Under the Continuing Resolution (CR) passed a few weeks ago, funding for a large portion of the federal government runs out at midnight on Friday, January 19. Funding for the remaining portions ends two weeks later, at midnight on February 2. If new appropriations or another CR is not passed by those deadlines, major portions of our government shut down.
The Trump/MAGA extremists who control the Republican Party are threatening to shut our government down if their poison-pill racist, misogynistic, xenophobic, and anti-democratic demands are not injected into the appropriation bills or the next CR. Today, their tirades and tantrums are focused on border security and demonizing non-white immigrants. Tomorrow it will be further restricting abortion rights and denying women the freedom to control their own bodies. The rest of their agenda consists of “anti-woke” policies aimed at curtailing and destroying diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, freedom of speech and thought at schools and colleges, economic justice efforts, and measures to combat global warming.
Even more so in an election year than in a normal year, it is important for our Democratic representatives to stand for our freedoms against MAGA-Republican efforts to drag us back into our racist, patriarchal, bigoted past. We must make the difference plain as day: Republicans want the government dismantled and our freedoms burned; Democrats want the government to work for you.
Tell President Biden and our Members of Congress: Stand fast, don’t surrender to MAGA Republican shutdown blackmail!
President Biden’s Successes vs Horse Race Media & Oligarchs’ Trolling
Wages rose at 4.1% in 2023. People complain about inflation (more attributable to price gouging than supply & demand) but it remains below 3%. Unemployment has been under 4% for the second year in a row, long after the pandemic effect has faded. President Biden’s policies and legislation passed by the last Congress created millions of jobs and flipped tired old trickle-down economics on its head, with extraordinary, historic success. Billions of dollars being spent on the climate emergency are part of that success, with thousands of infrastructure upgrades going on in all fifty states.
You wouldn’t know it from watching or reading our privatized, consolidated, corporate-dominated news media, who seem to prefer to present 2024 as a horse race. Better for you to be in suspense than be informed. And authoritarian oligarchs, alarmed that Bidenomics might weaken their stranglehold, want our President defeated ASAP, so they’re stirring up fear, uncertainty, and doubt, aiming to get 5-10% of voters to feel they “just can’t” vote for Biden, even with climate action, reproductive rights, economic justice, and democracy itself at stake.
The Biden Administration has done many significant things that progressives have wished for for decades. We must loudly celebrate these achievements, to build pride and hope and drown out the naysayers and doom-sprayers from the other side.
We’ve compiled some references you can consult to share the achievements we want to build upon by electing more democrats in 2024.
We remember the violent insurrection of January 6th
This past Saturday, we marked the third anniversary of January 6, 2021.
On that day, we came so close to a fascist takeover. We were a hair’s breadth away from the plot succeeding. But thanks to a few people of strong principle, democracy survived.
And we’ve been better off for it. President Joe Biden’s government has been, like our country, imperfect, but striving to do better and make good on its promises.
It is now 2024. Three years have passed since January 6, 2021. Long enough that the events of that day have begun receding into memory, and yet short enough that both Trump and President Biden are back on the ballot, headed for a rematch.
Which direction will America go in next year? Only we, the People, decide.
Read our blog post commemorating the anniversary of January 6.
February is voting month. Get ready!
Happy New Year! This year is a presidential primary election year—which means the primary election starts in February. You’ll be voting in less than one month.
Right now, you should check your voter registration to make sure your voter registration is active, your party affiliation is correct, and your address is current.
Then, start reading up on your choices so you’re ready when your ballot arrives in your mail in early February. Check out our Vote page, which you can easily share with friends and family members who are eager to vote in next month’s Democratic primary election.
We’ll be adding more information in the coming weeks to the Vote page on casting your ballot.
If you’re interested in participating in activities like drafting letters to our Members of Congress and developing our strategy for influencing them, the Indivisible SF Federal Working Group is where it happens.
Indivisible SF Federal Working Group: Thursday, Jan. 11, 7:30–9 PM. Planning meeting where we discuss strategy to influence our Members of Congress and the Biden administration to enact a progressive agenda. Meeting starts promptly at 7:30 PM. All are welcome. Register here!
Meet the Candidates: Melissa Hurtado for CA-22: Thursday, Jan 11, 7:00–8:30 PM. The road to the House in 2024 lies through California. Join the NorCal MEET THE CANDIDATES Series to meet Melissa Hurtado, a candidate for CA-45. RSVP here.
How to Fundraise with Haley Bash, presented by the CA Grassroots Alliance: Thursday, Jan 18, 3–5 PM. Join the Donor Organizer Hub founder & Executive Director Haley Bash to learn how to raise funds for in-district grassroots groups and candidates. RSVP here.
About this week’s photo
If you’ve seen our newsletter posts on social media, you might have noticed that we include a photo or graphic with each issue.
Today’s graphic is a photo of a San Francisco ballot dropbox at City Hall, taken by one of our members.
