GOP’S WAR ON DEMOCRACY MUST BE STOPPED

Jump to today’s scripts:

Call the Senate
Call the House

BACKGROUND

On July 1, SCOTUS’s Jim Crow majority gutted what was left of the Voting Rights Act, making them just as bad as GOP legislatures and the racist Dixiecrats who terrorized civil rights activists and filibustered civil rights laws--as Biden stressed in Tuesday’s voting rights speech.
The wholesale reshaping of the lower courts is equally troubling, where, thanks to the Federalist Society and McConnell, Trump got to appoint 54 Circuit Court and 174 District Court judges--over 25% of the federal bench.

Controlling these courts enables Republicans to rig elections. They know their voter suppression laws will be upheld, while neither pro-democracy nor other progressive legislation survives.
Not legislation, get-out-the-vote campaigns, or filling open judgeships will change this outcome. Only expanding all federal courts will secure our democracy.

Doing this before 2022 requires McConnell-like commitment. After filibuster elimination or reform, Schumer must keep the Senate in session until:

all Biden’s judicial nominees are confirmed
lower-court-expansion legislation is sent to the House
S.1 passes

Then, before the next election, the Senate must:

pass the Judiciary Act, adding 4 Justices
confirm pro-democracy judges for all these positions
pass the new voting rights act.

Call Congress today, and keep calling until our democracy’s secured.

1. Call the Senate.

Script for Oregon Senators

SEN. MERKLEY: Portland office: 503-326-3386 | D.C. office: 202-224-3753

My name is [--] and I'm a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].

Passing pro-democracy legislation is necessary, but not sufficient, to protect the freedom to vote underpinning our democracy. We also need speedy Senate confirmation of Biden’s judicial nominees and federal court expansion at all levels to neutralize Jim Crow jurists imposed by Trump and McConnell. The Senate must remain in session until all judges are confirmed and S.1 is passed, after the filibuster’s elimination.

SEN. WYDEN: Portland office: 503-326-7525 | D.C. office: 202-224-5244

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].

Passing pro-democracy legislation is necessary, but not sufficient, to protect the freedom to vote underpinning our democracy. We also need speedy Senate confirmation of Biden’s judicial nominees and federal court expansion at all levels to neutralize Jim Crow jurists imposed by Trump and McConnell. The Senate must remain in session until all judges are confirmed and S.1 is passed, after the filibuster’s elimination.

Script for Republican Senators

D.C switchboard: 202-224-3121

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], [state], [zip code].

It’s time to rebalance the courts to meet the needs of the American people. Approving court expansion has always been bipartisan and it should remain so now. Your constituents also favor the For the People Act and expect you to support its passage.

2. Call the House.

Look up your rep.

Script for Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01)

Oregon office: 503-469-6010 | DC office: 202-225-0855

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].

I am calling to reiterate the urgent need to finish updating the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act to prevent its future evisceration by Jim Crow judges and to pass it as quickly as possible. Congress must remain in session until this work is done.

Script for Cliff Bentz (OR-02)

Medford office: 541-776-4646 | DC office: 202-225-6730

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].

It’s time to rebalance the courts to meet the needs of the American people. Both approving court expansion and reauthorizing voting rights have always been bipartisan, and they should remain so now. Your constituents favor the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and expect you to support its passage..

Script for Earl Blumenauer (OR-03)

Oregon office: 503-231-2300 | DC office: 202-225-4811

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].

I am calling to reiterate the urgent need to finish updating the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act to prevent its future evisceration by Jim Crow judges and to pass it as quickly as possible. Congress must remain in session until this work is done.

Script for Peter DeFazio (OR-04)

Eugene office: 541-465-6732 | DC office: 202-225-6416

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].

I am calling to reiterate the urgent need to finish updating the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act to prevent its future evisceration by Jim Crow judges and to pass it as quickly as possible. Congress must remain in session until this work is done.

Script for Kurt Schrader (OR-05)

Salem office: 503-588-9100 | DC office: 202-225-5711

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].

I am calling to reiterate the urgent need to finish updating the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act to prevent its future evisceration by Jim Crow judges and to pass it as quickly as possible. Congress must remain in session until this work is done.

3. Take Action

Join the Bentz Postcard Brigade Calling all ORD2 postcard writers: We need you to join our Bentz Accountability Team Postcard Brigade! From the COIN network - you will get a topic and talking points each Wednesday. You'll write one postcard each week to our congressman, Cliff Bentz, letting him know how we, his constituents, feel about that one issue. Sign up here.