Happy Tuesday, Activists!
It really seems we have something to offer everyone today. We have calls you can make to our Members of Congress to push them to move critical legislation to a vote. We have meetings and more meetings - with us, with candidates, with one of our senators - and more! And we even have calls you can make to influence a senator in another state. Plus an inspiring story at the end.
CALL TO ACTION
Sen. Toomey – Phila offices: 215-241-1090; D.C. 202-224-4254; email link
Sen. Casey – Phila office 215-405-9660; D.C. 202-224-6324 email link.
Rep. Evans – D.C. office 202-225-4001; Phila office 215-276-0340; email link
Rep. Boyle – D.C. office 202-225-6111; Phila office 215-335-3355; email link.
For outside Philadelphia:
Find your House Representative’s phone number and email at this link.
Find your Senators’ phone numbers and emails at this link.
1. Call about the COVID-19 relief bill. Call our Senators and ask them to pass the COVID-19 relief bill before March 14. There is a timing issue here because in a few weeks 11.4 million Americans stand to lose their benefits unless the Senate passes a relief package. So we need to make sure the Senate does not wait on this and gets it passed expeditiously, with relief that includes survival checks, state and local aid. Ask our senators to pass the bill and send it to the President’s desk without watering it down.
2. Call about H.R. 1. This week, the House is scheduled to vote on the For the People Act (H.R. 1). This is the first of the democracy reform bills we are focusing on in Congress (including D.C. Statehood). Our Philadelphia House members may be onboard, but we need to call them anyway and let them know we are watching this. And thank them for their support of the bill.
OUR UPCOMING MEETINGS
1. Announcing Our Exciting Plans for 2021 and 2022
Our next meeting is TOMORROW March 3, at 7:00 pm. We have a lot to talk about! The 2020 election taught us a lot about where we need to focus to win in 2022 and there's no time to waste. We’ll describe what we need to do now for success in the all-important midterm elections and PA Governor's race.
We’ll review the results of our big postcard projects, the data on the election results, and then the plan to go bigger and better to win in 2022. Join us tomorrow!
2. Meet the District Attorney Candidates
On Thursday, March 25, at 7:00 pm we are holding a forum with the two current Democratic candidates for Philadelphia D.A. – Larry Krasner and Carlos Vega. As you know, Larry Krasner is running for a second term and Carols Vega is running against him in the May 18 primary. We’ll hear from each candidate separately and pose questions to each. This forum is sure to help you decide how to vote!
3. NEW! Meeting with Senator Casey – April 6, 5:30 pm. Join us to hear Senator Casey's legislative and other priorities and hear his answers to our questions.
Have a question for Senator Casey? We’re collecting questions for the senator and you can submit yours in the form at this link.
OTHER MEETINGS / TRAININGS
So You Want to Be a Poll Worker Training Sessions
Part 1: Running to Be a Poll Worker
TONIGHT, 6:30-7:30 pm
Poll workers are essential to keeping elections transparent and efficient, but at first glance, it can seem like a daunting task. This session (the first three) will begin to simplify the process and review the basics of being a poll worker and the elections system by providing details on what is happening in 2021; the role of a poll worker; who is eligible to run; getting on the ballot; and campaigning. The information provided is most applicable to Philadelphia, but should be relevant to other PA counties as well. Future sessions will be devoted to poll workers’ duties (March 18 and 23) and key procedures and COVID safety for poll workers (April 13 and 22). RSVP.
PA Supreme Court Candidate Forum
Wed., March 17, 5-6:30 pm
Zoom
Candidates for Pennsylvania's Supreme Court field questions about their experience and why they seek election to the state’s highest court. Scheduled to appear: Judge Kevin Brobson (R), currently the president judge of PA Commonwealth Court; Judge Maria McLaughlin (D), a judge on the PA Superior Court; and Judge Paula A. Patrick (R), a judge on Philadelphia County’s Court of Common Pleas. The forum is sponsored by Pennsylvanians for Modern Courts, the League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania Bar Association, the Allegheny County Bar Association and the Philadelphia Bar Association. RSVP
Call Voters in Arizona to pressure Senator Kyrsten Sinema to vote to eliminate the filibuster rule.
The House is likely to vote TOMORROW to pass H.R. 1 and there’s a hearing for H.R. 51 scheduled for March 11. These bills do so much to improve our democracy as we've described here.
The timing of these bills could not be more crucial – already, dozens of voter suppression bills have been introduced by state legislatures all over the country.
As you know from our descriptions of the filibuster rule, as long as Mitch McConnell can veto popular democracy reform legislation through the filibuster, these bills will face an uphill battle in the Senate. We need moderate Democrats, like Senator Kyrsten Sinema (AZ), to protect the voting rights of Arizonians by voting YES on the For the People Act (S.1) but we also need her to support eliminating the filibuster.
Senator Sinema has a choice: side with Mitch McConnell to protect the filibuster or protect democracy.
If you are looking for ways to take action, click here to make calls to AZ voters asking them to call Senator Sinema between 10 am and 8 pm local time.
MAIL-IN VOTING
It’s time to sign up again for your annual mail-in ballot.
Even if you signed up to vote by mail last year you will need to renew your application again for this year’s elections, even if you signed up to be on the “permanent” list.
You can sign up on the state website here. Or you can fill out the paper application sent from your local election board.
MERCH!
You can see all of our beautiful items on our website! Here’s how it works:
1. View the selections and pick out what you would like to order.
2. Make a donation for the amount (or more!) listed for each item.
3. Use the email link in the item description and tell us you made your donation.
4. We’ll ship you the item.
5. You’ll enjoy it, and know you donated to a worthy cause!
Before you go, here’s an inspiring Merch and Postcard story! Scott is one of our members who wrote postcards with us. He ordered some merch last week and told us that the postcard project was the first time he’d “ever done anything like that” in all his years.” He said he hoped it made a difference. Well, Scott, we can tell you it did make a difference! And everyone can hear all about that difference at tomorrow’s meeting.
And as always --
Wear a mask. Keep a distance. Get a vaccine when you can. Be kind.