Our fight for democracy is not about who you voted for - it's about who gets to live with dignity.
Right now, greedy oligarchs think our destiny is in their hands: democracy is just another toy their billions can buy, and there’s no politician or public institution they can’t bend to serve their will. They want to dismantle our democratic institutions as fast as they can, so the harm is done before the people who will suffer most - you and me - have time to respond.
Progressives, whether in Congress, philanthropy or in organizations, have been slow to react: some are still grappling with a mix of shock, anger, and disbelief. Among the broader public, a sense of fear and frustration is setting in. Most still don’t understand the scope of the destruction underway, or are simply ignoring it, hoping it won’t touch them or their loved ones.
This is all about to change. The harms caused by these deep cuts to essential services affect so many of us, in all walks of life, that constituents’ anger is starting to boil over. For many Americans, it has never been more clear this is a fight between the very richest of the rich - the top 1 percent, who control twelve times as much wealth as the bottom half - and the rest of us. It’s not about left or right: it’s about who gets to live with dignity,
WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 26: Hannah Peterson speaks as People's Action's "Take Back Our Money Tour" pits working people against corporations and billionaires in tax and budget on February 26, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images for People's Action Institute)
So People’s Action is stepping up, and stepping in to help build a new resistance - we won’t wait on the sidelines while our members’ families and communities get hurt. Grassroots leaders can shift quickly into action when they see new opportunities: that’s why we just brought People’s Action members from 60 Congressional districts to Washington to tell lawmakers directly why they should vote against these cuts. And as Members of Congress return home to their districts, we’ll be there, too - so they hear loud and clear they must work for us, not the greedy few.
The oligarchs underestimate the resolve of these millions of people - We The People - from every background, who rely on essential programs like the Veterans Administration, Social Security, SNAP, Medicare and Medicaid. No one, no matter who we voted for, wants to see grandmas forced onto the street, schools without books or teachers, or babies who die because hospitals are closed. Yet all of this will happen if the greedy few get their way and these cuts take effect.
We do have the power to stop this, but only if we organize. That’s why People’s Action, through our Organizing Revival, is making big bets on the power of organized people.
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- We’re ramping up to reach the millions of people whose lives are at stake right now. We’re strengthening our national network of state and local organizations with expanded training programs to empower thousands of effective organizers across the country. These are the people who will defend our rights and resources in every state house across the country, and who will go on to train more organizers.
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- We are reaching out to more people. Right now, through our Deep Canvass Institute, our volunteers are following up with all of the half a million people we spoke with last year, and we are reaching out to even more. We know that more than a third of voters stayed home in the last election. If we can move even a fraction of these, which Deep Canvassing has proven it can do, we can turn the tide back from this dark moment. Every one of our thousands of volunteers is trained in Deep Canvass, a technique which has proven its ability to build bridges across the deepest divisions in our society and create common ground.
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- We’re also looking ahead. In states, we are implementing a powerbuilding strategy that will enable groups to turn the tide by forming smart and effective coalitions on the ground. We already see the first fruits of this strategy: last November, despite defeats at the national level, we saw voters step up in states across the country to defend working people in Red and Blue districts.
Building power through the Organizing Revival means a strong plan for engagement, year in and year out, which we support with a continuous national volunteer program. We will also be more powerful when we strengthen and deepen our racial and gender justice analysis and practice.
The economic pain the multiracial working class is experiencing is real - so we must help them make meaning of this moment, expose the power big corporations and oligarchs have in our society and point towards real, bold, and common-sense solutions for everyone who works for a living.
Millions of people are starting to push back, and People’s Action is ready to help them channel this anger and frustration into effective ways to preserve and strengthen our democracy. We can show people ways they can engage and find a new sense of community at the state and local levels, as well as in a national strategy to defend and expand the programs we all rely on.
The stakes could not be higher. The longer we wait, the more harm that will be done. Lives will be lost. And as People’s Action, we will not wait: we are ready to go on the offense.
To meet this moment, we need every one of you. We need you to join efforts where you live, so every lawmaker knows our health, homes and schools are not for sale, and we will not let billionaires break apart our democracy for their own benefit.
And we need your support. Organizing people takes organized resources, which means money. That’s why I’m asking every one of you to give what you can - no matter the amount - to show you you are all in with us to defend our democracy, our families, and our values.
We are not blind to the seriousness of the challenges ahead. Yet we believe that as organized people, we do have the power. So do not let the enemies of democracy make you feel afraid or alone. We can do this, together, but we need your support.
