Democracy Winters

04/07/2026

The President of the United States is threatening to bomb civilians in Iran. These would be war crimes. And Congress needs to hear from you right now.

Call your congressional representatives and tell them to contact the Joint Chiefs of Staff and make clear that carrying out these orders would constitute a war crime. Call before 5 PM tonight.

Call script: “Hi, my name is [NAME] and I’m a constituent from [CITY, ZIP].
I'm calling to express my deep concern about Trump's genocidal threat to obliterate Iran. I ask that [REP/SEN NAME] return from recess and use every tool possible to stop Trump from committing war crimes and unilaterally launching us into a nuclear war.
I also ask that [REP/SEN NAME] move to impeach Trump for repeatedly defying the law and endangering the American people.
Thank you for your time and consideration.”
IF LEAVING VOICEMAIL: Please leave your full street address to ensure your call is tallied.

Congressman Mike Thompson: (202) 225-3311, (530) 753-5301
Senator Alex Padilla: (202) 224-3553, (916) 448-2787
Senator Adam Schiff: (202) 224-3841, (415) 393-0707

01/28/2026

Following widespread violence, including killings and abductions, perpetrated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Customs and Border Protection, and other Department of Homeland Security agencies, lack of accountability, and bald-faced lies about the killings of American citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, calls for DHS Secretary Kristi Noem to be fired or be impeached are growing to a roar.

Congressman Mike Thompson will be hosting a Fire Noem rally at Heritage Plaza in Woodland (intersection of Second and Main next to the Woodland Opera House) on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. Democracy Winters will be participating, and we hope you will be in the DW contingent. See our newsletter for carpooling information.

Large numbers of protests and protesters will drive the narrative and help convince other legislators to sign on, and maybe even nudge the president toward firing Noem. Your participation helps increase momentum.

We’re at a crucial moment. If you’re waiting for a sign of when to reschedule things to go to a protest, consider this the sign.

We look forward to seeing you Wednesday.

Image description: A flyer with bold, all-caps red letters on a white background reads, "Fire Noem Day of Action, Heritage Plaza, Woodland, CA, Wednesday, Jan. 28, 5:30 PM" and has Rep. Thompson's logo at the bottom.

10/07/2025

Are you ready to vote on (or before) November 4? You can Zoom into this webinar with our Secretary of State today (Oct. 7) at noon to learn about your rights and the scoops about getting, completing, and returning your ballot.
Be a voter!

06/07/2025

Thank you to Majority Leader Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry for meeting with Democracy Winters recently!

We appreciate the opportunity to hear about the Majority Leader’s legislative and policy priorities and have a chance to ask questions for deeper discussion on topics such as our shared alarm about the dangerous cuts to Medi-Cal and other essential programs in Governor Newsom’s May Revise of the state budget.

Thanks also to Supervisor Lucas Frerichs for joining the discussion, and supplying how the proposed state and federal cuts could affect Yolo County.

05/18/2025

Many thanks to Senator Christopher Cabaldon for speaking with Democracy Winters on Saturday! We’re grateful for the opportunity to hear about his legislative priorities and the steps he and others in the state government are taking to protect California and Californians from the Trump regime, and a chance to ask questions and do advocacy about issues such as Medi-Cal/Medicaid and affiliated programs, like In-Home Supportive Services.
It was a fruitful conversation, and we look forward to more

03/18/2025

Thank you to Congressman Mike Thompson for meeting with Democracy Winters today. We appreciate the opportunity to get an update from you and to have an in-depth conversation focused on the central, crucial issues of the deep harm Trump and Musk’s numerous illegal and unconstitutional acts are having on people and our democracy, and how to put the brakes on our country’s rapid lurch into authoritarianism and oligarchy.

We appreciate your accessibility and willingness to have conversations with constituents. While civics classes can teach the fundamentals of representative government, discussions like today’s are how people truly learn its meaning.

02/07/2025

Thank you to Congressman Mike Thompson for holding a virtual town hall tonight!

As DW members think about what questions you would like to ask Rep. Thompson, you might consider his committee and subcommittee assignments, the bills he is sponsoring or co-sponsoring in the 119th Congress, his recent votes, what issues are before the House versus the Senate (e.g., don’t ask about confirmations, because that is Senate business), and what issues align with our non-partisan, pro-democracy, anti-authoritarianism mission. You can check Rep. Thompson’s social media feeds to see if he has taken action recently on or stated a position about issues of interest. ��

Rep. Thompson sits on the powerful House Committee on Ways and Means, and serves on the Tax and Health subcommittees. He is the ranking member (top Democrat) of the Tax subcommittee. (The minority website for Ways and Means has separate press releases and a different tone than the majority’s website.)��

We'll e-see you there.

TONIGHT AT 6PM PT: I’m going live on Zoom tonight to answer your questions on how Congress is working to protect your privacy and to stop any unlawful actions that jeopardize your privacy.

To join, RSVP at the link below or watch live on my page.

02/04/2025

Call of the Week: Push back against another unconstitutional power grab (call script and phone numbers included)

Despite lacking the required security clearances, Elon Musk’s team took control of key functions of the federal government last week, gaining access to databases of sensitive information across multiple departments, including tax returns, medical data, and classified intelligence, and in some cases locking out agency employees. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also gave them control of the system that pays bills for the United States, which allows them to stop payment on any federal obligation without permission from Congress, as they have declared their intention to do.

Wired has identified six men, ages 19-24, who are running this operation. The youngest is Edward Coristine, a former intern for Musk’s Neuralink company, who was born in Canada and calls himself “Big Balls.” Employees of the General Services Administration report that Coristine participated in calls where they were asked to justify their jobs. He also notified the Small Business Administration that the team wanted access to all their human resources, contract, and payment systems, which they then received.

Another of the young men, Berkeley undergrad Gavin Kliger, sent an email Sunday night telling employees of the US Agency for International Development not to show up for work on Monday. Musk claims that he is shutting down USAID, which provides lifesaving food and medical aid to countries across the world at a cost of two-tenths of one percent of the federal budget. This action is illegal and usurps the power of Congress to create agencies and control spending.

Please call our representatives and ask them to stand up to the lawless Trump administration. Because the public is not aware that an administrative coup is in progress, they also need to sound the alarm to constituents of the authoritarian threat to our democracy and the rule of law. Our representatives should not be providing any cooperation with business as usual while people from outside the federal government are executing an authoritarian power grab.

Call script: “Hello, I’m [name] from [city, ZIP code], calling about the takeover of Treasury payment systems and sensitive databases by young men working for Elon Musk. I’m asking all our representatives to refuse to negotiate on or vote for any funding bills or debt ceiling relief during this unconstitutional power grab, and to explain to the American public that we are deep into a constitutional crisis at this moment. [For Senators Padilla and Schiff: In addition, please ask the senator to oppose all nominees, reject requests for unanimous consent, and vote no on cloture and other procedural motions to bring senate business to a halt until the Trump administration stops breaking the law.] Thank you.”

Senator Alex Padilla: (202) 224-3553, (916) 448-2787
Senator Adam Schiff: (202) 224-384, (415) 393-0707
Congressman Mike Thompson: (202) 225-3311, (530) 753-5301

Please leave a voice mail if you don’t reach a person or if you call after hours.

��If you live outside the 4th congressional district, or are not sure which district you’re in, and you need your representative’s contact information, visit usa.gov/elected-officials. ��

Sources include:

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/03/us/politics/musk-federal-government.html?unlocked_article_code=1.uU4.M9JZ.B5hzQqET_qyB&smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/musk-aides-lock-government-workers-out-computer-systems-us-agency-sources-say-2025-01-31/

https://abcnews.go.com/US/treasury-dept-elon-musks-team-access-federal-payment/story?id=118380399

https://www.wired.com/story/elon-musk-government-young-engineers/

https://apnews.com/article/trump-musk-usaid-c0c7799be0b2fa7cad4c806565985fe2

https://www.justsecurity.org/107267/can-president-dissolve-usaid-by-executive-order/

01/29/2025

DW’s first meeting was on January 28, 2017––eight years ago today.

When faced with the first Trump administration, DW members quickly became skilled at informed engagement in local, state and national politics. A number of DWers have also taken the next step and become elected or appointed leaders.

Events of the last week (has it only been a week?) show how very necessary it is that we continue to flex our constituent power by using the tools available to us. This includes meeting with officials and their staffs, participating in public meetings, and calling our elected representatives about legislation and other issues. The volume of constituent calls truly does make a difference, so, yes, it does matter if you make a call. A high volume of calls is how the Affordable Care Act was saved last time around. See below for the current Call of the Week about the Trump Administration’s unconstitutional power grab.

Whether you’ve been with us for eight years or joined our ranks more recently, we’re glad you are part of the DW community. Thanks for being part of the team.

01/29/2025

Call of the Week: Stop Trump's unconstitutional power grab

On Monday evening, the Office of Management and Budget sent a memo freezing all “grant, loan, and federal assistance programs” for at least 90 days. This order appears to shut down almost everything the federal government does, aside from payments to Social Security and Medicare beneficiaries, federal employee salaries, and the military. The freeze includes funding for school lunches, medical research and cancer treatment, Meals on Wheels, international AIDS treatment, and many, many other programs. President Trump’s own press secretary was uncertain whether the order covers Medicaid, but the online system through which states receive Medicaid payments was not working today.

This power grab violates the plain language of the Constitution, which grants Congress the power to allocate federal spending, as well as the Impoundment Control Act, which outlines a strict process that the president must follow in order to withhold funds appropriated by Congress. The courts have consistently upheld this law, passed to restrain Nixon’s attempts to meddle with Congressional spending priorities.

Tuesday afternoon, a federal judge blocked the order from going into effect until a hearing scheduled for February 3. However, if the president is willing to violate the Constitution to seize powers explicitly given to Congress, it is not clear that he would respect a court order.

If this funding freeze is allowed to stand, the balance of power between Congress and the president will be drastically tilted away from what the founders intended. Indeed, there would be no balance, as the president would be able to violate any agreements made by Congress, making it impossible to negotiate budget deals in good faith.

Please call our representatives and ask them to do everything in their power to fight to uphold their constitutional power to allocate funding.

Call script: “Hello, I’m [name] from [city, ZIP code], calling about the administration’s unconstitutional attempt to usurp the power of the purse from Congress by freezing critically needed federal programs. I’m asking all our representatives to refuse to negotiate on or vote for any funding bills or debt ceiling relief during this unconstitutional power grab. [For Senators Padilla and Schiff: In addition, please ask the senator to oppose all nominees, reject requests for unanimous consent, and vote no on cloture and other procedural motions to bring Senate business to a halt until this decision is reversed.]”

Senator Alex Padilla: (202) 224-3553, (916) 448-2787
Senator Adam Schiff: (202) 224-3841
Congressman Mike Thompson: (202) 225-3311, (530) 753-5301

Please leave a voice mail if you don’t reach a person or if you call after hours.