This is an anxious time for all of us as we wonder what comes next in our communities and around the world in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. Even in this moment of crisis, however, it’s essential for our work to go on.
Every day, this crisis reminds us why it’s so important to elect progressive leaders who will follow science and put people first, not wealthy donors and corporations. The decisions made by our elected officials in the coming weeks and months will impact every American, and we have a responsibility to push them to treat this moment with the urgency and care that it deserves. We are deeply appreciative of the leadership shown by Governor Inslee and other local elected officials and public health experts during this crisis. Their calm, science-based approach – especially in the absence of strong federal leadership – will save lives.
While we are using our platforms to share public health information and amplify announcements from local elected officials, we’re also continuing to fight for our long-term priorities and lay the groundwork to win the critical 2020 elections. Here’s a brief summary of how we’ve rapidly adapted our programs during this pandemic:
Goals
- Provide a valuable service to our members that shares useful information and ways to make a difference
- Adapt our existing campaigns and strategies to both the current and anticipated circumstances
- Add capacity to new campaigns, including rapid responses that support the most vulnerable in the crisis
- Train and support partners as they adapt their own programs
- Hold elected officials and corporations accountable
- Continue preparing for this fall so we’re ready and equipped to win regardless of the pandemic
Campaigns:
We will adapt and continue our programs to engage voters through our existing campaigns including legislative elections, retaking the 3rd Congressional District, voter registration, and Get Out The Vote (GOTV). We will also respond directly through our advocacy efforts that aim to mitigate the impacts of COVID - 19 on economically struggling and marginalized populations.
Fuse has made our state’s upside-down tax code, climate change, and election reform some of our top priorities over the years and will continue to help lead in these areas as the landscape changes due to the pandemic.
- A Strong, Progressive State Budget: Advocate for fixing our broken tax code to avoid austerity budgets
- Election Reform: Support efforts to expand vote by mail nationally
- Universal Basic Income: Support campaigns for direct cash payments in follow-up recovery plans
Providing targeted support, when capacity is available to state and local partner campaigns aimed at mitigating the impacts of the pandemic. This will focus on elevating the needs of the most vulnerable and assessing what capacity we can add to those campaigns. Potential issues include:
- Criminal Justice: Assessing opportunities to release inmates from state prison.
- Immigration: Reform, Protections, and Support: Engage with state and national partners on campaigns to extend emergency aid and testing to all immigrants
- Environment: EPA authority issues from the Trump Administration and support for the Green New Deal
