Use Your Voice! Call Your Senators!
Posted on July 20, 2022, by Mary Ann McGivern SL
The easy way to reach your senator or congressional representative is to call the congressional switchboard (202-224-3121). Call to say you are dismayed at the Supreme Court action on — just about anything — and what is the senator or congressperson doing about it?
Call to voice your opinion, ask how your representative plans to vote, complain about a recent vote. Call regularly.
Letter writing used to be best, but letters to Congress go through anthrax testing and sometimes other vetting, so letters get delayed. Phone calls have risen to the top of the most-effective list, that is, short of actually visiting with an aide about a particular issue.
And now, based on the recent lobbying experience of Loretto’s Latin America/Caribbean Committee (LACC), a group can arrange a Zoom call with a congressional office. When Loretto went to Washington in June, NETWORK helped us make appointments and sent staff members to accompany us while we spoke about particular issues. Unfortunately the only appointments LACC could get were by Zoom. LACC was disappointed, but while one conversation felt like a dead end, the other two went well. When we asked, “What can we do to help?” the aides said, “Call other senators and tell them what you told us.” So Zoom calls with Congress may be a new way to go. NETWORK has promised to continue helping set them up.
In short, call Congress now. Below are some urgent petitions to sign. Pairing your signature with a phone call could make a large impact. Click the links to learn more.
- Urge your senators to support $555 billion in climate solutions.
- Tell Congress to close the Medicaid coverage gap before the August recess.
- Tell OSHA to pass emergency heat regulations.
- Tell Congress to vote yes on Rep. Tlaib’s amendment on agricultural sales to Cuba.
- Call your senators and tell them to put the interests of working families ahead of their wealthy campaign donors.
