Actions for the Week of 8/30/26

Written By Darbie Maccubbin

How to contact your elected officials

Use this link to find contact information for ALL of your elected officials – Federal, State, City, and County – just by entering your address: https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials

Other useful links:

Action 1: Save Our Public Lands

Adapted from Chop Wood Carry Water 8/24/26

Let’s take two quick actions (5 minutes!) to fight the Trump administration’s assault on our public lands!

  • Stop Bulldozing in Big Bend National Park

Federal government contractors bulldozed through one of our country’s iconic national parks, Big Bend National Park, part of the administration’s destructive plan to build new border barriers and paved roads in this wild place. West Texas communities, precious park wildlife, and recreational access are all at risk. Following public outcry from park advocates like you, the government has temporarily paused construction in Big Bend.

The National Parks Conservation Association is pushing Customs and Border Protection to make the Big Bend construction pause permanent.  Follow this link to send a pre-scripted message to your members of Congress and Governor Abbot: Stop Bulldozing in Big Bend.

  • Defend Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante

The administration has virtually eliminated Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments in Utah, attacking public lands that belong to all of us. Trump's executive orders reduced the acreage of these 2 monuments by 90%. These remarkable monuments protect wildlife, irreplaceable cultural and Tribal sites, world-class geologic and paleontology resources and the freedom of future generations to know these places as they are today. The administration tried this before in 2017. Americans fought back then, and we must fight back again. 

The Wilderness Society is running a campaign urging Congress to restore Bears Ears and Grand Staircase’s original boundaries. Follow this link to send a pre-scripted message to your members of Congress: Defend Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante.

Action 2: We Need a Kill Switch For AI… Just In Case

From Rogan's List 8/21/26

AI companies have been deploying increasingly autonomous systems, and recent incidents show these systems slipping out of human control. The technology is advancing more rapidly than humans’ understanding of it, and it’s not just outsiders who are alarmed by the pace: in July, more than 1,300 employees from leading AI companies signed an open letter voicing concerns that AI is developing faster than humans’ ability to understand, oversee, or control it.

H.R. 9917, the AI Kill Switch Act, is a bipartisan bill that would require AI companies to maintain the technical infrastructure to slow down, suspend, or fully shut down their models, report serious safety incidents, and submit systems for mandatory testing before deployment. ControlAI is asking us to reach out to our reps to cosponsor and pass this legislation to ensure these companies are able to reign in their own technology in an emergency.

Follow this link to send a pre-scripted email: Help us prevent AI Extinction Risk | ControlAI

OR call your reps using a script from 5 Calls: Support the AI Kill Switch Act ⭑ 5 Calls

Action 3: How to Make Smart Political Donations

This is adapted from a Facebook post by Brian Colker, who until May of this year, was the chief financial officer of Grassroots Democrats HQ and the California director of Code Blue. Colker helped organize 11 district field programs in the 2018 midterm elections. He co-founded the Westside Democratic HQ.

Want to make your 2026 political donations go further? Here are four ways to divide $100 among Democratic candidates, party organizations, and local races.

1. Let’s Win in November! This is for you if you are focused on Democrats winning right now. Choose one candidate from each category:

  • Senate: Troy Jackson (Maine), Abdul El-Sayed (Michigan), Josh Turek (Iowa), Mary Peltola (Alaska), or Roy Cooper (North Carolina).

  • House: Cait Conley (NY-17), Rebecca Bennett (NJ-07), Jessica Killin (CO-05), Frank Mrvan (IN-01), or Rebecca Cooke (WI-03).

  • State: Garlin Gilchrist II (Michigan secretary of state), Kris Mayes (Arizona attorney general), David Crowley (Wisconsin governor), Penny Brown Reynolds (Georgia secretary of state), or Ryan Peterman (Iowa secretary of state).

Suggested $100 split: $20 each to a Senate candidate, a House candidate, a state candidate, the DNC, and a local Democratic candidate or local Democratic party

My default picks: Troy Jackson, Cait Conley, and Garlin Gilchrist II.

2. Best Bang for the Buck: this is for you if you want to make the biggest impact possible with your money.

State and local races are often where smaller donations can have the greatest impact. Consider:

  • Garlin Gilchrist II — Michigan secretary of state

  • Kris Mayes — Arizona attorney general

  • David Crowley — Wisconsin governor

  • Gina Hinojosa -- Texas Governor 

  • Penny Brown Reynolds — Georgia secretary of state

  • Ryan Peterman — Iowa secretary of state

Suggested $100 split: $40 to your local Democratic party organization, $40 to a local Democratic candidate, and $20 to one state candidate above

3. SCOTUS Reform: this is for you If your top issue is Supreme Court reform. Choose two:

  • Troy Jackson — Maine

  • Abdul El-Sayed — Michigan

  • Josh Turek — Iowa

  • Mary Peltola — Alaska

  • Roy Cooper — North Carolina

Suggested $100 split: $30 to one Senate candidate, $30 to a second Senate candidate, $40 to the DSCC (main Senate fundraising committee)

My default pairing: Troy Jackson and Abdul El-Sayed.

4. Key Policy Goal: this is for you if you're most focused on legislation for things like climate and healthcare.

Pick two Senate candidates and three House candidates from the lists above.

Suggested $100 split: $20 to each of your 2 Senate and 3 House candidates

A suggested list - Roy Cooper, Troy Jackson, Cait Conley, Rebecca Bennett, and Garlin Gilchrist II.

Choose your own outrage with 5 Calls

5 Calls has been around since the first Trump term and offers a quick and easy way to make calls to your elected representatives. Enter your zip code or address and pick a topic. Then choose the representative you want to call, make the call, and read the script provided. Calling your congressperson is the most effective way to influence policy. Please check it out here: https://5calls.org

Phonebanking Opportunities



Darbie Maccubbin
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Actions for the Week of 8/23/26