How to Call Congress
Good old phone calls— not yet obsolete even in the age of social media, phone calls to members of Congress make a valuable addition to your advocacy toolkit.
 |
| Image credit: tripadvisor |
This is one of the easiest actions you can take. If you have a phone and a spare moment, right before school or between activities, all you have to do is call your member of Congress' office and leave a quick comment. When we all call together, we keep ourselves engaged, our Congress accountable, and our democracy alive. And all that can be done in a couple of minutes!
The first step is to get the right phone number. If you already know the names of your members of Congress, just search for their office number and it will come up right away. If you don’t already know, some online searches will get you that information pretty quickly. (Find your U.S. Representative here.)
When you call, the person who picks up the phone is a congressional aide, and their job is to track how many constituents support/oppose things, so they can tell their boss. They won’t judge you for messing up, or argue with you if they disagree.
First, give your name and ZIP code so they can confirm you're actually a constituent. Then, state what you would like the senator/representative to do. It’s good to be specific! If you have the name of a bill, be sure to include that. The most important things to remember are these— be patient, polite, and clear. It’s okay if you stumble a bit, too. I’ve been in the habit of calling Congress for years, but I still like to write down what I will say first, so I don’t forget anything. This process gets much easier the more you do it. In time, it will even become second nature.
If no one picks up, leave a message anyway! Your call still has the same impact. Since I usually call outside of normal office hours, this happens to me a lot.
The first step is to get the right phone number. If you already know the names of your members of Congress, just search for their office number and it will come up right away. If you don’t already know, some online searches will get you that information pretty quickly. (Find your U.S. Representative here.)
 |
| Senator Rubio has a fancy website that shows you all his offices! |
When you call, the person who picks up the phone is a congressional aide, and their job is to track how many constituents support/oppose things, so they can tell their boss. They won’t judge you for messing up, or argue with you if they disagree.
First, give your name and ZIP code so they can confirm you're actually a constituent. Then, state what you would like the senator/representative to do. It’s good to be specific! If you have the name of a bill, be sure to include that. The most important things to remember are these— be patient, polite, and clear. It’s okay if you stumble a bit, too. I’ve been in the habit of calling Congress for years, but I still like to write down what I will say first, so I don’t forget anything. This process gets much easier the more you do it. In time, it will even become second nature.
 |
| What I've been calling about recently: Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance |
If no one picks up, leave a message anyway! Your call still has the same impact. Since I usually call outside of normal office hours, this happens to me a lot.
Here are a few different sample scripts for phone calls, to give you an idea of how it can go:
Add your voice to a protest:
"Hi, my name is ______ and I am your constituent. My ZIP code is _____. I wanted to let you know that I stand with the people protesting today about __________. I hope to see the Senator take leadership in Congress on this issue. Thank you."
Advocate for a specific solution:
"I'm calling because I'm really concerned about the climate crisis, and I'm excited about the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act as a chance to reduce emissions. The bill code is H.R. 763. Will the Congresswoman cosponsor this important legislation?"
Weigh in on government spending:
"I hope the Congressman will make sure global nutrition programs get the funding they need in our federal budget."
Express frustration respectfully:
"I saw the Senator's comments about _________ on the news, and as her constituent I am disappointed that she's taken this view. I hope she will change her mind and do _________ instead."
Give positive reinforcement for favorable outcomes:
"I am calling to thank the Congressman for voicing support for UNICEF. His leadership in Congress is very valuable and I hope he will take the next step by cosponsoring H. Res. 230, which focuses on stopping violence against children."
Need some extra inspiration to make your first call? Watch this two-minute video from RESULTS! Ready, get set...
Comments
Post a Comment