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Adopt-A-District Guide is the product of a partnership between Center for American Progress Action Fund, the Indivisible Project, Organizing for Action, Progressive Change Campaign Committee, and Town Hall Project.

Introduction

You've been trying to locate your missing Member of Congress (MoC), to attend a town hall or an event and let them hear your voice. They've been showing up for fundraisers and for votes—including to vote 'yes' on the House's cruel health care bill—but they won't do their jobs and have a town hall.

One thing is clear after the House of Representatives passed their cruel bill to strip away healthcare from 24 million Americans—members of Congress who voted for the administration's bill are not standing up for their constituents' best interests or listening to their concerns. This has effectively left millions of Americans without representation when they need it most.

Adopting a district is similar to hosting an empty chair town hall, except the person in the chair may be a neighboring or near-by member of Congress who is stepping in to help their peers' constituents who are being ignored.

NOTE FROM THE INDIVISIBLE TEAM REGARDING TRUMP'S FIRING OF JAMES COMEY Since this toolkit was produced, Trump fired James Comey, the director of the FBI who was also leading the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential elections and the potential involvement of the Trump campaign. At best, Trump's firing of a person who was investigating him shows poor judgment; at worst, it could be an obstruction of justice and an abuse of power. The biggest problem is what will happen now: Trump will appoint one of his cronies to lead the FBI, and the FBI's investigation will become a sham. We cannot trust Congress or a Trump FBI to conduct an impartial probe. Indivisible groups must not stop holding House members accountable on health care, but we also can't let Senators sit by and let Trump undermine our democracy. Call on your Senator to block all judicial and Department of Justice nominees until an independent law enforcement investigator, like a special prosecutor, is appointed. Our democracy demands nothing less.

Key Facts and Messaging

Key Facts

These are the facts about the Republican healthcare repeal bill that passed the House of Representatives:

The bill will cost American lives. That's not an exaggeration, it's a fact.

The bill, as written, will deny coverage to the millions of people who have pre-existing conditions who will be be stranded without affordable options for coverage.

Voting on a bill that affects 1/6th of the national economy, without a CBO score showing how much it will cost, is utterly reckless. The Senate must hold public hearings and get a CBO score.

Nearly 140 million Americans who get health care through their employer will not be spared—millions everywhere are at risk of losing protections against lifetime caps on insurance.

The bill would mean premium hikes for common issues; over $4,000 for a person with asthma, $8,000 for someone with depression and a whopping $17,000 for a pregnancy (WITHOUT any complications).

The bill cuts Medicaid by over $800 billion which will result in millions of the country's most vulnerable losing coverage, especially working families, children and people with disabilities—all for a tax cut to the wealthiest few.

Message Guidance

Passing health care reform was an historic achievement that truly changed the lives of families across the country, many of whom never had access to affordable care. Under Obamacare, 20 million more Americans have gained health care coverage and the nation's uninsured rate is at an all-time low. There are more positive steps that can be taken to continue this progress—but despite the rhetoric from its opponents, the health care law has never been more popular.

At the end of the day, 217 members sold out their constituents and proved they're nothing more than rubber stamps for this administration's destructive agenda. They decided it was more important to give the White House a 'win' than to stand up for families who have everything to lose.

A vote in favor of this legislation was a vote to punish people for getting sick, for getting older, for having less income, for being female—all to hand a massive tax giveaway to the rich. If this bill were signed into law, 24 million fewer people could have insurance, Medicaid would be slashed by nearly $1 trillion, protections for pre-existing conditions would be gutted, insurers would no longer be required to cover essential health benefits, and Planned Parenthood would be defunded.

Nobody truly believes this bill will make people's lives better. Not medical experts. Not health care providers. Not AARP or the American Cancer Society. Not the overwhelming majority of Americans. Not even the members who voted for it, who can't seem to explain what is good about this bill. And those representatives will continue to be held accountable by their constituents for