If you’re planning to attend a Town Hall during the
Congressional Recess next week (Feb. 19 – 26), be sure to check out Indivisible’s
Reclaim
Recess Toolkit, where you’ll find a helpful video guide and reports on how
to hold a successful town hall, sample constituent questions, and actions plans
for ACA, SCOTUS, and the Executive Order targeting Muslims and Refugees.
Highlights of the meeting:
Constituents should speak at town
halls on topics that matter most to them. But our victories in changing the
narrative against this “existential threat” point to the power of applying the
same pressure at the same time. With
that in mind, Indivisible suggest that at next week’s town halls, constituents
make three defensive “asks”—ACA, Gorsich, and the Muslim/Refugee order—plus an
offensive ask regarding the need for POTUS to release his tax returns.
Indivisible recommends that local
groups assemble in a prearranged location a bit before the town hall begins in
order to review their strategy. (Watch for details from INCO about our pre-town
hall gathering.) At this time, leaders will remind everyone to sit in pairs or
very small groups, to maintain a posture of respect that reflects our values,
and to frame questions in ways that press for information and action. It’s good
for individuals to offer their stories and concerns to the press at the end of
the town hall, but there should be one designated press person to speak on
behalf of Indivisible, should those questions arise. (Press inquiries about
INCO should be directed to Laurie Caplan or Deb Vanasse).
Reportedly, over 200 MoCs are
avoiding town halls next week because they don’t want to face their
constituents. (Estimated only 50% are holding town halls, while 100 % are
holding fundraisers next week). In response to this, local groups should
organize their own town halls, invite their MoC and tell the press they’ve done
so, and when the MoC doesn’t show up, have a cardboard cutout and/or empty
chair to highlight that fact. Have backup speakers and let the story in the
press be how the MoC wouldn’t face constituents. There’s a resource in the Recess
Toolkit for taking such action.
Some MoC staffers are refusing to
share information with constituents about when and where town halls are
scheduled. There’s a crowdsourced tool with this information—Town
Hall Project.
Tele-town halls are a joke. Don’t
let reps get away with it. Greg Walden (OR-2) did this recently—4,000 on the
call and he took 10 questions, most likely preselected to be favorable rather
than confrontational. Stage a live town hall as described above.
Even if you agree with your MoC on
most issues, remember the power of both the carrot and the stick.
Ask pointed questions such as “How
many people in our district are covered by ACA insurance?” Don’t allow them to
dismiss you as “paid” plants or any other such nonsense. Remember that they
work for you.
There are now over 7,000 local
groups registered with Indivisible.
Individuals are encouraged to email
their personal stories on issues such as ACA to stories@indivisibleguide.com.
Local groups are strongly
encouraged to reach out to independents and Republicans who are alarmed by the
Trump agenda. Defending democracy is not a partisan issue.
Local groups are encouraged to
continue to build out, with the goal of diversity. An attack on one is an
attack on all.
We’re making a difference. We’ll
never have 100% success, but we’re in this for the long haul.
