-07) plus Billionaire GOP bankroller Betsy DeVos, both the cartoon and the partially pre-printed message highlight how Michigan’s federal representatives are loyal to their donor base, not their constituents.

Resistbot Letter (new to Resistbot? Go here! And then here.) 💻

[To: all 3 reps] [H/T ] [Text SIGN PJDVBJ to 50409, or to @Resistbot on Apple Messages, Messenger, Instagram, or Telegram]

(Note that for the most effective RESISTBOT it’s best to personalize this text. More about how to do this here. But if you’re short on time just send it as is using the above code.)

I write to express deep concern about President Donald Trump’s unprecedented decision to file a civil lawsuit seeking at least $10 billion from the Internal Revenue Service and the U.S. Treasury Department—two agencies that operate within the executive branch he currently leads.The lawsuit, filed in late January 2026 in federal court in Florida, arises from the unauthorized disclosure of President Trump’s tax return information in 2020 by an IRS contractor, Charles Littlejohn. Mr. Littlejohn pleaded guilty to violating federal tax confidentiality laws and is now serving a five-year prison sentence. Individual accountability has already been imposed.What remains unexplained is why a sitting president is now pursuing extraordinary damages from his own government for events that occurred while he himself was president.

[Read the rest here]

OK, you did it again! You’re helping to save democracy! You’re amazing.

Talk soon.

Jess

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