Democratic Committees Letter to MA Delegation

 

To the Massachusetts Congressional Delegation:

We write on behalf of our Democratic Ward and Town Committees to urge you to take concrete action to stop Elon Musk, Donald Trump, and the Republican Party from raiding and pillaging our commons. House and Senate Republicans have given no indication that they are up to the task of holding their own party leaders accountable. It is therefore up to Democrats in Congress to save our democracy and our federal government. Unfortunately, thus far Democratic party leadership in Congress has utterly failed to meet the moment. The “strategy” of letting the GOP destroy our society and then hoping for the best in the 2026 midterms is not only immoral, it is bad politics. In order to win elections you have to give people something to vote for, which means you have to fight. 

Contrary to Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s lies, no one in this country voted to abolish Medicaid or Social Security. No one voted to abolish Veterans Affairs. No one voted to eliminate cancer research. No one voted to give Elon Musk’s teenaged hackers the keys to our government’s digital systems. No one voted to allow timber companies to strip the National Parks. Donald Trump explicitly distanced himself from Project 2025 on the campaign trail precisely because the policies contained therein are so politically toxic that even the most die-hard MAGA supporters reject them. As is so often the case when he opens his mouth, Donald Trump lied; he and his administration are now implementing Project 2025 at a breakneck speed. 

Some have compared what’s happening in Washington today to Hitler’s rise to power. But it just as much resembles what the Russian oligarchs did to that country in the late 1990s and early 2000s. We are witnessing a vast crime, the theft of the American government. Once they’re done raiding our government the billionaires and their cronies will buy it back at a discount and then price gouge the American people for the services we have come to rely on and expect—services we paid for with our tax dollars. You cannot allow them to do this. We insist that you mobilize to stop them.

How? By blocking them at every turn, using every tool, rule, and procedure at your disposal. 

1. Organize the Democrats in the Senate to replace Minority Leader Chuck Schumer with someone who will fight to save our democracy. Leader Schumer’s strategy, articulated in an interview with the New York Times, is to withhold any meaningful opposition until Trump’s approval rating hits 40 percent, at which point Schumer believes some Republican Senators will begin to break with the President and work with the Senate Democrats to restore the rule of law. This is a fantasy. GOP Senators have stood by and allowed Trump to humiliate US allies, put dangerous charlatans in charge of important government institutions, and give Elon Musk the keys to the federal government. When given the opportunity to put Trump in the rear view mirror, Senate Republicans declined to vote to impeach him. They have given no indication, either through their actions or their words, that they intend to hold Trump accountable. The Senate needs a leader who will fight back. Schumer is not that person.

2. Withhold unanimous consent in the Senate. Do not allow the Senate to continue going about business as usual while Congressional Republicans stand by and allow their party leader, Donald Trump, to violate the constitution by exercising authority that belongs to Congress. This is an emergency but you are not acting like it. Act like it by grinding Senate business to a halt. 

3. Invoke quorum calls in the Senate every time Republicans try to do anything. Stand up for your constituents and your country by using the power of the Senate rules to stop Republicans in their tracks. Make them work for every inch.

4. Defend oppressed people and show leadership! Throwing trans people and immigrants under the bus might seem like a strategic play but it is politically misguided and immoral. People generally follow their leaders. As Governor Andy Beshear has shown time and time again, it is fully possible to be a vocal, unflinching supporter of trans rights and also win elections, even in purple districts. People around the country were inspired by Mayor Michelle Wu’s performance in front of the House Oversight Committee precisely because she did not equivocate or back down from Boston’s defense of our immigrant communities. Lead with your values and your community and voters will support you. People are looking for courageous, bold leadership right now, not collaborationism. If you abandon trans people, immigrants, or other oppressed groups because you are afraid of the right-wing hate machine, you are sending the signal that you will abandon any of your constituents if that machine sets its sights on them. Inspire your constituents to love their neighbors and you will reap political rewards.

5. Organize a road show to competitive GOP House and Senate districts. The GOP cannot defend what Trump and Musk are doing right now because there is no defense of their behavior. But because of our fractured and partisan media environment, many voters simply do not know what is happening. House and Senate Democrats must take the reality to the opposition’s districts. Work with local Democrats in competitive districts in other states to organize opposition town halls where you inform local residents about everything Musk and Trump are doing to destroy our government and society. You must find ways to speak directly to these voters or our message will not get through to them.

6. Work with other Democrats to create a “Shadow Cabinet” that can respond to Trump/Musk policies in real time. Publish a consistent, daily public briefing that outlines two or three of the administration’s actions each day, explaining what the actions do; how they will impact people; what steps you and/or other Democrats are taking to reverse them; and what people can do to fight back. To do this effectively, you need a spokesperson who is a gifted communicator. Subject matter experts can advise on specific aspects of the Trump/Musk policies. This group should not necessarily be drawn from Congress, but rather from academia, civil society, state and local government, and the ranks of former cabinet members and other high-level officials. This briefing should take place consistently and be broadcast on all available channels. The press should also be engaged, but it is more important that someone with strong communication skills is speaking directly to your most valuable asset in this fight—the American people.

No one will step up in your place. You must rise to the occasion now, before it’s too late. You ran for office because you wanted to lead; now you must do it. Your job is to represent us. Please do it by stopping this disastrous regime from destroying our society.

Thank you.