Happy Friday, Washington Democrats!

Updates from the Last Week

Thank you to everyone who joined us last weekend for Washington Democrats’ 2nd Asian American Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Solidarity Celebration at Seattle Harbor Restaurant! Featuring keynote addresses from Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell, Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland, Secretary of State Steve Hobbs, and DNC Executive Director Roger Lau, we celebrated our community during AANHPI Heritage Month and the important role our community plays in our electoral system as the fastest growing demographic of voters in the country. 

I want to thank the numerous AAPI elected officials from every level of government who joined us last Saturday. I especially want to thank event sponsors Washington Secretary of Commerce Joe Nguyen, Hyeok Kim, Juliet Ledorze and State Senator Deb Krishnadasan who helped make the event possible. Special thanks to rapper Prometheus Brown and the Mak Fai Lion Dance team who brought down the house!

Remembering Rep. Gutiérrez-Kenney

Democrats Fighting Back

State Treasurer Mike Pelliciotti joined Democratic State Treasurers to sound the alarm about Congressional Republicans tax plan, where more than two-thirds of tax cuts would go to households making $217,000 or more per year while the top 1% - those who make more than $1.1. Million per year would see one quarter of the tax cuts. All of these cuts would be partially offset by $880 BILLION in cuts from Medicaid programs like Apple Health. 

U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell called out these Medicaid cuts, pointing to the 780,000 Washingtonians who could lose health coverage just so the very richest Americans get a tax cut. 70% of the children in Congressional District 4 (represented by Republican Dan Newhouse) use Washington’s version of Medicaid, Apple Health. 

Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal condemned U.S. Customs and Border Patrol’s memo revoking protections for vulnerable people in custody, including denying pregnant women access to water and infants to have diapers. 

U.S. Representatives Marilyn Strickland and Emily Randall have formally re-launched the Puget Sound Recovery Caucus to protect our iconic waterway from pollution, restore habitat, and re-open shellfish beds. 

Call to Action

• Fight to Save Medicaid (Apple Health)
• Sign up for the DNC’s new training: The Network Strategy - learn tactics for holding Republicans accountable throughout the year. Sign up here.
• CD4 and CD5 residents: Call your Republican Representative - Call their office and let them know you don’t want any changes to Apple Health. The DNC has set up an easy tool with a script for you. Click here for the call tool kit

• Rally, Protest, and Gather
• SUNDAY: Saturday, May 18 - Canvass for Sen. Deb Krishnadasan with U.S. Rep. Emily Randall. 10AM-5PM in Port Orchard. Help us win this crucial special election! Register here!
• Wednesday May 21 - Northwest Immigrants Rights Project is hosting informational webinars in Spanish and English. Spanish: 12PM-12:45PM. English: 12:45PM-1:30PM. Register here.
• Every Friday - Refuse Fascism Fridays in Everett at the Social Security Administration Office from 5PM-6:30PM. Sign up here.
• Every Saturday  - Say It Saturday at B.A. Clark Park in Spokane. 3PM-5PM. Sign up here.
• Every Monday - Mikey Mondays in Spokane outside the office of U.S. Representative Michael Baumgartner. Sign up here.
• Every Wednesday - Musk or Us Protest in Redmond from 4PM-5PM. Sign up here.

• Send us details on rallies and protests in your communities 
• Email details to [email protected]

• Donate
• If you would like to see less Washington D.C. and more Washington state in your community, please DONATE to The Real Washington Fund - our rapid response account to counter MAGA’s chaos with real organizing, real solutions, and real results. We can’t do the work of holding Republicans accountable without your support.

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Storybanking - Send Us Your Stories

We are working on more storybanking videos, but we need your help! Please send your stories about the impacts of Trump’s policies on your life and community. These stories put a human face on the policy implications of the lawless president and his enablers. 

The best way to persuade people about the horrible impacts of Trump’s chaos is to share real stories from real people in their communities. Please consider sharing your own story of the direct impacts of Trump 2.0 on your life, by sending an email to [email protected] that includes your name, contact information, which Washington community you reside in, the story you would like to share, and permission to share your story with the public. 

Our Communications team will be in touch within a few business days after you have reached out to help collect your story. 

Republicans Behaving Badly

House Republicans unveil Medicaid cuts that Democrats warn will leave millions without care, AP House Republicans want to cut taxes for the rich on the backs of low-income families that rely on assistance to have access to health insurance. Millions of Americans, including 780,000 Washingtonians could wake up one day soon without the life-saving health insurance they have relied on.

A crucial treaty is tangled in Trump’s feud with Canada, The New York Times Trump’s feud with our ALLIES to the North is putting the Pacific Northwest at risk of water and power shortages, as well as increased risks of flooding. Another example of how Trump’s chaos has hurt our region.

Brian Heywood tortures us with more ballot measures, The Stranger Banning transgender girls from playing sports, privatizing public education, and injecting culture wars into our schools will all be on the ballot this year if mega-millionaire hedge fund manager Brian Heywood has his way. This summer, make sure all your friends know not to sign any of the Let’s Go Washington initiatives petitions. We beat Let’s Go Washington 4-0 on their last slate of initiatives- let’s do it again!

Backstory: How Trump got a free “palace in the sky,” Axios The breathtaking corruption of the Trump administration was on full display as Qatar offered a Boeing 747-8 to be used as the new Air Force One. Despite the unvarnished corruption it displays and the untold national security risks of the U.S. President traveling the world in a machine that has been under foreign control, Trump is all-set to accept this gift that directly violates the emoluments clause of the U.S. Constitution. Regardless of how voters feel about corruption, a thriving democracy cannot survive a lawless leader who is willing to enrich himself at every opportunity.

Democrats in the News

Gov. Ferguson signs bill to further incentivize ADU construction in Washington state, Nisqually Valley News

Legislative ballot battles shaping up for WA’s fall elections, The Seattle Times

Democratic state treasurers rip GOP over budget bill - ‘taxing Barbies and G.I. Joes if you can even find them on store shelves,’ Fortune

New WA data shows where GOP health cuts would hurt the most, The Seattle Times

What I’m Reading

The Organizer who ran the State House like a union hall, The Stranger

Rep. Shaun Scott’s moving tribute to the life and legacy of Speaker Frank Chopp is a must-read for anyone interested in Washington politics. Former Speaker of the Washington State House of Representatives Frank Chopp’s celebration of life and legacy will be held June 1 from 2 PM-5:30 PM at the Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue (11100 NE 6th St, Bellevue). Doors will open at 1 PM. Please register your attendance by May 26 here. Those who are unable to attend may watch the livestream at TVW.