The trick with must-pass bills is members of Congress (MoCs) can use them as an opportunity to attach policy changes, even if those policies would be difficult to pass on their own. The thinking is, if members can manage to get their policy priority into the must-pass bill, other MoCs will have to support it because they want to avoid a shutdown.
You’re not on your own here. The Indivisible team is creating new tools to help you coordinate with your local groups, and we’re available to help make connections and answer question. Here are some of the key resources for coordination.
The fact that Trump’s agenda depends on MoCs gives a constituents a ton of power when they act on their home turf—and that means college students too. MoCs love making speeches to big crowds, they are constantly trying to convince people to vote for them in their next election, and they desperately seek people who will help knock on doors and make calls for them. Yes, this applies to residents of the district, but it applies to students in the district too.
There’s no right number of participants for your first meeting. It might be you and your roommates in the living room or it might be you and a few dozen other activists. Get started today and let your group grow to match your ambition!
Now that you have a group of energized, dedicated friends ready to stand Indivisible against Trump, you’ll want to make sure that your first event is a success. It may be a visit to your MoC’s local office, a group-wide appearance at their next town hall, or a surprise appearance at one of their upcoming public events.
Now that you have a group of energized, dedicated friends ready to stand Indivisible against Trump, you’ll want to make sure that your first event is a success. It may be a visit to your MoC’s local office, a group-wide appearance at their next town hall, or a surprise appearance at one of their upcoming public events.
You have the most leverage when you’re talking to MOCs about an issue that’s currently moving across their desks. Congressional staff regularly take meetings with folks who want to talk about stuff that’s happening in a month or next year. But a typical staffer isn’t thinking far beyond today.