Indivisible on Offense: Summary

Chapter 1: New Congress, New Indivisible Strategy

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.

Section 1: What’s This New “Agenda-Setting Power” Thing?

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.

Section 2: Legislative Offense

Now that House Democrats can determine which bills get votes, there are two big opportunities to go on legislative offense in 2019 and 2020:

1. Messaging bills: Democrats can put forward legislation in stark contrast with Trump’s agenda, setting the stage for enactment in 2021.

2. 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.

Section 3: Offense Through Oversight and Investigations

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.

Section 4: Don’t Forget About Defense

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.

Chapter 2: Implementing the New Strategy Locally

How Indivisible groups can push elected officials to use their new powers.

Section 1: Make Good “Asks” to Make Your MoC Act

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.

Section 2: Organize Locally Using Tactics That Work

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.