Volume I, Issue 27 The Newsletter of Minuteman Indivisible Lexington September 21, 2017
Muster (verb) – assemble, especially for inspection or preparation for battle
All Hands on Deck - Healthcare Threatened Again!
Zombie TrumpCare is back and we don’t have a lot of time to stop it.The latest bill (“Graham-Cassidy”) is just the Senate’s latest version of TrumpCare by another name: it destroys Medicaid, hurts those with pre-existing conditions, attacks women’s health, takes away basic coverage for opioid addiction treatment, and much, much more. Mitch McConnell is moving the bill quickly…he's planned a vote for next week. The Senate has to vote by September 30th to avoid a filibuster and he’s almost got the votes!
YOU CANDO SOMETHING! PHONE OR TEXT TO RED STATES
The vote is going to come down again, as it did last time, to a few key GOP senators. Fortunately, there IS something we can do from here in Massachusetts. Indivisible has set up a phone system where we can make phone calls to progressive voters in those few key states, ask them to call their Senators, and if they agree, we can connect them through to the District Office of their Senator.
This is absolutely THE most important thing we can be doing right now, and it's a great way to do something that really will make a difference. Our members used this tool to make calls during the healthcare battle in July and found it easy, effective, and rewarding! All the information you need to get started is posted here.
Do you prefer to text? Several people have reported good results using the Move-on Texting program doing pretty much the same thing, but with texting messages to people in Red States rather than calling. If that is more your speed, here is the link: MoveOn Text to Defeat Trumpcare
Need a little more information about the bill to feel comfortable making calls. Here's a quick summary:
Want even more information? Indivisible has all the resources you need to #KilltheBill
Want to do more? This bill is especially bad for Massachusetts because it redirects funds away from states like ours that expanded Medicaid. We could lose over $5 BILLION by 2026 and even more than that in 2027 when Block Grants end! No wonder Gov. Baker signed a bipartisan letter along with many other Governors urging the Senate to abandon this bill and pursue bipartisan efforts to "make healthcare more available and affordable for all Americans." Contact the Governor to thank him and urge him to do everything he can over the next week to stop this bill.
Finally, please take a moment to call Senators Warren and Markey to thank them for their tireless efforts to stop Trumpcare. They tally every call and use the stories you share to try and convince their colleagues to oppose this bill.
Things are moving rapidly, so check our website and twitter feed for important updates and new actions you can take to #ProtectOurCare.
You’ve fought TrumpCare from the beginning, but now it’s really time to turn up the heat. Republicans know that constituents don’t want TrumpCare to pass which is why they’re trying to pass this bill with as little attention as possible. With your help, we won't let them get away with it.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Healthcare is going to be an important focus for the rest of September, but please mark your calendars for two very important MI events happening during the first week of October.
Healthcare in America - What's Next?
We’re excited to announce we’ll be sponsoring a forum on Single Payer Healthcare in conjunction with Harvard Medicine Indivisible on Monday, October 2nd from 7-9pm at the First Parish Church, 7 Harrington Road, Lexington.We've lined up an exciting panel of speakers and hope you'll come, ask questions, and participate in a lively discussion. More details, including the list of speakers, is available on our website.
General Membership Meeting
We’re thrilled that our new State Senator Cindy Friedman has agreed to speak at our fall General Membership meeting which will be held on Thursday, October 5th at the Lexington Community Center. We'll be holding a social hour from 5:30 - 6:30, then Senator Friedman will speak and answer questions, including about issues related to healthcare. The meeting will conclude with an update on our activities and plans. Please plan to join us and bring a friend!
UPCOMING MI TEAM MEETINGS
Elections Team Meeting Wednesday, September 27th 7:15-8:45PM Lexington Community Center
Join us as we participate in a Skype call with Jim Thompson, who came close to pulling off an upset in the special election in Kansas CD04 last spring, and who is running again for the same seat in 2018.
Democracy Team Meeting Tuesday, October 10th 7:15-8:45PM Lexington Community Center
Join us as we discuss the latest about RussiaGate, Immigrant Rights, and social justice issues. Help us plan our actions for the coming month.
Save the Date! Breakfast with Chrissy Houlahan Friday, October 27th 8:00-10:00AM
The elections team is hosting Chrissy Houlahan, Candidate for US House for PA 6. Chrissy is endorsed by Seth Moulton, DCCC and Emily's List. She is also one of the four candidates the elections team has selected for our support. Come meet her and contribute to the effort. For more information about the event, email the elections team: elections@minutemanindivisible.org. For more about Chrissy Houlahan check out the Emily's List writeup.
GET INVOLVED
Learn More about MI Teams
Are you new to Minuteman Indivisible? While it is not required, one of the best ways to get involved is to join one or more of our teams! (See our website for more information on the teams.) If you'd like to contact one of our team leaders, their contact emails are below. (Although many teams have more than one team leader, for simplicity's sake, we list just one contact point.)
We the peopleof Minuteman Indivisible unite to uphold the rights and dignity of all people. Our mission is to exercise and defend our Constitutional rights and democratic institutions. Our principles are informed by our humanitarian values and respect for well-established scientific knowledge and governance expertise.
