Ellen,

We’re at a pivotal and, frankly, pretty scary moment right now. On Thursday, the Trump administration assassinated Major General Qassim Suleimani, the second most powerful figure in Iran. Here's a good article about how serious it is and what it could mean for Iran, the region, and the U.S. 

And, a lot has happened in the few days following the assassination:

• Protests have erupted in both Iran and in the U.S.
• Iran has said it will avenge Suleimani's death, and experts believe they will retaliate in some way.
• Trump has sent an additional 3,500 troops to the region.
• Trump tweeted additional threats that, if carried out, would amount to war crimes.
• Iran has announced it will no longer stick to the plutonium enrichment limits agreed to under the 2015 Iran Nuclear Deal (though they haven't fully left the deal yet).
• Rockets have been fired into the Green Zone in Baghdad for two nights in a row.
• Iranian-Americans have been detained trying to enter the U.S.

This is all incredibly serious. We're in a situation where things are escalating quickly and this could turn into a full blown war with Iran. And that's what Trump's war cabinet has wanted all along. Much of what's happening right now resembles the build up to the Iraq War. Trump and his war cabinet are trying to build consensus around the narrative that Iran is a dangerous threat to the U.S. and that the only way to protect Americans is through the use of military force. Right now, the American public is opposed to war with Iran. But if there is retaliation from Iran, that could change. And, as we saw after 9/11, members of Congress, including Democrats, are quickly overtaken by the jingoism that pulled us into Iraq and Afghanistan. 

We've been working with partners, including Win Without War, Arms Control Association, MoveOn, National Iranian American Council (NIAC), About Face: Veterans Against the War, and others, to make sure we're able to give Indivisibles what they need in order to help prevent a war with Iran. Keep in mind that this is all changing pretty quickly, but we'll make every effort to keep everyone updated. 

Here's what you need to know:

• This is another Trump-created crisis. He did this and it was unnecessary and avoidable. It's his recklessness and warmongering that has brought us to the brink of another war.  
• We've updated our Iran resource to reflect the most important actions you can take right now. It contains the latest information, and our Policy Team will work to keep it up to date as things develop. As you'll see, our asks for members of Congress are:
• Every member should speak out publicly right now against war. There needs to be a clear message to all members that Americans don't want a war. The Republican and Trump message will be about how dangerous Iran is. They're going to try to scare the public. We need to push back. 
• Congress needs to pass a resolution this week prohibiting war with Iran. The most important thing is for Congress to act quickly to stop this war from happening. Democrats in the House are planning to pass a resolution this week that would do that. We don't have a number or an official title yet, but we will share when we do. 
• For reference, here is a link to a call script, which is also in the resource.
• We'll share any updates that we or our partners are working on as soon as we have those details. For now, check your weekly to-dos for all the Iran-related actions we have (listed below).

What about impeachment? It’s true that Trump’s reckless assassination is taking up a lot of space in the news cycle right now, but we haven’t forgotten that less than a month ago, Trump was impeached by the House. 

Speaker Nancy Pelosi is holding the articles of impeachment in the House in an effort to ensure a fair trial in the Senate, something that Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is determined to avoid. Our ask remains the same: the Senate must commit to a fair impeachment trial. We will let everyone know if things change.

With that, here are your weekly to-dos (fair warning, there are a lot!): 

 Your 5 weekly to-dos 

1. Call your representative and tell them to stop Trump’s march to war with Iran. The assassination of Major General Suleimani has brought us to the brink of war with Iran and puts the lives of Americans and our allies in jeopardy. Call your Representative and tell them to support a resolution to prevent a new war, and issue a public statement opposing war with Iran. 
2. Then, call your senator and tell them no to war with Iran. We need all members of Congress to know that Americans do not want war with Iran. Call your senators and tell them to publicly come out against going to war. Then call again and give that same message to your second senator.
3. RSVP now for a mass call on Wednesday, January 8, at 8 p.m. ET to discuss plans to stop Trump's escalation to war with Iran. We’ve joined our partner organizations, MoveOn and Win Without War, to hold a mass call for the grassroots to update our movement on what’s been going on. Tune in to hear about our National Day of Action on the very next day (see below).
4. Join our #NoWarWithIran National Day of Action on Thursday, January 9. The public energy to oppose Trump’s war with Iran is palpable and angry. The most powerful mechanism to funnel public outrage is a national day of action to make the anti-war majority visible and oppose war with Iran. Grab your “No War” signs and banners, hang them over bridges and intersections, and rally to the public squares to make sure that Congress knows that Americans are against war with Iran.
5. Call your senators to demand a fair and open impeachment trial. Despite the overwhelming evidence that Trump abused his authority, violated the law, and repeatedly tried to obstruct justice, Republicans are guaranteeing a rigged impeachment trial in the Senate. In December, the House impeached Trump and now, Speaker Pelosi is holding the articles of impeachment until Senators McConnell and Schumer negotiate the rules of the trial. Call your senators and demand they uphold their oath to defend the Constitution and hold a fair and open impeachment trial and allow first-hand witnesses to testify. The foundation of American democracy is at stake. 
6. Join an impeachment visibility event near you at impeachnow.org. After the “Nobody is Above the Law” rallying calls heard around the country, our movement is ready to see this impeachment process through. Join a visibility event near you to keep this fight going. Check out this toolkit to help you promote and share your events!
7. Register for the National Activist Call on January 9 at 9 p.m. ET. Make sure to join us for an exclusive debrief of the impeachment fight, as well as an update about Iran and what we can do to stop Trump from taking us to war. (Note that we have moved this call back an hour to allow everyone to participate in the  #NoWarWithIran National Day of Action that evening)

 2020 Update 

2020 is here! We know: FINALLY! We’re over a year into this primary now, and we still have about 6 months to go. In this final month before the Iowa caucus, we’re going to see some big shifts. Candidates are starting to drop out at an increasing rate, debates are going to happen more frequently, and money is going to become increasingly important as campaigns try to stay relevant until summer:

• Julián Castro drops out, endorses Warren: Secretary Castro ran a historic campaign for the Democratic nomination, inspired by activists and driven by a clear moral vision. Although he faced challenges in a field dominated by older and wealthier candidates, Sec. Castro motivated a passionate group of supporters and earned high marks on the Indivisible Candidate Scorecard. After formally suspending his campaign last week, he endorsed Senator Warren today, signaling that he will commit his passion and moral leadership to building the big structural change the Warren campaign is fighting for. 

• The next debate is January 14 in Iowa: Next week, the top candidates will meet once again in Iowa -- the last debate before the primary proper begins with the Iowa Caucus on Feb. 3. So far, only 5 candidates have met the qualifications for the debate stage: Vice President Biden, Senator Warren, Senator Sanders, Senator Klobuchar, and Mayor Buttigieg. Both Tom Steyer and Andrew Yang are on the cusp of qualifying -- we’ll find out if they make it when we hit the qualifying deadline tomorrow.

• Fourth quarter fundraising brings in big money for Democrats: With the previous year at a close, we can now look back and see that Democratic candidates are continuing to energize voters and collect donations. Senator Sanders set the bar with a whopping $34.5 million raised without the support of a PAC or exclusive, high-dollar fundraisers. Ends of quarter are always a good reminder: if you like a candidate, vote early with your wallet or your time by donating or volunteering -- or both!

 IndivisiWin of the Week 

Indivisibles in New York made their voices heard in huge numbers this weekend. They made sure Senator Schumer heard loud and clear that the American people do not want a war with Iran. Help amplify their work and keep calling your own Members of Congress and demand #NoWarWithIran.

We know there's a lot happening right now, but we have to ride this wave and do more than we’ve ever done. We have an impeached president driving us closer and closer to war, so we need to work on all fronts. We’ve got to get on the phones, take to the squares, crossroads and parks. There’s no time to waste. Are you with us?

In solidarity,
Indivisible Team