With the new Democratic House, we finally get to switch from defense to going on offense against Trump. Chapter 1 describes the new tools at our disposal.
With the majority in the House, Democrats now have “agenda-setting power.” This means they can choose what bills get a vote, but it doesn’t mean they can enact laws unilaterally. This section explains what this newfangled power is.
Now that House Democrats can determine which bills get votes, there are two big opportunities to go on legislative offense in 2019 and 2020:
Messaging bills: Democrats can put forward legislation in stark contrast with Trump’s agenda, setting the stage for enactment in 2021.
Must-pass bills: Some things (e.g. budgets) have to pass; otherwise the world goes to hell. Democrats now can influence what goes into those bills.
For two years, Trump has operated with zero oversight from the Republican Congress. That’s over. House Democrats now have many ways to hold Trump accountable: Subpoena power, investigatory power, congressional-hearings power, and more! This section describes what your representative can do. Giddyup — it’s gonna be a wild ride.
Republicans still control the Senate, and they’ll keep pushing Trump’s agenda. House Democrats will play a critical role in defending against further harm.
How Indivisible groups can push elected officials to use their new powers.
Members of Congress thrive on ambiguity. To get them to act, you need a specific, strategic, seeable “ask” for which you can hold them accountable.
This section describes three ways to organize locally and effectively:
Use these 7 advocacy tactics: District office visits, phone calls, earned media, town halls, statewide Indivisible statements, letters to the editor, and op-eds.
Build your local strength: Expand your local Indivisible group, coordinate with other Indivisibles, and form partnerships across the progressive movement.
Lean on Indivisible National: We’re here to help. Find out about our resources and how we can help boost your power locally.
Indivisible on Offense: A Practical Guide to the New, Democratic House by Indivisible Project is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.