Thread by @IndivisibleTeam

We are living through a time of national trauma that demands empathy and expertise and rapid response. But right now, @senatemajldr is musing aloud that it'd be fine for state and localities to go bankrupt and Trump is holding pressers suggesting people ingest bleach. /THREAD

We've got one party that controls the presidency and the Senate, with no compassion for human suffering and no basic competence. That's why we *need* @HouseDemocrats to fight -- as they fought back against TrumpCare and the #TrumpTaxScam in 2017.

You helped build the largest midterm margins in American history in 2018 precisely to give Democrats this power to negotiate in times like this. And we're hearing from folks across the country that they want Dems to lead.

So far, Democrats in the House have been too quick to go along with McConnell's Senate. They tell all the people who are hurting to wait for "next time." The next package. And the next.

The COVID-3 package that passed out of the Senate was $2 trillion, disproportionately for rich people and big business. Normal people are getting a pathetic one-time check - a bandaid on a gaping hole blown in the economy by @realDonaldTrump's incompetent response to the crisis.

Then we got COVID-3.5. It was a half-trillon dollar package mostly for a small business loan program that gave money to Ruth's Chris Steakhouse while shutting out mom and pop stores. Applebees doesn't need a bailout right now - people living in America do. wsj.com/articles/ruths…

We don't lack big ideas in the House. @RepJayapal has the Paycheck Guarantee bill, which offers a universal response to a universal crisis rather than pitting employers against one another. vox.com/2020/4/10/2121…

.@RepRoKhanna has the Essential Worker Bill of Rights, which would provide basic health and safety standards, ensure compensation better matches risk, and hold corporations accountable for meeting their obligations to essential workers. washingtonpost.com/business/2020/…

Others are proposing reforms to protect our elections and fund nationwide vote by mail, to avoid replaying on a nationwide scale in November the human and democratic catastrophe that played out in Wisconsin earlier this month. slate.com/news-and-polit…

These ideas are the right ideas. And they have popular support. And they *must* be included in a House-passed COVID-4 package. dataforprogress.org/memos/put-peop…

We need all members of Congress to draw a clear line in the sand and take the #PeoplesAgendaPledge to vote NO on the next package unless at the very least it:
1. Keeps people on payrolls
2. Provides financial relief for PEOPLE
3. Protects public health
4. Defends our democracy

And we have to ensure that all of these protections extend to every person in this country, regardless of immigration status, age, or disability. Period.

That's where you come in.

Go to PeoplesAgendaPledge.org and take the pledge yourself -- tell us you're going to fight with us for real relief.

Make a call to your member of Congress today and ask them to take the pledge to vote no on the next package unless it does these four things we mentioned above. indivisible.org/tell-your-repr…

When you've hung up the phone, follow-up with an email to your representative. act.newmode.net/action/indivis…

Email sent? Use this tool to tweet at them for good measure (we're hearing that social media is a more effective tool to engage with your members of Congress right now than usual). act.newmode.net/action/indivis…

Then make your voice heard by recording a video. Say your name, where you're from, and that you demand your Rep take the #PeoplesAgendaPledge to vote no on the next package unless it means relief for all people. Upload it to social and tag them. bit.ly/peoplesagendap…

If you get a commitment, let us know. We'll be tracking the People's Agenda champions and keeping folks updated on whether or not their representative is willing to propose the kind of policy solutions necessary to deal with a crisis of this magnitude.