#calling representatives

So, FYI for others who hate not knowing what to expect, my experience with calling my reps was:

The local (in-state) office numbers, during regular work hours, were answered by a person. The person was only there to take a message--I didn't have to have any kind of back-and-forth discussion.

They had a rote "thank you for calling __'s office" type intro, which was kind of mumbled (couldn't readily recognize the name they said, but I had triple-checked the number, so whatever).

I led with my name and that I was a constituent from [zip code] and had my talking points ready to go written down in front of me.

At some point in each call, I was asked for my phone number. They never asked for me to repeat or spell my name or for any other identifying information, so I'm guessing they either somehow cross-reference with the phone number or they don't really care about getting an identifiable name.

They said they would pass the message along, but asked no questions except whether I had anything else to add. It was a live human, but they were just taking a message.

They never asked me to repeat anything, so either they got everything the first time or (I suspect) they are only noting down the basic gist.

They sounded deeply tired and uninterested. (It's gotta be a shitty job answering the phone taking down messages from upset constituents.) So I'm guessing if your call is less than polished, they probably could not care less as long as they are able to note down whatever they're supposed to log.

The Washington, D.C., office numbers, I got voicemail even during a normal workday:

One of my senators had a full voicemail when I called.

1: Pick a bill you want to call about. If you don't have one off the top of your head, go to your state's legislature website or congress.gov and type in a keyword about a topic you're interested in, and pick one that looks of note to you.

2: Check if the bill is in the house or senate (HB means house bill unless it's already passed and is now in the senate, vice versa for SB)

3: Figure out who's your representative(s) in that chamber. State sites will have a "who's my representative" field somewhere, and you can find your federal reps here. Put their contacts into your phone so you don't have to do this step again

4a: If you want to, you can stop here and go ahead and call your representative. You can come up with an elaborate script if you want, but my conversations often go like this if I have not checked whether or not my rep is on the subcommittee where the bill's probably sitting at. It rarely goes over 2.5 minutes

Staffer: Hello, this is the office of [lawmaker]. Me: Hi, I'm calling as a constituent of [lawmaker] about [house/senate bill, bill number, bill name]. I wanted to express my [support/lack of support] for it, and was hoping you could pass along the message to [lawmaker] that as [his/her] constituent I would like [her/him] to vote [in favor/against] [bill name]. Staffer: Thank you so much for calling and voicing your opinion. I will let you know that the bill is currently [insert information about what subcommittee it's stuck in], but when it comes down for a floor vote, I'll be sure your voice is heard in the discussion. Can I get your name, and a phone number or email address? Me: My name is [name], my phone number is [number I called them from] Them: Alright, well thank you again for calling in today, and I'll be sure to pass this along Me: Thank you so much. Have a good day Staffer: You too, bu-bye *hangs up*

note: they are legally obligated to tally a yea/nae count of constituents calling/writing in and have to share it with reps

4b: If you want to call about bills that your representative currently has some direct sway over, check what subcommittees they're a part of. If you type their name in to this site and scroll down, you can find a list.

5: On the bill, there will be a line (or tab) that says activity, and says where it was most recently referred to, and see if one of your rep's subcommittee assignments is on there

6a: If they're on that subcommittee, great! go ahead and call using the same script as above

hi, Adam, here, and I’m speaking from my position in a movement to help save my college and our community. We need your help.

Goddard College, is a remarkable and vital learning institution that has brought tremendous social and economic value to Vermont, and has achieved much support and love from the wider Vermont community over the years.

For decades it’s provided a supportive student-focused environment and a strong community unlike any other college, transformed students into our best selves, and even saved lives.

Despite this it is currently in the process of being shut down by a board of trustees that has neglected their duties to operate in good faith and act in the best interest of the institution, to respect the contracts formed with both the faculty and staff unions, to honor their obligations to the students whose learning has been massively disrupted (and caused severe harm to students mental health) as well as to engage in good faith with all parties interested in acquiring the goddard name, academic program and campus.

The board have chosen a buyer for the campus. We’re doing the best we can but it’s been rough.

If you don’t have the energy to help that’s understandable, but for everyone who does there are three primary representatives we need to flood the inboxes of.

Becca balint (202) 225-4115)

Bernie sanders (202-224-5141)

Pete Welch (202-224-4242)

The goal is to get at least one of these representatives to actively sit down with us and discuss solutions. We need to call them *every day* until they meet with us at the Remake Goddard movement.

They asked me for my contact info afterwards. Forward anything they send you to [email protected].

Use this call script to guide your words on the call. https://docs.google.com/document/d/12Kwh4HrzKeLSmRglfUa7xUB3MLXa6_KqH4P0qX4m284/edit

Spread this to everyone you can. The more people who call in asking for the same thing, the better chance we have of getting it. The squeaky wheel gets the grease as they say. We need to be LOUD and we need to be IRRITATING.

The list i found says they voted no on the act, but my eyes started crossing before i could find out if it was because they wanted it more restricted or because they opposed it being repealed.

Also, note that many of your senators have a Washington DC office, and also one or more offices located in your state. I find sometimes if I can’t get a person at the DC office if I call the local one, I might get a person. (However I’ve only gotten voicemail so far today, which I assume is a good sign that people are calling). I also just like to call multiple offices so they’re getting more calls and hearing me from many places.

If you have phone anxiety, here is a resource you might find helpful.

I also find it’s useful to know what to expect, so I’m gonna chat a bit about my experiences calling my reps. I think when I was younger the thing that stopped me was not knowing how the call would go.

So, basically, you just call your senator’s office. You might be sent voicemail, especially if it’s a day that a lot of other people are calling. In this case, you just launch into your message and then hang up. If a person answers it’ll usually go something like, “Hi this is (representative name’s) office, how can we help?”

And then you just launch into your script.

Afterward they’ll usually say, “thank you for sharing your opinion,” or something. And the. You can hang up. Super quick.

Once I did have a democratic rep staff member tell me my rep agreed with me and that the issue was important to him. And I was like, “yay great.” And then hung up. But like I said, usually they just tell you your opinion has been noted and then you hang up.

In terms of Republican staff, I know people get anxious about them arguing with you or something. I’ve yet to experience this. The people answering the phone are staff members doing their job, and they are not supposed to argue, as that’s unprofessional. That said, I find it’s useful for my anxiety to have a script in case. Something along the lines of,

“I’m not here to argue, I’m just here to let my voice be heard.”

You don’t have to be 18 or older to call! (source x) For those of you not yet old enough to vote, you can still make your positions clear to your elected officials.

Step 1: Find out who your representatives are

There are many websites that let you put in your zip code. Here are two that worked for me (x x) 

Step 2: Find their phone numbers

According to people who’ve interned in senate offices, the best place to call is the district office of your senators and representative. That’s the office that is in your state rather than the one in Washington D.C. Just search {senator/representative’s name district office phone number} or look on their websites to find it. 

If you can’t find their district office phone number’s that’s okay! My senators didn’t have this information anywhere to be found (it’s almost like they don’t want their constituents to contact them hmmmm...), but all of their Washington office numbers are all on this website (x). 

Step 3: Know what you’re calling about

Have the issue(s) you are calling about in a concise, clear statement(s) ready to go. For example, I called to ask my elected officials not to repeal the Affordable Care Act. You can give a position on an upcoming bill or just an issue. Another example might be please protect Planned Parenthood. Make sure your position is not easily misunderstood. 

Step 4: The Call

Now for the call! Here’s about what you can expect:

Them: Hi, this is So-and-so’s office.

You: I would like to ask So-and-so to not repeal the Affordable Care Act (or whatever position you decided on in step three).

Them: Thank you! I’ll let them know. Anything else?

You: No, thank you. Goodbye./ Yes, {insert other issue here}

It’s as simple as that! Once you have their numbers saved in your, all you have to do is press a button, and your voice can be heard in Washington. You can call as often as you want (many sites recommend once a week about issues you are passionate about). 

Will the official actually hear about your call? 

Yes! The interns who field calls tally up all the positions in call report and the representative gets a report each day. You can seen an example of such a report here: x.

Of course this means that the volume of calls is the most crucial factor in whether your call inspires a change in position. This is why call drives are so effective: they definitely notice a sharp increase in calls on a specific issue. 

While you certainly can email your representatives, it is far less effective. About a year ago, I sent both of my senators an email asking them to support stricter gun regulation. It took them three and five months respectively to send me form letters assuring me they would fight for my 2nd amendment rights and ensure we still had access to our guns.

In contrast, I was talking to interns that report to my senators on the second ring. While your senators may be able to process mail (and read) better than mine, calls still garner more attention.

This does not mean if you are not comfortable on the phone that you should not email your elected officials. Please make sure to contact them in any way that you feel comfortable doing so. 

If you aren’t happy with the way things are going in Washington, make yourself heard. Convincing just a few senators or representatives that it would be a bad idea for their reelection prospects to vote one way or another on an issue, can make or break a bill. 

It’s time to remind Congress that their bosses aren’t special interests, or big corporations, or even the President.