🤨 As frustrating as the deafening silence is from Congressional Republicans, the apparent capitulation from Democrats in Congress is even more maddening. Chuck Schumer made himself the face of Democratic cowardice by his refusal to put his foot down and shut down the government. Grassroots groups and enraged Democrats everywhere called for his resignation as Democratic Senate leader. Schumer recently invited further ridicule by offering a “strongly worded” letter in response to Trump’s attack on the Constitution through Harvard University. Schumer refuses to step down, but he has already ceded moral leadership of Senate Democrats, who also need to generate some fire of their own.
🔥🔥 Fortunately, an increasing number of Congressional Democrats are breathing fire through their activities, e.g.:
- AOC and Bernie have been crisscrossing the country, holding events and calling for a mass resistance movement of millions. They call theirs the Fight Oligarchy Tour.
- Elizabeth Warren led a rally against DOGE in Austin and one in front of the Treasury Department to protest DOGE’s access to Americans’ sensitive personal information.
- NJ Senator Cory Booker broke records in delivering the longest (25h) speech/filibuster in Senate history to protest Trump’s administration and DOGE.
- Sen. Booker and NY Senator/House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries held a sit-in and discussion session on the Capitol steps that was live-streamed over social media. The duo called it “An Urgent Conversation with the American People,” explaining why the current budget bill is so bad for Americans.
- MD Senator Chris Van Hollen flew down to San Salvador and met with his constituent Abrego Garcia, who is being unlawfully detained there. Photos from that meeting disprove Trump’s assertion that the M13 tattoo is on Garcia’s hands. The image appears to have been Photoshopped by someone in Trump’s camp to support Garcia’s illegal abduction and deportation.
☎️ So where are your members of Congress, what have they been doing? And what should you do in response? You must do your job too! Use your phone to call your legislators:
👍 If you are in MA, call Warren and tell her you think she is doing a good job, keep it up, you’re with her, etc. Rewarding legislators for a job well done with a positive phone call is a major way to help them work toward your shared goals. Call them regularly to express your thanks and approval.
👎 If your legislator’s still giving speeches to the choir, writing “strong” letters, and seeking to normalize the current chaos, what then? CALL DAILY. Give them your opinion. Tell them you expect them to be moving mountains to defend our Constitution and Democracy. Tell them that come election time, they will be held accountable for their actions (or lack of). And mean it.