““Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.””
— William James

Lizzy’s List: Focus on Washington

Many of us are feeling overwhelmed by the flood of dangerous, illegal, and harmful acts of this administration. But many of us also want to know: what can we do to fight back? My goal is to do the work to bring background and ideas to one place so all of us take action, because together it matters. Please share this page with friends and family, especially those in red states where their pressure on elected officials could matter even more. —Lizzy

Actions

WHAT TO DO NOW: Much of what we can do as citizens will be the same week to week – stay informed, show up for protests, call your elected officials, and talk to your friends and neighbors about what's happening and why it matters to us. 

MARCH! 

  • May 1 is International Workers Day, and many organizations are planning actions to celebrate that day and protest this administration. 

    • 50501 Vermont is hosting a rally in Montpelier on the Statehouse lawn, with live music, food from People’s Kitchen, and speakers form labor unions and legislative allies. Join them from 4:30pm to 7pm in Montpelier! 

    • Indivisible Brandon is hosting a May 1 rally from 4 to 6 pm at town center to protest the illegal dismantling of the federal government and trampling of due process. 

  • May 3 is the Vermont Lawyers March in Support of the Rule of Law. Rochester Dems’ own Lizzy Shackelford will be the concluding speaker of the event, which will begin at the Chittenden Superior Court at 175 Main St. at noon and will proceed to march to the Federal Courthouse at Elmwood Avenue. Please join us! 

We can all play a role in interrupting the dishonest Republican narrative:

  • TALK to your friends, family, and neighbors about the injustice of these detentions without due process and why these threats to immigrants ultimately threaten our rights and freedom as well. 

  • ENGAGE ON SOCIAL MEDIA sharing articles and updates about the legal efforts to defend due process, and about the Trump administration’s unlawful and dishonest efforts to undermine it. 

  • WRITE opeds and letters to the editor in your local newspapers and other outlets to help counteract the disinformation being pushed out by the Republican Party and this administration. 

Resources


Power of the Purse

Download the Goods Unite Us app (iOS Link, Android Link, Goods Unite Us website) so you can identify companies that support Trump's agenda and ensure your dollars support your values. Goods Unite Us tracks political donations by companies and their leadership.

  • Here are just a few major brands that support Trump: ACE Hardware, Auto Zone, Land o Lakes, McDonalds, Smucker's, Walmart.

  • Here are some of the companies that have abandoned their DEI initiatives or targets since Trump took office: McDonald’s, Walmart, Molson Coors, Lowe’s, Ford, Jack Daniels, Harley Davidson, John Deere, Paramount, Bank of America, Citigroup, Pepsi, JPMorgan Chase, Disney, GM, PayPal, GE, Chipotle, Target, Amazon, Meta, and Comcast.

  • Companies that have not backed down from DEI policies include: Costco, Apple, Delta Airlines, Coca-Cola.


Current Issues by State


Percentage of state revenue from federal funds. This article shows how much of each state's revenue comes from federal grants and could be impacted if all federal funds are frozen or drastically reduced. Scroll to the middle of the article for percentages by state.  

USAID agricultural ties by state. Many people think cuts to USAID will only be felt internationally. This is false: USAID supplies $28.9 billion to U.S.-based organizations. This Google Doc lists the impacts by state.

Civilian federal employees by state (see pp 2-3).

National Institute of Health (NIH) grants by state and United for Medical Research.

U.S. military veterans by state.

Active duty military troops by state.


How to Pressure Congress

GUIDANCE for calling your elected representatives:

Whatever state you’re in, your elected leaders have some power. Democratic elected leaders can speak out, pressure their Republican colleagues, and refuse to act as though this is “business as usual.” Senators, in particular, have many tools to obstruct and slow down Trump’s agenda. Republicans can actually stop this, so please share this with fellow citizens in Red states.

Some pointers:

  • Calls have more impact than emails. Be sure to call both the Washington, DC, and home state office (numbers will be available on their websites).

  • Tell them who you are and where you’re from. If you only get a voicemail, leave a message.

  • Make it personal and specific—what are you calling about, why it matters, and ask them directly for a response.

Example Scripts:

  • I’m calling about the huge DOGE cuts to federal service. My local hospital relies on federal funding, I’m worried it will close. What are you doing about this?

  • I’m calling about layoffs at FEMA. FEMA relief was essential to us after XX disaster. What are you doing about this?

  • I’m calling about the layoffs at the National Park Service. My business relies on tourism that will be hit by the gutting of the NPS. What are you doing about this?

Contact Info

Share these links with out-of-state friends and family:

  • Find your U.S. Congressional Representative by zip code here.

  • Find your Senator by state here.

For Vermonters:

Who is Lizzy? Lizzy is an active member of Lean Left VT, chair of the Rochester Town Democratic Committee, and a former career US diplomat who served in Poland, South Sudan, Somalia, and Washington, DC.