19:04:21 Okay, let's start tonight's call.
19:04:25 So welcome everyone to the last national after this call of 2021.
19:04:30 It has been a year.
19:04:33 that has felt like it's been two years.
19:04:37 So I'm really excited to have you all here with us.
19:04:40 My name is JoAnna Garcia I'm a senior distributed organizer, with the end of the school team, my pronouns are she heard ADA.
19:04:47 Before we begin tonight's call if you have joined us before you know the setup. I want to go over some, some logistics for tonight's call to make sure that everyone is able to enjoy the call and listen in.
19:05:00 Since we do have a lot of indivisible group leaders activist and members.
19:05:05 We do want to, we have the call automatically mute folks who are not panelists.
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19:06:23 Okay.
19:06:27 So I'm really excited about tonight's call.
19:06:30 We have had a amazing year here at invisible.
19:06:35 We've accomplished so much we've gone through so much.
19:06:39 The nation has gone through so much, so I'm really thankful that you are all taking the time tonight to share with us and be in community with other individuals across the nation.
19:06:49 Let me get started with tonight's agenda.
19:06:53 So tonight, we have our national policy director, Mary small, who will be letting us know what is the status of the silverback better act, and how we are advancing the progressive agenda, through Congress will also be hearing from our national organizing
19:07:09 director can make Murray, who will be shouting out and highlighting all the amazing things that indivisible groups have done in the state, local, and federal level, and will be taking action together once again to make sure that we end the year with a
19:07:26 a big big bang.
19:07:34 And a
19:07:34 activist.
19:07:34 Anyways, ignore me
19:07:37 will be like I said later, having a q amp a section so please please please feel free to put all those questions that you have those urgent questions in the chat box that we do not have the answer.
19:07:50 Once again we do really encourage you to reach out to your indivisible organizer, you don't have their email, feel free to reach out to the support team inbox, someone will be responding and getting you in contact with your indivisible organizer, so we
19:08:04 can help you take action.
19:08:07 Alrighty, so that is it for me. I will hand it over to Mary, so she can let us know what is happening in Congress. Thank you Mary.
Thanks so much Jules and Hi everybody it's so good to be with you this evening . I'm Mary Small, and I work with the policy team here at indivisible. And I'm excited to talk to you. I think I'm going to take a second to just like remind us how far we've come this Congress, I think.
19:08:38 We started out this year, along with all of you. With the new indivisible guide and this really bold ambitious plan for what we expected Democrats to accomplish in a trifecta, and I think it can sometimes be easy to see all of the ways that we haven't
19:08:50 yet achieved that full vision, but I do want to let us get over naming all of the ways in which we actually have really significantly move the ball forward.
19:09:00 So, just to kind of recap, where we have been as of this moment in time. Both build back better, the kind of inclusive economic recovery bulk of President Biden's agenda is in the Senate, as is the freedom to vote act the primary democracy vehicle.
19:09:20 And so all of the action is in the Senate and I know it was I suspect we're all feeling a lot of fields about what the Senate is going to do with that between now and the end of the year, and we absolutely can't take for granted.
19:09:30 let me just back up for a second and say, along with all of you over the course of this whole year indivisible has done what it has always done, which has pursued a really strong inside outside game.
19:09:55 We're constituent pressure in district in state, pushing on representatives and senators to do what we elected them to do, combined with an inside game that identifies intervention points and who needs pushing into the timeline and escalation working
19:10:10 together and have really played a critical role in moving forward what we've seen so far this Congress so if it wasn't for indivisible and some of our partner organizations backing the Congressional Progressive Caucus to insist that build back better
19:10:25 be as robust and inclusive, as it was to insist that the bipartisan infrastructure package by itself was not enough for Democrats to deliver with the trifecta that they had, we would not have gotten build back better the house, and as it stands right
19:10:38 now. You know, for the last since April, you've been hearing from us about these five priorities that we had in, you know, working hand in glove with with progressives in the house for Bill back there and those five priorities were climate.
19:10:53 Immigration healthcare and healthcare we were looking at expansions to to Medicare as well as lower drug prices, affordable housing, and then the care economy which included things like childcare and pre K and elder care and home care.
19:11:08 So those are the five things we've been hearing us talk about for months and months and months. And y'all have to tell you as someone who has been up to my eyeballs and legislation is you have this all along.
19:11:16 We never thought we would get a bill that actually had all five of those. The idea was to aim as high as we possibly could to push to back our progressive champions, and then that would give us the best chance of getting a bill that had as much of that
19:11:31 as possible, and where we are today is a bill that sitting in the Senate that actually includes pieces in all five of those buckets. You know I'm not here to lie to you there been a few painful losses along the way.
19:11:44 For example, the lowering drug prices provision is not nearly as strong as what we wanted, but there's some really really significant wins inside of there including universal pre K and huge investments in affordable childcare and expansion of the Child
19:11:55 tax credit, but the the provisions that will end up caffeine insulin prices for folks with insurance at $35 a month right historic climate investments to begin the process of decarbonizing our economy.
19:12:07 None of this was taken for granted. None of this was, was preordained, and all of it is due to activists to so many of you both continuing to push for months and months and months that this isn't a you you expected Democrats to deliver and also some really
19:12:21 smart surgical work that many of you have done and over the course the last few weeks. Some of you have gotten text messages from us staying alert alert your member is one of the people who is holding up joe biden's agenda in the house by threatening
19:12:33 vote no. And so many of you the moment you got that text message jumped into action to call to say this is unacceptable you absolutely cannot be the person blocking us from moving forward.
19:12:43 And so whether it was on the broad based push or that surgical intervention right when we needed it.
19:13:03 The Senate is holding this bill that will be transformative. And that we are so confident is ultimately gonna get across the finish line because of all of you.
19:12:54 So that is the update on build back that are where we are right this minute, is that they are going through the formal birdbath on that, which is procedural Senate rules stuff, which if they listen to us and eliminate the filibuster, they wouldn't have
19:13:11 to do yet here we are. So they're going through all the procedural stuff on that with the parliamentarian will hear a little bit of procedural jockeying back and forth and there's ongoing negotiations with mansion.
19:13:21 But I do want to signal so much optimism and certainty that we might still have a few more things to go mention is probably going to pull some kind of stunt.
19:13:34 But this bill is going to get voted out of the Senate and it's going to get the President Biden's desk and huge parts of not all of it are ultimately going to be signed into law.
19:13:39 And I think we can all feel feel really, really proud of that.
19:13:42 So, that is that is the build like better piece but then the other huge goal for indivisible for this year, and actually our top goal was social democracy reform, four months, even more than folks here have been working on build back better we've been
19:13:55 working on democracy reform. Right. This was people, all of you all of us together pushing to get the for the people act out of the house and over to the Senate, pushing on rules reform calling for the end of the filibuster deadline for democracy with
19:14:09 hundreds and hundreds of events over the summer, sorry Kim I'm not going to try to steal your thunder there, but so much that got the pressure got that over the, the line in the house over to the Senate.
19:14:19 And I think what is really exciting, you know, and I don't want to. I don't want to pretend that hasn't been a slog that it hasn't been frustrating for this to take months and months longer than we wanted it to.
19:14:29 But right now, finally, there is a moment where the Senate, the Democratic caucus in the Senate has really activated around a very concentrated push around rules reform to get the freedom to vote act across the finish line.
19:14:45 They're doing it underneath the restoring the senate frame, they're talking about it in terms of not filling eliminate eliminating the filibuster but reforming it some kind of tweak that would allow the freedom to go act and move forward, and in private
19:14:59 conversations Manchen has signaled more openness than we have ever heard to date, and the Senate is supposed to go out on recess on the 10th, and that's not going to happen. Senator Schumer is going to hold them in town, and they're going to lose out on part of their holidays because they haven't yet completed the job that the American people gave to them when we elected a trifecta.
19:15:20 And so part of was helpful about that is the other senators are really frustrated with intervention that they can't go home because we haven't done, they haven't done the work that they're supposed to do.
19:15:29 And so, you know, I was just talking to, Schumer staffer today, who was saying that almost every member of the caucus is calling Manchen and kind of productively pushing him both because they know we need to get this done.
19:15:41 And because they want to go home for the holidays and so that combination of them coming together under this frame them pushing on them. We're probably picking up a little bit more time to work with because they're going to delay recess all creates a dynamic, for there to be some movement that we haven't seen yet and I know it is so frustrating that we've been pushing on this since January and here it is December and Congress's like run out the clock like they always do.
And I really want to implore you to hold on to hope and know that we wouldn't be at this point if it wasn't for you and say that like better late than never, but I can report that the temperature is finally finally getting turned up in the Senate, in terms of serious conversations about rules reform.
19:16:23 The one other thing that I wanted to acknowledge and then I know that there's a lot of stuff in the chat that I haven't been able to track is the, is what happened at the Supreme Court yesterday.
19:16:34 And in, in hearing the, the case that is a threat to abortion rates, and I know for folks who are following along for that. And that was really hard. I don't think anyone who was on this call anyone who has been part of the individual family for all of
19:16:46 I don't think anyone who is on this call anyone who has been part of the indivisible family for all of this time is unaware that our courts are corrupted right we know that the judiciary as it is structured today has been taken over by the right wing
19:16:57 and does not actually exist to defend and protect the rights of so many of us, and create a society which we can all thrive.
19:17:03 And somehow, in the questioning yesterday, the justices tip their hand more than I think some of us and I put myself in that category were expecting. I thought they would hold their cards little closer to the best and instead.
19:17:10 It seemed very very clear that there's a there's a majority, that's willing to significantly doing voting rights and, well, voting rights but also abortion rights is what I meant to say.
19:17:24 So we wanted to acknowledge that that is part of the mix of what is happening here to the Women's Health Protection Act, which is the legislative remedy for that has passed out of the house for the first time, actually, we had a majority of majority in the House that was willing to codify abortion rights that path of the house that's also in the Senate.And there's ongoing conversations with the Senate leadership, about looking at that for next year. As of right now we only have 48 democrats who are supportive of that.Senators mansion in case you are not yet on board and so there's work to do there as well as well but I wanted to acknowledge that additional piece of heaviness that we're holding and sort of unfinished work that we're carrying into the new year so balancing hope around what I think we're going to achieve on build back better uncertainty, but real movement in this rules reform conversation around the freedom to vote act. And that's really hard, dynamic around abortion rights, and in a threat to Roe v Wade and the possibility of having to push for for the certainty of having to push for legislative action there as well.
So, that's my that's my update from the hill so much appreciation to all of you for all the ways that you have called and showed up and organized each other in your groups and your members of Congress and their staff to make what we've been able to achieve possible.
19:18:45 Alrighty, thank you so much Mary I do have a question for you, before I asked that question.
19:18:50 As you may have noticed, if you are joining us on zoom from your computer. There are a lot of university as I mean as much as I love seeing that. If you would like to rename yourself.
19:19:02 You are able to do that by clicking on like your screen, and then tapping the three buttons on top, and then choosing to rename yourself.
19:19:15 It might make it easier to communicate with folks. But otherwise, feel free to say as Juliana it's a wonderful thing.
19:19:18 Mary.
19:19:20 The question for you. With all due respect, I want really badly for Bill back better to pass to power our ultra resources including this call, not being activated.
19:19:29 I'm in service of voting rights, doesn't matter to pass this democracy. It doesn't matter if we pass those back better if democracy is effectively debt.
19:19:40 Yeah, it's a great question, and I would, I would just say that individuals posture has, has been the, there's not a zero sum game I think so often we get backed into a real scarcity lens in sort of cannibalizing progressive priorities against each other
19:19:57 and I will just say, this is like a little bit of a roundabout way of answering this but I'm one of, you know, my in the process of trying to harvest all the lessons that we can from the build back better fight, I would say that one of the best things
19:20:11 that progressives did was to lock arms around a multi issue progressive agenda and refuse to cannibalize each of those priorities. The only reason that we have a bill that has immigration provisions and healthcare provisions and climate provisions and
19:20:24 kind of pocketbook investments, is because progressives refuse to accept that they couldn't fight for all of them.
19:20:31 Within this within the slate that had been created by progressive in the house, and not attack each other like a divide and conquer strategy and I think that that's absolutely true for democracy as well.
19:20:41 These are two big things that the Senate is contending with contending with right now.
19:20:47 And so I think pushing for the Senate to, you know, indivisible stands on this has been that the faster. Senate can deal with build back better get it across the finish line into Biden's, and to Biden's desk, the faster they can turn to democracy reform
19:21:01 and here's the real reason why we think that we have to get built we have to clear the decks, we have to get bill back better moving in order to have our best shot at actually when instruction democracy or form is because the thing that we've been missing
19:21:12 on Democracy has been President Biden's involvement, President Biden really rolling up his sleeves and getting up to his elbows and helping negotiate a rules reform with the Senate, the same way that he did with a bipartisan infrastructure package with
19:21:24 Bill back better when he decides to land a deal he's really potent, and he hasn't yet made it his top priority to land a deal on democracy, but he has committed that once built back better is through once that part of his legislative agenda is through
19:21:38 he'll turn to democracy. And so the reason that you have seen us kind of sequence it in this way is because we know the piece we have to get to. We have Schumer we have the rest of the Democratic caucus they're having their family conversation about rules
19:21:49 reform. So many of the other pieces of this are in play, including the pressure that all of you brought to bear on the senators, the piece we need that we don't have yet is Joe Biden.
19:22:00 And so that's part of why you've seen us hold these two pieces intention, because we're trying to clear the decks and build back better in order to get Biden engagement on democracy reform to tee up our very best shot at actually making this happen.
19:22:14 Already I have one more question for you.
19:22:19 How do we deal with the headwinds we face in 2022, the spine me more of a opinion.
19:22:27 And then later on in 2022, you will be informed, how we will be taking action then.
19:22:38 That is a big question that to try to wrap up here, I think I'm.
19:22:43 oh there's so many answers to it. I we clearly have our work cut out for us in holding the House and the Senate and expanding our majorities. I think that we all know that.
19:22:55 And also,
19:22:58 there's a significant part of what we have in front of us that will that will be shaped by the stories we tell about what happened. Part of the reason that we that indivisible has prioritized as a top priority structural democracy reform is because that's
19:23:11 what sets the rules of the game as you all know that's why so many of you have fought so hard. And so really leaning in to get that across the finish line sets up the plane board in a way that helps us address the headwinds that we're headed into, but
19:23:24 passing build back better and materially and immediately improving people's lives so that their experience of a democratic trifecta was competence actually getting things done and their lives getting better, is also a critical part of us being able to
19:23:37 face the sort of landscape of 2022 in a way that can set us up for success so making sure that the rules of the game are workable, and then making sure that people's material lives have improved, and they feel that in their day to day is sort of the recipe,
19:24:06 Thank you so much for that Mary and Mary will be answering questions towards the later end of the call.
19:24:13 We will be taking action right before, but now I get the pleasure of introducing our national organizing director gimmick Murray, who will be going over all the amazing thing indivisible accomplished and done this year, they can wait tools I feel like
19:24:42 of all of the work that has been led by groups in the States and across the country. So Jules is going to be in charge of my slideshow I think we got this but I will I will just nudge you if we need to move the slides a little bit, but Hi everyone, like
19:24:58 Joel said my name is Kim MacMurray and I'm the national organizing director at indivisible so like I haven't been on here in a while so for folks who don't know me I manage our full organizing program which means working closely with our associate organizing
19:25:14 directors and organizers around the country and helping plan out our campaigns and our major movement moments. It also means that I get a front row seat to all the incredibly powerful activism happening in the States, all the time and there is nothing
19:25:29 in the world that makes my heart happier than seeing regular folks come together to take action and make their world a better and more just please. And I am like totally serious with that this picture is me incessantly on my honeymoon I just got back
19:25:44 a few weeks ago and we like one of my favorite places we went was this nature reserve that was saved from development because of community activism. It's really cool they talked about how they did like one March and then it was it was like, Oh, I wish
19:25:57 democracy was like that. But it was really cool seeing how how all of our movements are connected across the world.
19:26:05 was like that. But it was really cool seeing how how all of our movements are connected across the world. So, Jules asked me to come on the call today to talk about some of the networks organizing highlights from last year. There are so many and I'm so
19:26:15 excited to dive into this with all of you. And I would love for this to be interactive, so please share your own highlights in the chat as we go through some of our major campaigns or on your state and local work.
19:26:28 We're going to pause a few times and Jared will pull some out from the chat so we'd really love to hear from you on like what really worked and what you're really proud of, from your groups this year.
19:26:41 But let's start with our federal campaigns, we had a huge victory to start off this year.
19:26:47 We won the two Senate seats in Georgia, and yes, it seems like forever ago but it was January 5 2021 when Senator Warnock and Senator awesome one their run offs are Georgia groups did absolutely incredible work there, Jules is actually still our Georgia
19:27:06 organizer at the time and her in our new Georgia organizer Abby 10 and Bob work together with our groups to put together their plan, but groups did lit jobs in their communities.
19:27:16 They especially focused on apartment complexes that are frequently overlooked by campaigns and other voter outreach efforts, they lead texting campaigns and piloted a new group center and texting model that we're actually going to take best practices
19:27:29 and learn for our 2022 elections program. They did valid caring efforts to make sure every vote was counted and groups in rural Georgia put Warnock offices and black men signs on key street corners so fellow Democrats would know that they weren't alone.
19:27:47 I know a lot of folks on this call live in red and rural places where it can seem like you are the only democrat around and it's really important to let each other know that, like we're not alone and we can win.
19:28:01 And while groups in Georgia led the way groups around the country got involved through sending postcards and hosting fundraisers for the candidates so it was really like a full network full movement full progressive movement when, when we won those runoffs
19:28:17 our joy from the runoff did not last long though since the next day January six was the insurrection at the Capitol, as an organizer I see one of the major parts of my job is helping people through difficult times like these and channeling anger into
19:28:35 action I think we're really lucky to be organizers and that way.
19:28:38 But I have to say that when I saw the interaction is in the city, I felt like totally paralyzed and scared, it couldn't turn away from the news, and I think that's why it felt even more powerful when just days later the indivisible network showed up in
19:28:54 huge numbers to demand are elected officials prioritize democracy or form impeach the president and hold seditious Republican lawmakers accountable.
19:29:05 These were are the people lead events, and we had 162 events around the country, the picture that you see now is from indivisible mount desert island and main where they send a clear message to Senator Collins convict Trump.
19:29:20 These pictures are just too good so he couldn't resist a few more jewels Next one.
19:29:27 Okay, so the top left is elders indivisible which is a group of individuals in an elderly care facility in Pennsylvania, they were making calls to their member of congress demanding they support HR one.
19:29:42 Next to that is individually, indivisible North Hampton and Western Massachusetts, where they stood outside representative McGovern's office to thank him for supporting HR one HR for DC statehood quarter form and more.
19:29:57 The bottom left is indivisible East Bay in Oakland California where they projected impeach and remove on a building in Oakland, and last indivisible St Louis and postcards demanding Holly resign for supporting seditious interaction is.
19:30:12 good stories from there the people lead offense or Jared, we can pause there and see if there's anything you want to pull out hasn't been a whole lot about about people lead some folks have been sharing other big events that they were a part of that they
19:30:28 they organized this year, sort of mentioned Women's March, that they organized in October as part of the nation wide initiative.
19:30:38 And, but yeah so so far, nobody else has talked about, people lead events but as you mentioned, there were 162 of them. So,
19:30:46 work well keep it going. We're going to talk about deadline for democracy next so if you have any good stories there, drop them in, and we'll pause again.
19:30:57 But after the people lead we were just full speed ahead as you all know on our democracy or forum campaign we celebrated when HR one before the people act passed the house and we turned all of our attention to the Senate, and making sure that all of our
19:31:11 democratic senators supported overturning the filibuster. So over the next few months we built power and took actions over recesses we made calls educator group members and built relationships with our MCs, and all of this led up to July recess and our
19:31:28 deadline for democracy events. We had over 400 events around the country and this was our largest movement moment, ever.
19:31:38 I want to just like reiterate that again because it was such a big deal. We were five years into this movement Trump is out of the White House and the conventional wisdom, was that progressive activists were going to pack up and go home and oh my gosh
19:31:51 they were so wrong that we had more events during the deadline for democracy than any other moment in our networks history and just totally totally blown away by all of the creativity from the groups on the ground in Vermont, a coalition of groups from
19:32:08 the statewide Vermont indivisible network organized a series of seven actions for week of action to urge Senator Leahy to be a Super Hero, Hero on supporting voting rights and our farming the filibuster.
19:32:20 Next we have a photo from the deadline for democracy rally in Detroit.
19:32:26 Here is indivisible northeast Mississippi outside of rep Trent Kelly's office, and then the last one is in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. We're indivisible Bucks County and indivisible Lambert bill New Hope joined forces for a Light Brigade action on the
19:32:41 Delaware River, as I was pulling like all of the photos for this presentation I also realize that this is the year we like leaned very hard into these labor, it's we have so many pictures of groups in the dark spelling out words about democracy.
19:32:59 And I didn't end there so as you all know, one of the most important parts of action is generating press because mo sees care deeply about local press.
19:33:09 So here's just a couple of the many, many press clips The deadline for democracy events generated.
19:33:26 We had local press at over half of our of the group events, which meant literally hundreds of news clips and this was absolutely everywhere.
19:33:29 Okay, I'm going to pause there again and see if Jared, you can tell me if there's any stories you want to pull out yeah few Isabel story said that they hung large in peach and I guess this is back to.
19:33:43 Following up on January 6 got in referee finish talking about that. They hung a large mpg convict banner on an overpass over a busy freeway during lunch hour.
19:33:53 Lots of honking they said the support level good honk, Trisha Anderton talked about how they teamed up with another indivisible group and in New York to do a deadline for democracy speaking outside of the 96th Street, I remember that.
19:34:09 It says quickly lots of signs made calls and texts and distributed flyers to passer by Ken says that in Howard County, Maryland. They did 20 plus weeks of Overpass signs reaching over 12,000 kilometers per week.
19:34:25 Really, really.
19:34:37 Yeah, thanks Jared, and as you all know, and as we talked about deadline for democracy wasn't the end of our democracy fight we're still not at the end of our democracy fight in New York indivisible nation BK took a Halloween themed action outside side
19:34:42 of Senate Majority Leader Schumer's building with the message junk goes on democracy checks like absolutely love.
19:34:50 And then to talk a little bit about the two, the two states where we know our biggest priorities West Virginia and Arizona these local groups, and our organizers there have been just so determined to move cinema and mansion.
19:35:05 Over the past few months and have tried so much. One of the highlights I want to pull out from West Virginia is happened a couple weeks ago, but activists actually marched from West Virginia to mansions office in DC, an indivisible groups were a part
19:35:20 of that effort to continue to bring attention to this crucial issue. And in Arizona, oh my gosh they have tried everything they've done light brigades late installations traveling billboards outside of sons games and a full page ad in the Arizona Republic.
19:35:37 So just everything we could possibly try to move cinema and still keeping the faith there they continue to be priorities.
19:35:44 But I also wanted to pull out that we've had some really good wins like we've moved some, some really important folks, because of pressure from individuals, Senator Carper wrote an op ed calling to get rid of the filibuster for democracy or four, which
19:36:04 just like a really exciting day at indivisible. And just like Mary said while democracy or forum remained a top priority. We also turned our attention and power to the bipartisan infrastructure framework and build back better and I thought like we did
19:36:15 something really new and cool with us, which is that wall huge days of action will always be one of our most effective tools. We also did a bit of surgical campaigning so pulling together working groups for groups who had mo sees on important committees
19:36:30 or who were really priority targets and working with them to take targeted action.
19:36:35 So on the next slide, there's a picture of groups showing up at Jared Golden's office to push him to vote for the bed. He ended up not voting, all of our other targets devoting the right way, but we'll get them next time.
19:36:51 The roundup would not be complete without mentioning, all of the amazing state and local work that's happening around the country.
19:37:04 But you all did billboards and other actions to combat coded misinformation in several states, Kentucky, Minnesota.
19:37:12 Ran really really cool campaigns there you elected progressives in local primary and general elections I have to call out indivisible Iowa who ran an entire school board program and ended up winning 95% of the school board races that they worked in you,
19:37:30 individuals ran for office themselves and they won in Arizona we've actually started to build an indivisible caucus in the state house and we're seeing individuals, run and win at every level, you formed statewide working groups to surgically advocate
19:37:45 on key progressive state policies. You fought back against anti maxing masking anti Vax and anti CRT school boards and local government officials we saw this in Minnesota again in Iowa.
19:37:58 You fought for local control over policing and pushback attempts to just solve problems with more cops you organize to protect education funding, you organize to support refugee resettlement and welcome refugees into your communities.
19:38:13 I have to pull out our organizer from Minnesota Scott talked about how sometimes organizing is a really good spreadsheet and shared the individual groups in Minnesota tracking all of the things that they were collecting to give to the new refugee families
19:38:29 from Afghanistan and who were joining their communities and making them feel welcome.
19:38:35 You fought for fair maps, you fought back against Trump's big lie and farcical investigations and you find anti LGBT legislation and just so much more so please keep telling us in the chat we love to hear all of your local stories, and this has been just
19:38:52 a really big year and we have a lot to celebrate so I hope everyone takes the time to really soak it in with your groups, maybe one last push for democracy or forum and build back better like Mary said we're feeling really good about Bill back better
19:39:06 and we're hoping we get the momentum that we need on democracy or form and get plenty of rest, over the next month because in 2022, we have crucial advocacy fights and elections ahead of us and we can't wait to continue this with you.
19:39:20 I will stop there though.
19:39:25 Thank you so much Kim. That was amazing. I'm so so like in all of the indivisible like movement of indivisible groups and the visible leaders in the wall numbers.
19:39:38 None of the things that we that Kim mentioned earlier on the call would have been possible if y'all haven't joined us.
19:39:47 Took it took an action taken action and fought for our progressive values.
19:39:54 Across the board right not only like the federal level but in state level in the local level, and within your communities. And that's organizing it takes a really long time to create the stomach team, but that's what we're here for.
19:40:06 Let's see if I have any questions for you all.
19:40:14 Okay.
19:40:15 More questions are more like policy related. So what we'll do now is go to one of my favorite parts of the call and take action together. So, I am sharing with you all.
19:40:29 The National activists call resource hub.
19:40:34 over in the chat.
19:40:38 And we have several options for you all to take actions. Today, which is very exciting.
19:40:44 So the first one is, if you are in a state that has two senators who are Democrats. We have a email your senator and urge them to task to build back better accessing as possible.
19:41:02 form, you're just able to like, pull your, your information, really quickly and then the emails basically pulled out for you all you have to do is make some small changes, adding your name, adding your state and city, and you'll be able to contact your
19:41:16 senator tonight. We also have a final letter for red state indivisible to Senate Democrats.
19:41:25 So this letter is intended for indivisible groups who live in red states. I'll read the following states that I highly highly encourage you to have your, your indivisible group, join and sign on to this letter.
19:41:43 The deadline is tomorrow. We want to make sure that we represent as many folks in rep states who may or may not have their representation, the Senate to show like what their values are.
19:41:53 This is a great opportunity to let you know.
19:41:57 Senate Democrats, know that even though you're in a red state, you support them and you hold the values that they're fighting for.
19:42:04 So, if you live in Alaska, Alabama.
19:42:10 Florida Ohio Louisiana I was, Idaho Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri Mississippi Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota Tennessee Texas, USA and West Virginia.
19:42:28 I miss them. It's been a while since I had seventh grade civics, so I apologize if I misconstrued one of the states.
19:42:41 But feel free to sign on. And the last one that we have is a quick call. Quick, quick to call your senator and tell them to protect Roe vs. Wade now.
19:42:54 So there's a lot of options I highly recommend that if you are able to if you're in a position to to do as many as possible. The more that we contact our members of Congress and where we urge them to do the right thing and remind them that we're here
19:43:08 to hold them accountable than likely are they are at first good things to happen.
19:43:13 So there's a lot of things that you can participate in and
19:43:21 put the link in the chat. Right now, individually. so if you're able to open
19:43:29 the, the resource hub for some reason, it will be in the chat box in just a little and also for the folks on the phone. Do not worry, you will not miss out on this action.
19:43:40 We will be sending out a follow up email to everyone who has RSVP, and that email will include all this information all the actions that you're able to participate because we want to make sure that we end the 20 2021 year really strong take an action
19:43:59 together being in community together. And I mean we have five minutes here and there, why not urge our members of Congress, someone earlier said like, Why are our like we should be taking advantage of every single opportunity that we have available to
19:44:13 urge our members to pass those back better.
19:44:16 So we did just that we took the opportunity right now. The fact that we have so many folks with us tonight to take action and make sure that we do every single small thing possible to push the progressive agenda, through Congress, and that really, really
19:44:35 great systemic transformational change for the folks, not only who needed but like, who will just be able to benefit from the fact that bill back better is such an amazing act that includes so many amazing things, if you do have questions on what is it
19:44:53 partakes or what's, what's part of built back better. I highly recommend that you check out the resource hub in there, there is a link to the build back better explained page that indivisible has created and it really just does an amazing job of going
19:45:10 over the big picture the small picture and all the issues that build back better has, like, really strong language for.
19:45:19 Yeah, if you if you ever like if you're a policy wonk or like a policy nerd like myself, I'm very lucky because I have.
19:45:26 I get to be in community with like Mary, and so many like amazing folks from the policy team.
19:45:33 But definitely, definitely recommend checking that document out. If you have any questions if you're unsure, and if you have questions or not answered in that document, feel free to reach out to your end of the Civil organizer, or support team@indivisible.org
19:45:49 And folks will be able to assist you and help you out. I'm going to launch this poll really quick
19:46:02 and ask you all did you take action today.
19:46:05 Let us know.
19:46:09 Don't feel shame whatsoever if you're not able to take action tonight. That's okay, there's a tomorrow and the day after that and the day after that and the day after that, there's always opportunities to take action to push your member of Congress or
19:46:23 senator, to do the right thing. And, you know, this organizing.
19:46:29 Okay.
19:46:31 Now that I've covered this part. I will start asking a few more questions that you have asked, while we wait for folks to answer the talk and to finish their actions and Mary there's a lot of questions that are policy related.
19:46:51 I'm going to be directing them a lot to you.
19:46:56 Just be ready.
19:46:59 As from your knowledge, are there any legislative any legislation in Congress to prevent gun violence.
19:47:09 Yes, so the House passed two good bills. Back in March the HR HR eight which is the bipartisan background checks act. And then the second piece of legislation to close the Charleston loophole.
19:47:22 So, the House passed both of those back in, in March and they just been kind of in waiting in the Senate. Ever since then, they would be subject to the filibuster, which is the reason that they haven't they haven't moved.
19:47:32 And so, you know as soon as we can get the senate democrats and they're like family meeting restore the senate conversation to agree to the rules reform, there's a bunch of stuff that that is I'm can't be moved to the reconciliation process that's in
19:47:45 this backlog in the Senate and, you know, common sense gun laws is, is one of those as as abortion rights there's like a lot of stuff that's in that queue.
19:47:52 But there's two buildings have already passed the House we're really just waiting on to the action enabled in order to be able to move that ahead.
19:47:59 this one thing that is really important, which is I was trying to signal in my comments earlier, the like people, I would really encourage you not to lose hope.
19:48:11 Even though mansion and cinema are really really really frustrating we still think we have a really really really good chance of getting getting build back better out of the house and and I need everyone to hear this, and that is really really not guaranteed.
19:48:26 And we have a, we have a great chance of getting go back better to President by death if we keep pushing. If people keep hearing from their constituents keep hearing it as a mandate that this is absolutely something we expect Democrats to deliver.
19:48:36 And here's the other piece.
19:48:38 I'm extremely confident that something, some version of blowback better will pass the Senate, but how good it is how much of a Dane, the house past version takes because of of conservative democrats in the senate really depends on the advocacy, that all
19:48:52 of us are doing. And so I think there's a lot to be hopeful for and still an imperative for folks I know folks are tired I know folks are tired hearing about it but to lean in for these like just next to maybe 10 days or two weeks to make sure that we
19:49:06 are able to they're really strong package.
19:49:12 Out of the Senate. Okay, this is a message from Mary and Tim, whoever would like to answer, this was like the answer.
19:49:19 How can we can be quite progressive messaging, well not falling into the right wing messaging traps.
19:49:25 Great question.
19:49:32 I can give Do you want me to go first. Okay, sure.
19:49:39 I feel like, whoever you are, who asked that question and the fact that you asked that question, means you're probably doing a really great job of it.
19:49:47 Um, I think, knowing what the right wing messaging traps are is like half the battle.
19:49:53 So, so that's great. And I think a couple of a couple ones that we see coming at us are a lot of right wing spin about the economic impacts of build back better.
19:50:07 And I think there's a lot there that's not worth engaging in but it is really important for folks to know that feedback better becomes law, and we're beginning to see state by state estimates of what the impacts will be for different families and state
19:50:23 in terms of the amount of money that they will see in, like, in their pockets, either through a change their taxes or because of an increases in support for through the child tax credit or for childcare or pre K, or those types of things and so I think
19:50:40 it's a little frustrating because that state by state information hasn't always been hasn't been available quite yet we're starting to see that trickle out, you'll be getting some of that from your indivisible organizer I'm sure is a another good reason
19:50:50 to reach out to ask for some of that. And, but I think knowing what the right wing talking points are looking to the truth Brigade, to see what they're talking about and how they're conducting true sandwiches, to try to move us towards towards better
19:51:04 narratives or two good approaches, that's a great question Kim I don't have anything to add.
19:51:10 There was a great answer I think the only thing that I would add is that we usually find that the thing that actually moves people or moves the needle at all is just talking directly to them about what they care about.
19:51:22 So, I think I would just recommend like worrying less about needing to get all of the words exactly right and really just asking folks what issues are important to them and what are the things that like they're worried about and then thinking through
19:51:34 like how, how we can actually make this better and address them.
19:51:44 Yeah. Awesome, Awesome answers y'all. Um, I think that's one part that's like really big and organizing is ensuring that.
19:51:50 Before you start, like having a conversation about like issues and like, trying to convince someone on something to first share your value, and then create like a shared understanding on like what are the things that you both believe, are you all believe,
19:52:07 and then like connecting that to the issue at hand and might not always like work it might not always be easy, but I have found it myself a lot easier to have conversations with people to be able to get the truth out.
19:52:20 When I start the conversation by setting like setting the ground, and by just like sharing.
19:52:26 What are the things that we care about what are our values, and then started from there.
19:52:31 Amazing question, y'all. I'm actually going to end the call now.
19:52:38 And a lot of folks have told us that they will not be taking action tonight, no worries, they will be taking action tomorrow. So I'm excited to see you all submit those emails.
19:52:50 Make a call to your senator sign on to the letter as possible. And I know that I saw this question quite a bit in the chat.
19:53:00 So the letter is for folks who live in red state who are part of an indivisible group. If you are not part of an indivisible group, no worries.
19:53:10 You are able to participate in the third action, but I'd also really highly encourage you to reach out to the support team inbox, or if you have the information of your state's organizer, reach out directly to them, so they can get you in contact with
19:53:26 your indivisible group, being involved with different depending on who you are depending on like what your group needs and your indivisible organizer will be able to help you.
19:53:38 You know, take action get involved and know what's happening on the ground. So you can create change along with other progressives in your area.
19:53:51 Alrighty, I'm going to ask a few more question.
19:53:56 What is the contingency plan is Manson and cinema Cinema, do not change.
19:54:03 I'm guessing this is for Bill back better, what it could be for a lot of issues as well.
19:54:11 I don't want to answer for Mary, Mary would be able to answer but we keep on fighting y'all like we keep on pushing, we do not stop the good fight does not end.
19:54:22 And just because you know something fails in the Senate, one doesn't mean it's going to fail twice or three times or four times and we will keep pushing because these things that we're fighting for are so important.
19:54:45 Mary Do you have anything to add to that.
19:54:38 No, I think I think that's pretty much the answer.
19:54:42 It's super frustrating but i think you know I think everything Jared drop this in the in the chat earlier but we have seen people move.
19:54:49 Senator anything so the exact example senator Carper used to be a huge defender of the filibuster, and is now at the point where he's actually one of the people who has been tasked by Senator Schumer, to be working most closely to get mentioned to a yes.
19:55:02 And so it is really frustrating I know but people people do change. And so we'll keep, we'll keep, we'll keep chipping away because the only route for legislation involves getting mentioned in cinema, to a yes.
19:55:14 And so that's the that's the labor that we have in front of us.
19:55:18 All right, y'all. I have one more question.
19:55:22 For tonight's CALL THE LAST CALL FOR THE LAST national activist call of the year.
19:55:29 I'm happy and sad because like, I'm just really grateful that you all have joined us in the past year have the connection with those are just in community with us and even on this call like that is huge.
19:55:39 That makes my heart really warm. And then, it reminds me that we're not alone in the fight in the struggle. There's a lot more people that are fighting with us, that have the same values as us, we might just not see them, they might just not be around
19:55:53 us, but they're there and you're not alone.
19:55:57 Okay, before I ask one last question, I just want to remind you all the first national acts It was called 2022 will be on Thursday January six.
19:56:06 That is the one year anniversary. After the interaction will be covering.
19:56:13 You know, the events that happened in 2021, how we're looking forward and how we're going to create change in 2022 together.
19:56:19 Okay, last question.
19:56:22 This is for you, Mary, who did other any other senators besides Lansing who didn't support the bill that would codify Roe vs. Wade.
19:56:33 Senator Casey is the other senator that we're particularly concerned about I think that there was another question about whether or not Collins supports a codified abortion rights.
19:56:46 But the reality is, unless you both support codified abortion rights and rules reform to make it happen. It's kind of an empty, it's empty support, and she certainly doesn't doesn't support that.
19:56:57 So we're not really able to count her in getting to 50 that we need to turn that into law.
19:57:02 So if your senator is Kathy, you know what to do, keep bringing send those emails annoy budge act like you're the little sibling in the family and don't stop being annoying don't stop reminding them like abortion is a human right.
19:57:23 And we will fight for it till the end. Because it's what's right.
19:57:25 Okay.
19:57:28 Not to end the call and like a like, what, tone, because this is only like going to go up, we will continue fighting, we will continue being in community.
19:57:41 We will continue sharing spaces and taking action together for, you know, months to come. I'm really excited to see you all next year at the next action.
19:57:58 Next national activist call in to see you all next year take action, alongside of us. I hope you have a wonderful night. I want to wish you all happy holidays and I'm very happy new year.
19:58:04 Stay safe, stay warm. And we will see you all in 2022.
