Dear MoveOn member,
It's a new year. And it's not just any new year—it's 2020, the year we will come together to defeat Donald Trump at the ballot box, build a progressive majority in the House and Senate, and pave the path for our country to embrace a more inclusive, hopeful, and caring governing agenda.
Millions of you have been taking action since Trump's election in 2016—to protect this country that we love so dearly from his destructive policies and hateful rhetoric.
But make no mistake, this is the moment that our movement has been waiting for. And before we dive into the biggest election effort in MoveOn's 22-year history, it's worth taking a few minutes to reflect on—and appreciate—all that we've accomplished together in 2019.
MoveOn Political Action's 2019 election achievements:
We began 2019 standing side by side as a new Congress was sworn in, celebrating the most diverse House in history, filled with progressive champions whom MoveOn members endorsed and worked hard to elect in 2018.
MoveOn members and MoveOn Political Action are pushing the Democratic presidential field to embrace bold, progressive ideas and understand that the way to win the nomination—and the general election—is to motivate the electorate with a big, aspirational vision that tackles economic and racial injustices.
- In March, MoveOn members pressured Democratic candidates to skip the AIPAC conference, hosted by a right-wing, anti-diplomacy lobbying group that holds too much sway over American foreign policy.
- In June, we hosted the Big Ideas Forum—one of the first forums featuring the top-tier presidential candidates.
- In September, we worked with the Youth Climate Strike to call on the Democratic Party to host a climate debate and get Democratic candidates on the record supporting this demand.
- And in October, MoveOn members donated more than $50,000 to Fair Fight Action, the political action committee started by Stacey Abrams to ensure voting rights are protected.
MoveOn Civic Action's 2019 advocacy achievements:
Three years ago, the Trump administration unleashed a hateful and harmful governing strategy that has wreaked havoc on our society and created so much pain in this country, especially for immigrants, people of color, and other marginalized communities.
From demonizing and attacking asylum-seekers and refugees, to repeated attempts to gut the Affordable Care Act, to weaponizing anti-semitism and inciting Islamophobia to pit Americans against one another, to refusing to take up gun violence prevention legislation because it's beholden to the NRA, to pilfering our congressional budget to build a vanity wall at the southern border, this administration has no shame. And Republicans in Congress have not only been complicit but have gleefully piled on, waging their own campaigns of hate and destruction.
But MoveOn members and MoveOn Civic Action have fought back. And that work has made a difference. We ended the year with Trump's impeachment—a critical achievement to help check his rampant abuses of power.
In 2019, MoveOn members continued to advocate for Medicare for All, the Green New Deal, a wealth tax, and other progressive economic ideas that would limit the power of billionaires and corporations.
Impeachment. At the start of the year, MoveOn members stood with the few members of Congress courageous enough to call for Trump's impeachment. We kept up the pressure, demanding the release of the Mueller report, decrying Trump's ongoing abuses and obstruction, and, ultimately, pushing Congress, one representative at a time, to hold Trump accountable. And on December 18, the House impeached Trump, making him only the third president to be impeached in U.S. history.
- In April, MoveOn members protested at more than 300 Release the Report events in 44 states, demanding that Attorney General William Barr immediately release the full Mueller report and supporting evidence.
- In May, MoveOn Civic Action joined with coalition partners to organize the largest petition delivery in U.S. history, delivering 10 million signatures calling for impeachment.
- In June, during the first national day of action for impeachment, thousands of people rallied at more than 140 events.
- MoveOn members made more than 100,000 phone calls to Congress on impeachment, and MoveOn Civic Action produced videos on impeachment that were seen more than 5 million times.
- MoveOn members donated tens of thousands of dollars to the Whistleblower Protection Fund after Trump and his allies threatened the Ukraine scandal whistleblower with death.
- And on the night before the House impeachment vote, the Nobody Is Above the Law network hosted 600 protests across the country.
Standing with immigrants against Trump's vicious agenda. While Trump, his administration, and Republicans in Congress have vilified and assaulted immigrants, MoveOn has followed the lead of immigrant-led groups to fight for a society that respects the dignity and rights of immigrants and refugees.
- When Trump started the year by shutting down the government over his demand to build his racist, wasteful wall, MoveOn members fought for immigrants and workers and urged Democrats not to cave in to Trump's demands.
- MoveOn organized more than 200 Presidents Day protests against Trump's illegal power grab, when he declared a fake national emergency.
- MoveOn members gave more than $68,000 dollars to pay renewal fees for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients and $148,620 to the Texas Civil Rights Project, which provides legal support and direct services to immigrants under attack by Trump's vicious policies.
- In June, the House passed the Dream Act—giving hope to millions of aspiring citizens. We now wait for Mitch McConnell's do-nothing Senate to take up this popular, bipartisan measure.
- And in July, MoveOn hosted more than 140 Close the Camps events to protest the treatment of immigrant children, as reports came out about kids being detained in cages.
Climate. While youth activists have helped push the climate crisis into the headlines and the political debate, MoveOn has brought our energy, membership, and resources to this movement.
- We joined the global climate strike in September, marching at protests across the country.
- And we amplified the demand for a Green New Deal with phone calls, petitions, and videos throughout the year.
Gun violence. The epidemic of gun violence hasn't subsided—but the movement to take on the NRA and its Republican puppets has continued to grow.
- Following the El Paso, TX, shooting and other high-profile massacres, MoveOn members funded billboards to demand Republicans, including McConnell, stand up against gun violence and racism-fueled attacks.
- MoveOn Civic Action joined the Walmart Must Act coalition, which pushed Walmart to change policies regarding guns and ammunition sold at its stores.
- And MoveOn members supported House Democrats when they passed critical gun violence legislation—popular solutions that McConnell refuses to address in the Senate.
Reproductive justice. After a series of abortion bans around the country, MoveOn members stood up for reproductive rights and to help the organizations that provide abortion services and support for reproductive health.
- MoveOn Civic Action joined NARAL, Planned Parenthood Action Fund, and other partner organizations at more than 300 #StopTheBans actions across the country to say no to abortion bans.
- MoveOn members gave $208,715 dollars to the Yellowhammer Fund, which provides support for people seeking abortions in Alabama and $183,000 to the Gateway Women's Access Fund, which provides support for people seeking abortions in Missouri.
- And, following cuts to Planned Parenthood funding, MoveOn members donated $250,000 dollars so that Planned Parenthood could continue its critical work.
9/11 first responders. For years, Republicans blocked permanent funding to support those who have suffered from health complications from the 9/11 terrorist attacks. But in 2019, we had a huge victory.
- 248,913 MoveOn members signed Jon Stewart's petition calling on Congress to take action to help 9/11 first responders.
- We produced videos with Stewart and the FealGood Foundation, which fights for the rights of first responders.
- MoveOn members donated more than $183,000 to help first responders experiencing health complications.
- And after all of our hard work together, Congress passed into law permanent funding for first responders.
Disaster relief. In times of crisis, MoveOn members dug deep to help out.
- After the hurricane in the Bahamas, MoveOn members donated $219,480 to the World Central Kitchen, which was providing meals in ravaged areas.
- And MoveOn members flooded Congress with phone calls, demanding that the U.S. issue emergency visas to Bahamians.
MoveOn members did all of this—and more.
We aren't pretending that we won it all. This is a dire political climate: From the economy, to racist violence, to international conflict, to the climate crisis, we are confronting challenges that can't be resolved in a single year or with a single campaign.
But that's why MoveOn and our millions of members are in it for the long haul, and we are so grateful for your commitment. Thank you for all you did to help us make the impact we made in 2019. Onward to 2020!
Thanks for all you do.
–Rahna and the rest of the team
Want to help MoveOn win more victories in 2020? Mitch McConnell's Senate seat and the GOP's control of the Senate have never been more vulnerable than they are right now, but we still face one big problem: McConnell's home state of Kentucky—plus other critical Senate states, Colorado and Maine—are not key battleground states in the 2020 presidential election. That means we need to raise enough money to fund an entire additional Senate election operation on top of everything we're doing to beat Donald Trump, without making any cuts to our other critical work. Will you start a monthly donation to help us defeat McConnell and flip control of the Senate in 2020—without pulling any crucial resources out of our fight to defeat Donald Trump?
No, I'm sorry, I can't make a monthly donation.
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