Tell the President and your Members of Congress: Stand Together to Resist MAGA Extremism
Call BOTH of your Senators.
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Call Script
My name is __________. I am a constituent, and my zip code is _______. I am a member of Indivisible SF.
Thank you for standing strong and united in support of Rep. Jeffries against the MAGA Chaos Caucus during the vote for Speaker. The small band of right-wing extremists who now dominate House Republicans have made it clear they will use destructive temper-tantrums and political hostage-taking to ram through an anti-freedom, anti-people agenda that they cannot achieve through the democratic voting process. As our [senator | representative | president] we call on you to unite with your fellow Democrats to fiercely and adamantly defend the American people from ultra-right wing political extremism with all the means at your disposal. Do not sacrifice our freedoms or our interests in futile gestures of bipartisanship toward MAGA Republicans who have no sincere interest in it.
Background
Exactly what McCarthy promised the MAGA minority in order for him to ascend to his pinnacle of position is known only to him and the Chaos Caucus. Rumors, spin, lies, and guesses are all we have to work with. Below are quotes from a few of the more credible leaks along with our comments:
"House Republicans will adopt an FY24 budget resolution that balances w/in 10 years, includes long-term reforms to budget process and mandatory spending programs, and caps FY24 discretionary spending at enacted FY22 levels or lower" as well as capping discretionary spending where it was during the first fiscal year of the Biden administration.
["Mandatory spending programs" are entitlements like Medicare, Social Security, Medicaid, earned income and child tax credits. In MAGA-speak, "discretionary spending" means domestic safety net programs, it does NOT military spending.]
"We will not agree to a debt limit increase absent a discretionary budgetary agreement in line with the House-passed budget resolution or other commensurate fiscal reforms to reduce and cap the growth of spending." Prohibit consideration of any bill that has the net effect of increasing direct spending without greater or equal offsets.
[The current debt ceiling is going to be hit in mid-2023. If Democrats don't agree to slash domestic spending, the MAGA extremists will refuse to raise the ceiling. If the debt ceiling is not increased, the U.S. will default on its debts for the first time ever which will throw the global economy into chaos and recession. They intend to hold our economic security hostage to extortionate demands.]
"We will reject any negotiations with the Senate unless and until they pass appropriations bills of their own—and will reject any Senate-passed appropriations bills that do not comply with the House-passed budget resolution and reduce non-defense discretionary spending"
[In other words, they won't pass any Senate appropriations bills that fail to comply with their budget resolution and that Democrats must cave to their demands on spending levels. If Democrats refuse, they will force government shutdowns.]
Note, however, that McCarthy's promises to the Chaos Caucus are not legally binding on either him or House Republicans in general. If Republicans are made to feel political pain from being blamed for a shutdown or a potential debt default, they could throw McCarthy's promises out the window.
References
The deal that may make Kevin McCarthy speaker, explained, Vox, 1/6/23
Kevin McCarthy's Public Humiliation Is Good News For Biden, Oliver Willis, 1/5/2023
What Kevin McCarthy’s concessions to right-wingers would mean for a functioning Congress, Vox 1/5/23
Seven hard-line House Republicans lay out Speaker demands amid McCarthy opposition, The Hill 12/9/22
List of leaked McCarthy concessions Susan Ferrechio (Washington Times), 1/6/23Research Service, 11/8/22 (links to PDF file)