1. United States
2. Ariz.
3. Letter

Our political systems and processes can be weaponized for good or evil. No matter how the Republicans try to spin this, THEY are the ones holding the U.S. hostage - And the truth of the matter is that right now the Democrats, especially the ones in the Senate, are literally our only hope to stop the bleeding. We the People need three things from the you right now: First, stop playing defensively and on the Republicans’ terms. DO NOT ask the Republican reps for any more meetings or to “come to the table”. The Republicans set that table on fire with the big beautiful bill. DO NOT debate or consider anymore piecemeal funding packages that just draw out their temper tantrum and stall tactics. DO NOT send anyone to have “bipartisan” conversations over.Watching democrats joke and pal around with the Republican members either on the floor taking votes or in social functions is DEMORALIZING to We the People. DO NOT say you “need” the White House to make this deal happen. REMEMBER: YOU ARE CONGRESS WITH THE POWER OF THE PURSE AND YOU WORK FOR WE THE PEOPLE. Second,The Republicans accuse you of shutting down the government to “please your base” which is a WEIRD way of saying that you’re listening to the people you’re supposed to be representing. Call their bluff and turn the tables on that narrative. You need to talk DIRECTLY to we the people AND WE THE PEOPLE ALONE from here on in. Finally, We the People you need you to communicate and demonstrate nothing less than A FULL OFFENSIVE on Appropriations. Which looks like Schumer and Jeffries with Patty Murray and Rosa DeLauro literally live streaming themselves for days locked in a conference room with Congressional Dems writing a full years appropriations omnibus and never shutting up about how you have a plan to not only open the government, but also give the country a real budget for the first time in over a year. It looks like doubling down on the protections from the overreach of the administration and repealing the cuts to healthcare as drafted in your version of the CR (S2882). It looks like threatening jurisdiction stripping of the Supreme Court PUBLICLY ahead of the Nov tariffs oral arguments. But mostly, AND I CANNOT EMPHASIZE THIS ENOUGH, We the People need to see Democrats treating the seditious, anti-democratic behavior of the Republicans with utter contempt, and stop acting like friendship is possible with your colleagues at this time when they are choosing to destroy this country. No more “I really respect my colleague on the other side of the aisle” until they ACTUALLY START BEHAVING RESPECTABLY. In conclusion, y’all can indeed “go high” but in an EFFECTIVE MANNER - showing both a contempt for the Republicans’s contemptuous behavior and a no-limit soldier work ethic to the people which is the only acceptable behavior from members who are still getting paid while everyone else does not. That’s the only way to regain we the people’s trust