Hi, all, and happy Monday.
I’m on a plane to DC and, as a result, running quite behind, so this newsletter will be a bit truncated today.
What a Super Bowl, though, huh? The game meant little to me, not being a sports fan, but I was delighted that the team with the non-Trump-supporting owner won. And that halftime show! Talk about a paean to joy, community, diversity, inclusiveness, and, of course, Puerto Rican culture! Absolutely exquisite. Bad Bunny managed to offer a total rebuke to Trump and MAGA without ever uttering a political word. No notes!
Now on to more unpleasant things. Republicans, likely because of their plummeting approval ratings, seem re-energized to pass a new, even stricter version of the SAVE Act this week—it’s called the SAVE America act. This bill not only requires proof of citizenship to register to vote, but requires photo ID to cast a ballot as well. With more than 21 million American citizens unable to access the required documents, the passage of such a bill would be disastrous. It would also prohibit universal voting by mail, block states from counting absentee ballots received after election day, and require frequent voter purges that would kick eligible citizens off the rolls.
It’s bad. We’re not there yet, though, so let’s not panic yet.
Let’s also remember what this means: Republicans are desperate, folks. They can’t win elections with their policies, so they’re trying every way they know to cheat. It’s frustrating and even enraging, but I remain certain that no matter what they do they cannot prevent the electoral losses to come.
I will say it again, and I will stake my reputation on it: Republicans cannot stop the drubbing that is coming in November.
Will they keep trying? Definitely. But everything shady they do to try to prevent it will either backfire (see Texas redistricting) or fail (see Trump EOs on elections). We will make sure of it.
In the meantime, what’s next? The vote in the House is allegedly on Wednesday. Mike Johnson, with his wee majority, can afford to lose only one member, but it’s likely his caucus will stick together on this one. Still, our job is to call GOP members and tell them they will lose their seats if they vote for this bill. We need also put special attention on the four Democrats (Reps. Golden, Gluesenkamp Perez, Cuellar, and Case) who voted with Republicans to pass the SAVE Act last year. If the SAVE America Act does pass in the House it should do so without any Democratic support.
But what then? Let’s say it does pass? Well, Senate Republicans have two choices: They can either abolish the filibuster in the Senate and pass it there, too, or they can keep the filibuster and the vote will fail (Senate Democrats are unified in opposition). Abolishment of the filibuster comes with massive downsides for the GOP once they’re out of power, and they know it. Thune has said repeatedly he won’t do it, but Trump may pressure him until he relents.
We should remember that should the filibuster go away and the SAVE America Act get passed, a) many Republicans’ votes will also be suppressed and b) we will soon be able to pass whatever progressive legislation we want with a simple Democratic majority. It’ll be short term pain that still won’t give MAGA victory in November and longterm gain for us. Whatever happens, in other words, we will get through it and we will prevail.
But that’s all for another day. Let’s worry about the 24 hours we’re in. Which means calling our House reps about this bill and continuing to demand that our Senators focus on reining in ICE.
It’s a lot, and it’s exhausting, but we’re up to the task.
So let’s get to work.
Call Your Senators (find yours here) 📲
Hi, I’m a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is ______.
I’m calling to demand that there be no DHS funding until the Senate has agreed to ironclad guardrails for ICE. I am disgusted by the way this agency is abusing both American citizens and undocumented people, and I’m afraid for my community. ICE should be required to abide by the same guidelines as every other law enforcement agency. No more masks! No more child trafficking! No more arresting people without judicial warrants [add whatever else you want here].
We also need to shut down the family detention centers—what’s happening to children in them is appalling. And all detention centers should be given more oversight. We’re treating people like animals and it’s shameful.
Finally, Stephen Miller and Kristi Noem need to go. Thanks.
Call Your House Rep (find yours here) 📲
Hi, I’m a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is _______.
I understand that Republicans are trying to pass another voter suppression bill this week—this one is called the SAVE America Act, HR 7296. I strenuously oppose it. This bill, like the SAVE Act, will make it significantly harder, if not outright impossible, for millions of eligible voters to register to vote and have their voices heard. Non-citizen voting is vanishingly rare in the United States. But tens of millions of US citizens don’t have access to the ID Republicans are demanding. And married women who have changed their names will be disenfranchised in huge numbers. Please vote no. Thanks.
Get Smart! 📚
On February 12, 7pm ET/4pm PT, Indivisible will join partner organizations in hosting “Resist and Reimagine: Lessons from MN on Fighting Authoritarianism.” Organizers, community members, and Reps. Ilhan Omar and Pramila Jayapal will share practical lessons we can take from the ongoing resistance in the Twin Cities as we all work to protect our own communities.Don’t miss this community conversation hosted by We Build Progress, Take Action Minnesota, Minnesota AFL-CIO, Faith in Minnesota, People’s Action, Faith In Action, the Organizing Revival National Networks, Women’s March and Indivisible!
Resistbot Letter (new to Resistbot? Go here! And then here.) 💻
[To: all 3 reps] [H/T ] [Text SIGN PUOZIA 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.)
Late Friday night, a divided panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit handed the Trump administration exactly what it has been seeking for months: a legal pretext to detain vast numbers of immigrants indefinitely, without bond, and without individualized hearings.In a rushed decision issued just three days after oral argument, two judges adopted an extreme interpretation of a 1996 immigration statute that more than 150 federal judges—across ideological lines and across the country—have already rejected. That interpretation redefines millions of people who have long lived in the United States as if they were newly “arriving” at the border, stripping them of the right to a bond hearing and subjecting them to mandatory detention for the entire duration of removal proceedings.This ruling does not merely expand immigration enforcement. It transforms it. What was once framed as a deportation policy now becomes a system of preventive detention—mass incarceration without trial.
OK, you did it again! You’re helping to save democracy! You’re amazing.
Talk soon.
Jess
Chop Wood, Carry Water is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
From Chop Wood, Carry Water via this RSS feed
You must log in or # to comment.