so we've been talking a lot about Wolfpack and get you
I have might know the process by now what we're trying to do is get a
constitutional moment your money out of politics
and within Washington's to corrupt but luckily the
founding fathers urging users put something else in the constitution
saying when washington gets to crop
can actually call for convention for specific amendment and you do that
through the state's
and yes thirty-four States two-thirds of the state's to call for that convention
you have a commission to get them at me only Washington at all that is so we
leave our process we've been
updating you on it throughout you have introduced for some all
getting a co sponsors for you to a committee you gotta get outta committee
many I have
while the house pass in another house passing Jesus really are right
you had to say bye stay so that would be really likeI
and I've he told you these great updates before in California pass on this and we
were waiting on the senate there
in illinois here it pass in the senate that was really dramatic be needed
sixty percent of the votes that happen there that the delay the vote at the
last second he did the boat
and I barely got pass it by one vote in vermont we were told that it was
impossible in the senate side
by an ally of ours who met well just said you don't have enough senators on
the democratic side
to be able to push everything to committee let alone win on the senate
floor
ha but actually we did win on the senate floor
and it was because I borrow volunteers from all across country called in to
constituents in vermont which then call their state reps and Senators again
really hard work but the
it that hard work and it worked on the senate side
past 25 22 Nassau was called impossible before in fact it was overwhelming
prayed now dramatic news it has just passed the Vermont House
first aid on the board yeah
the move huh doesn't actually
past to inadequate both houses where are you located near
right next door I and I
and this is a huge moment I look
this first step is the hardest yeah thats I
and it's been so hard getting to that first aid on the board
oh yes 33 others to go and I know it sounds daunting like oh my god another
30
buffer zone what was supposed to be impossible so i think you can only get
easier
it what you will see and what we saw in vermont. is what you need to the process
you pick up momentum now let me tell you about the boats and about
other American heroes here as I said in the set aside all 25 22
and then I just passed the House
95 243 I
now you might think well for months a fairly progressive state to answer was a
little easier cuz
a you needed me there are problems no we need it we did neither republicans and
the republicans came in strong
in baghdad might fear in speech in there was many great speeches and many years
and I tell you about a second
actually came from republican it is representative Vicky strong
she talks about her son a who passed away in Iraq
bad defending freedom and why she voted for this resolution because %uh that
watch I didn't who show you that I will vote for this resolution and let me tell
you briefly why
I believe this resolution supports the process of democracy
and I believe but it's a hard battle
and it's a fight to continue to have democracy
I've told this story be four on the house floor but I'll
tell it to you briefly that my son Jesse when he died he was
defending the iraqi polls for their very first election
and that's the word came to our family
but he had been killed a
that night be used just days later
the first Iraqi people stepped out of their homes
for fear for their lives and held up their finger with purple ink on it
for the first time that many of them had voted in women
and 10 that fight for their democracy
cost my family a lot but it costs the world a lot
and and democracy is hard work and it's messy
but our founding fathers came up
with the most brilliant way for us as Americans
to enjoy him the fruits of freedom
and to continue to fight for that the new
that people can become corrupt that human nature
can become corrupt and become so that
they crafted the most brilliant plan for our country
to hold onto that hard-fought battle for democracy
and today people are still fighting that battle
on I'm overseas here in this country
and I'm proud to say that freedom and democracy mean a lot to me but I know it
does to all of you
but I'm proud to say that I defend
freedom tonight and I'm proud of our democracy and encourage
those of you who have wondered whether this resolution is
weren't worth voting for tonight
to think about the cost of our democracy in the fact that this resolution I
believe is actually just pushing us forward into the opportunity
to continue to voice our opinions as americans
when our own government is it's called p
Vicky strong living up to her name there there was phenomenal
saying hey listen you know my son didn't go over there
the to iraq to die for freedom and then we're not going to have freedom in the
max in this country what we're going to get up more to fight back
so for those me or discouraged about national politics
look at these wonderful leaders at the state level that democrats
and republicans working together saying we're tired about 96 percent of
Americans
know that money corrupts our politics and it's time that
ended I you know there's there's a Republican in the country that I love
and there are many on this list
the people who are currently serving in the state legislature like
they've already had to go through the process of raising a little bit of money
like 50000 100000 something like that in some states
when you go to them and you ask them okay so you'll hear an ambitious person
you want to go places
how do you like the idea of spending the rest of your life raising millions of
dollars for every race
and not just that but when you run your next election how do you like knowing
that the person you run against the likely to have $10 million have their
own dollars a concern to the race
you don't want that you will want to be on the run based on your ideology based
on your ideas
we're gonna give you that out that hear your ideas are exactly the opposite of
ours
we're gonna fight for you to have the same chance to put them in for the
american people
and fight based on actual ideas that is
so true and that's why we're jay's doing it has more than just a fighting chance
could
everybody is deeply exhausted by the process I was talking
to a a congressman the other day
from Kentucky about how exhausted he is just he said man I
it's coming around again gotta do this again I love being in congress but I
I'm just tired of this I'm tired of raising money im tired and you know that
every time
and see that is raising money it's the pressure exerted on you by the by the
top right corner every Eric Turner to
I you want to be taken seriously yeah in this party in this congress you to raise
my talk to US congressman who said
I an ass and you have lunch with your fellow congressman has a camaraderie
their
to democrat or republican it's a region me OVR staffers caught us having lunch
at making phone calls on our listener
be no they'd kick your ass and so that's what they do all day long
that's not democracy that's getting up to donors all day long
and if you're a true conservative like picking strong clearly is
you know what crony capitalism you know one rich donors by and people of that's
the exact opposite of what you want
in a in a free marketplace of ideas so she won the right now there were many
Democrats also voted the right way
pay including donna Sweeney who was it may be the most critical person in this
entire process
she's a share the government operations and I and she was critical in this vote
here she also spoke with listen to her
our committee ask you to join us
in taking this bold step and yes I do think
this country listens to Vermont little vermont
I with here when we passed civil unions
the proudest moment of my life in this is in this body
and look now civil union for
that's passed a for my it does lead
and made do listen to us because we
our leaders were independent we will the first constitution to do away with
slavery to say no slaves
and that'll happen where Windsor per month the birthplace
way cell joint
join us please me quickly renew unless american heroes
in vermont the new founding fathers and mothers who are going to help
reclaim our democracy to your the house schapp Smith
by representative Donna Sweeney is we're just Lehr a governor operations House
Majority Leader
willem jewitt representative made at house in who
reported the bill 24 pro-government mobs committee
that a lot of the debate with a strong endorsement the resolution
that was critical representative Christopher Pearson leader of the
Progressive Caucus
represent a big he's strong you heard from I representative Sam Young who gave
a fiery speech on the floor
excellent speech representative Joanna Cole representative Debbie Evans
member though ago ops committee and these are all now remember the
government go up committees
by the committee that he came out to represent a patty Lewis who represent a
man movement
I representative Linda Martin power represented over
Michelle Consejo and then represented initiative are all
is the ranking Republican on government operations committee many voted for the
bill
in committee and on the floor so he was absolutely critical as well
represent a mic market Mike McCarthy was fantastic represented Jim McCullar
representative Tony Klein was a terrific as well get a quote from him in a second
for you guys senator bill Toyota Doyle
and then yes men calling from I'm I ben jerry's
he came down there he testified he was critical he's got out loud voice in
vermont
Larry Lessig professor from harvard is the godfather this movement
I came up from Cambridge drove in to testify to Vermont
made a big difference is a AP huge voice in a legal world saying this is
absolutely necessary
you must pass this constitutional amendment and her doing it through the
a confession is the right way to do it and now finally some
people who are not good in the its Senate for the
or the house in vermont per ben Brown
his a Vermont farmer Kutcher scare phenomenal testimony
but that's what I love about this is a former comes in and
wows the crowd and they actually was imagining the national level
black hole in their farmer came in and testified playing no one would even show
up with a committee hearing
and ever mod the care they showed up and they listen to 'em
and then I gotta go back to the Senate here because senator Jenny lines the one
that started this whole thing
it was her resolution to begin with just couldn't be more critical
there from day one senator Westman was it absolute
hero he's also republican work with us in every way work with the democrats
republicans true bipartisanship
and Mike minute hours there is our director organizing
at Wolfpack and he led this
I movement in vermont he went to actually
travel to remind he's been there and he brought it home for us
and work with all these great people to do it so
every person on that list was absolutely necessary
we got them all work together it so that little saber Mon
could make it giant giant difference in the country and finally
I like we represent on inclines vote he said
mister speaker I vote yes because when many of our elder statesman lawyer
serving the legislative suggest we shouldn't go forward
and many of our young representatives say yes go forward
I know I've made the correct choice for the future of our country yeahh
so in up a lot of hope the skeptics and the cynics saying no it's okay
but just keep the system that we have have who
there are young people who fall cross country specifically in vermont saying
no we need change and we need it right now this system is corrupt
and we must fix it this must feel really good too might matter who's been there
just working so hard this term is so there's so many big tree
yet there's so many great guys of course at warp active volunteers
you know Walker New Jersey who made the first call in and got
represent a reference even buried to go switch some senators boats and
it and Ryan Clady who's executive director work so hard
I love the emails we get because O'Brien summer others
where they say or you guys are aggressive yeah I like the one that said
though we had a mountain army
a and they say you're Taipei yeah
I love this quote I had a really rough weekend politically wouldn't want your
who it is but the
this so person said in were my government getting so many calls for my
constituents
I just fear of I
what I love the that cannot take this and go to other states and say this in
some crazy idea we just got it done in a state you could be the second one
I'm you want to be left behind by the progress for the rest of the time when
you get wall
text dashiell ice cream from the guy I'm not that good at it and we're going out
okay I hear gonna be on the matter but
it out k an hour a conversation at a run that by Ben Cohen
and now but finally made to bring back to my Quinta whenever I get down there
many moment because the very hard process
I always think about Mike mineta in the snow in new hampshire
like years ago two years ago like we're
we were a mess when we first started there was no organization I forgot to
hire an executive director
ordinary all these mall the reason we don't know what to do with them we don't
have a war
punching website it's a master Anders Mike
in the snow holding up a sign in the middle in new hampshire
same I'm here writer and he any still a post
until people rallied around a and idk
man people standing a post makes a difference
and here we are this is just the beginning
and I'm ICU at the convention