Last week, you put in a hard fight, and although we didn’t win the latest round, this is far from over—plus, we’ve got the upper hand. Republicans thought that passing this bill in the House would be an easy win—but it took them four months and a string of painful defeats. And now they’ve got a long road ahead. Ripping away health care from 24 million Americans is about to get a whole lot harder—and you’re going to make sure of it.
It’s time to hold Congress accountable
With 11 days of recess starting now, it’s the perfect time for your group to show up at district offices, town halls, and events to let your Members of Congress know just how you feel about their vote. And remember, you deserve to have them justify their vote to you.
Ask them why they didn’t even care enough to find out what’s in the bill. Ask them how they can possibly defend taking away protections for people with pre-existing conditions (and be sure to tell them your story—chances are, either you or someone you know is directly affected by this). Our latest toolkit, Enough Is Enough: Stop TrumpCare, has everything you need, including scripts, a list of the top ten worst things in TrumpCare, legislative explainers, and—we really want to make sure you see this one—a Die-In Planning Guide to take your accountability tactics to the next level.
It hasn’t escaped our attention that barely any Republican MoCs have announced any town hall meetings for this recess yet, and it’s pretty clear why—they’re scared. If your Representative is one of the MoCs daring to hide from constituents after this life-and-death vote, now’s a good time to refer back to our Missing Members Action Plan. Ramp up the pressure on them to hold a town hall, or, if necessary, hold one of your own. You should also be planning an in-person district office visit where you can put some of the “die-in” tactics to use.
And remember, accountability isn’t just about shaming bad votes—it’s also about rewarding good ones. If your MoC voted no on the bill, this is a great opportunity to give them some positive reinforcement and say thank you. This will bolster your MoC’s courage and encourage them to keep standing strong against the Trump agenda. Make sure they’re committed to voting no again if the bill comes back to the House: a sample thank you is included as part of our accountability script.
Should you focus on the Senate or the House?
You may be wondering whether it is better to focus on the House or the Senate—where the bill goes next and where we’ll stop it for good. We will get to the Senate. And we will defeat this monstrosity of a bill. But this recess, you should focus your anger and frustration on your House Representative, especially if they voted for TrumpCare. The most powerful message you can send your Senators is that you are watching and you will hold them accountable, too, if they vote for TrumpCare. Your Representative, however they voted, needs to face their constituents. There is one question your MoC should be able to answer to every single constituent:
Ask your MoC to justify their vote in favor of TrumpCare. When your MoC takes a vote that would devastate thousands of their constituents, they should be forced to defend it. Demand that they do. Check out our ACA toolkit for help.
Facebook Live on Monday at 8:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. PT: Come with your questions
More than 150,000 people tuned into our Facebook live on Thursday-—and you had a lot of questions. This Monday, we’re doing it again so we can talk more about how we’re going to hold your MoCs accountable this recess—and the path ahead in the fight to save our health care. Mark your calendars, get your questions ready, and tune in to our Facebook page on Monday to join us. And in case you missed our Facebook live on Thursday night, watch it now to hear more about the TrumpCare vote and what it means for your group organizing.
New Group Leader How-To: Building a Leadership Team
There’s no “I” in team. Or leader. Or group! This week’s new how-to covers how to build a great leadership team. We’ll share how to identify and approach prospective leaders within your group and how to recruit a leader to take on a formal leadership role. Check it out: Building a Great Leadership Team for Your Local Indivisible Group.
And as always, if there’s anything more we can do to support your group’s hard work, please let us know by emailing field@indivisibleguide.com. Your leadership is especially vital to this movement at moments like this. This week wasn’t easy, and we know that many of you and your group members are worried about what comes next. But your constituent power remains strong, and this week, you’ve got an especially important opportunity to make your group’s voice heard. This recess, stand indivisible in holding your MoC accountable for this vote. This fight is far from over. We’re going to keep fighting, and together, we will win.
Connect with Indivisible leaders across the country with Mobilize
We’re always busy creating new resources for local groups to use, but the best resource out there is the expertise of other group leaders who are also doing this work. If you’re getting your group up and running and want tips, if your group has tactics for success to share, or if you’re looking to collaborate with other groups near you, Mobilize will help you connect and exchange ideas with other Indivisible group leaders. Make sure you and others with leadership roles in your group are signed up: register here and email field@indivisibleguide.com with the name, title or role, and email address, of anyone else in your group we should add.
In solidarity,
The Indivisible Team
P.S. Show the world that the Indivisible movement is here to stay: keep sending your stories, pictures, and videos to stories@indivisibleguide.com. We’ll amplify your voice and get it to the national media—who are very interested in what you’re up to!
See Jane Resist 