If not now, when? Call and email - now!
If you want to preserve – or restore – democracy, act now. The actions of ICE and Border Patrol across the country, but especially in Minneapolis, pretty much shred the entire Bill of Rights. No one is safe. No place is safe. No political speech is safe. Now – today – is when every Senator and Representative, regardless of party, needs to hear from every one of us.
Don't waste time crafting long, artful explanations. They know the issues. They just need to know how many of us care, and how intensely. Below, we've got pointers on what to say, how and where to say it, and how to multiply your impact (with words and actions, not with donations!)
Every one of us in every jurisdiction should speak up now:
- If your Senators and Rep are already saying and doing the right things, they need your support and reinforcement because there will be massive pressure against them.
- If your Senators and Rep are not recognizing or admitting that democracy is in the balance, they need to hear that from their consituents.
As the sage Hillel said over 2,000 years ago: "If I am not for myself, who is for me? If I am only for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?"
Or as a more current sage, Professor Joanne Freeman, said on January 24: "We are at a point where the sins are so grievous that silence becomes support."
What to say
"Stop ICE from murdering Americans, kidnapping people of color and terrorizing cities. Please oppose any funding for ICE and Border Patrol. Support the impeachment of Kristi Noem."
"The America we love is dying before our eyes. Schumer and Jeffries are doing their best Susan Collins impressions. We need leadership."
How and where to say it
Immediacy, clarity and numbers matter now. Phone (be prepared to leave a voicemail) and email work best for this. Write out your 2-4 sentences and have them ready.
Find your Senators and Representative and get to their contact information. (For emails, most have a form to fill out on-line.)
Don't forget about your State legislators, Governors, Secretaries of State and Attorneys General. The horror in Minneapolis and the vacuity of Congressional "leadership" show the urgency of every state being active and ready. What is pending in your state or city, and how can you support it?
For example, New Mexico's Immigrant Safety Act, stalled for months, is now moving through the legislature . If you live in NM urge your legislators to support it.
Multiply your impact: Mobilize your personal network
Some in Congress are truly priority targets. If you have an address in their state or jurisdiction you can contact them. If you have friends or relatives in those places, call and text and email them now, sharing this newsletter and urging them to act. Here are some prime targets, including Democratic Senators who have wavered, Republican Senators who have shown some independence from MAGA, and Democratic leadership:
- Alaska: Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska)
- Colorado: Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.)
- Illinois: Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL), Senate Democratic Whip
- Kentucky
- Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
- Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY)
- Louisiana: Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA, whom Trump just undercut by endorsing a primary challenger)
- Massachusetts: Rep. Katherine Clark (D-MA), House Democratic Whip
- Maine: Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine, facing a tough re-election in 2026)
- New Hampshire:
- Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.)
- Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.)
- New York:
- Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Senate Democratic Leader
- Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), House Democratic Leader
- North Carolina: Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC, more independent as he has chosen not to run for re-election in 2026)
- Ohio: Sen. Jon Husted (R-OH, facing a tough re-election in 2026)
- Pennsylvania: Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.)