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HBD

The birthday present I'm asking for: dig deep into your energy reserves and make some noise for democracy this week and next.
Published onJan 06, 2022
HBD

Until last year, the most significant thing associated with my birthday was Epiphany, which is traditionally feted with a cake with a toy baby inside. Well, it turns out that this year is, as folks say, my Jesus year. As a present, I’m hoping for something of a miracle.

It appears that the the democracy (and therefore filibuster) reform showdown we’ve all been waiting for may be coming in the next two weeks. It’s true, we’ve been Lucy’d before, and that could certainly happen again. And it’s also true that a few bills won’t even come close to solving our problems. But they would sure help a lot. And apparently Manchin is actually talking, Sinema isn’t saying no, and, well, if it’s gonna happen, this is probably when it will.

And there’s probably still something we can do to increase the likelihood of it happening. What, you ask? Truthfully, I’m exhausted, so I’ll let Indivisible’s monthly newsletter do most of the rest of the talking:

What we know: A vote is coming and McConnell isn’t happy. We now know two important things. First, we know that there will be a vote on filibuster reform on or before MLK Day, January 17th. I’m not reading between the lines here -- the Senate Majority Leader was explicit in that letter: “The Senate will debate and consider changes to Senate [filibuster] rules on or before January 17th.” You can’t get clearer than that -- a vote is coming, and soon.

What we can do to affect the outcome: make some noise. Senate Democrats are using this week, including tomorrow’s anniversary of the attack on the Capitol, to build the case for democracy reform. In the lead-up to MLK Day, we will then see plans to bring a filibuster reform proposal to the floor for a vote. So this is the time for all of us to amp up public pressure, make some noise, and get attention however makes sense in your own community. The goal is to make sure the media and political ecosystems understand there is public demand for filibuster reform.

So, if you want to get me a birthday present this year, please consider, as the kids say, making some motherfucking noise. Call and write your Senators now and tomorrow and the next day and demand they support filibuster and democracy reform. Show up to a Jan 6 vigil in my honor (you can likely find one near you on Mobilize). Attend or organize an MLK Day rally near you. Whatever you can muster, I’ll take it gladly.

Thanks, as always, for being part of my life.

(If you can/want to spend money on me, please give to my local mutual aid network, which directly helps out thousands of my neighbors every month.)

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