"our ancestors accomplished more, with less, against worse. stay locked in."
Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò, political philosopher, Georgetown University
Happy Wednesday, Activists ~
We hope you are doing better in this post-election period. It's still tough, we know. And watching the news isn't helping any. We need to try to get outside and away from news media and social media. It sure helps me.
As we said last week, right now we still hold the Senate and Presidency. So we need to use that power through the end of the year in any way we can. Below is the info to call our senators and tell them to make sure they get President Biden's judicial nominations through ASAP.
Also, we'll be setting up our next in-person meeting soon so stay tuned for that.
THE NEW INDIVISIBLE GUIDE
Indivisible launched its Guide last week: Indivisible: A Practical Guide to Democracy on the Brink. We hope you're reading it. It gives us all good ideas for what we do next.
WE'VE MOVED! From X to BLUE SKY
Indivisible Philadelphia has moved to Blue Sky! We suggest you do too. You can find us at @indivisiblephl.bsky.social
We're also on Threads and you can find us here - https://www.threads.net/IndivisiblePHL
THREE CALLS TO ACTION
Two are the same as last week -- and still relevant! And we have a new one this time. it's actually a repeat because we can't seem to get a vote finally finished once and for all!
1. Just like we did last week, we need to call our senators and tell them they need to confirm President Biden's picks for federal judges ASAP. There are at least 29 pro-democracy judges waiting to be confirmed ahead of the new administration, folks who have been handpicked by Biden for their diversity, ethics, and commitment to justice. If the Senate doesn’t confirm them all before Trump takes power, he’ll be able to stack the judiciary with MAGA sycophants.
There's no time to lose so please call our senators and tell them to act quickly to approve the Biden judicial nominees. Or email them with Indivisible's tool at this link.
2. Last week, H.R. 9495 went down to defeat. It's a bill that would give Trump unchecked power to shut down any organization that stands in the way of his agenda. At that time the bill required a 2/3rds majority to pass. Despite the bill failing, 52 Democrats inexplicably voted “yes” on this abuse of power.
Unfortunately, this week Republicans are bringing another vote on the bill, this time only requiring a simple majority. So we’ve got to keep up the pressure. Even if Republicans pass this bill in the House, Democrats need to send the message that they won’t rubber stamp Trump’s power grabs.
Call your House Member and tell them to be sure to vote NO on H.R. 9495 because it will give Trump unchecked power to shut down any nonprofit organization by categorizing it as a "terrorist organization." Or use Indivisible's tool to find your House Member and make the call.
3. Trump has nominated Representative Matt Gaetz (R-FL) to serve as his attorney general. Meanwhile, the House Ethics Committee has completed a bipartisan investigation into Gaetz’s alleged misconduct—including allegations of sexual misconduct, drug use, and improper interactions with lobbyists—yet the findings remain undisclosed. Gaetz resigned from his congressional seat in a blatant attempt to prevent the report from being released.
The Ethics Committee still has jurisdiction over former members, and as Gaetz is set to serve in the upcoming 119th Congress, the committee would also have jurisdiction then. They could vote to release the report immediately.
Transparency and accountability are crucial to maintaining public trust in our government, especially when it concerns officials in positions of power. So call your House member and tell them about the report and ask them to take a decisive stand and call for the immediate release of this report. You can also use Indivisible's tool to email them at this link.
Here are the contacts --
Rep. Evans – D.C. 202-225-4001; Phila. offices (215) 276-0340, (215) 254-3400; email link
Rep. Boyle – D.C. office 202-225-6111; Phila office 215-335-3355; email link
Rep. Scanlon – D.C. office (202) 225-2011; Phila (610) 626-2020; email link
Sen. Casey – Phila office 215-405-9660; D.C. 202-224-6324 email link.
Sen. Fetterman – Phila office 215-241-1090; D.C. 202-224-4254; email link
For outside PA: Find your Senators’ phone numbers and emails at this link.
LAWYERS WANTED!
And they don't need to be barred in PA
Philadelphia County is starting its election recount today (Wednesday, November 20) at 8am. The County expects the recount to begin at 8am each day, with the ending time and date somewhat uncertain.
They are seeking people to serve as recount observers. You must be a barred attorney, but you do not have to be a Pennsylvania barred attorney.
The recount will take place at the Election Warehouse at 11311 Roosevelt Blvd in Philadelphia, PA. For more information, fill out this form.
And One More Thing:
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