Calling our congressional representatives en masse is one of the hallmarks of the Indivisible guide and a proven strategy that worked for the Tea Party. When you call, be brief, respectful, and stick to a single topic. Here are some sample scripts to get you started.
Affordable Care Act
I am calling to ask my [Senator or Representative] to vote NO on the repeal of the ACA and the mandates which help Obamacare function. The ACA has made it possible for 20 million more Americans to get health insurance, reduced the uninsured rate to the lowest in history, and made health insurance within reach for millions of people. It also offers important consumers protections that protect Americans’ the health and financial security. We should not return to the time when a family was an illness away from bankruptcy, and taxpayers had to pay $75 to $125 BILLION to cover the costs of care for the uninsured. Please vote NO on repealing the ACA/Obamacare without plans for a simultaneous replacement.
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Andrew Puzder
From The Nation:
I am calling to urge you to oppose the nomination of Andrew Puzder as Labor Secretary. Mr. Puzder has shown again and again that he cannot be trusted to look out for workers’ best interests or to even follow basic labor laws himself. His company, CKE Restaurant, is currently being sued for wage theft and sexual harassment, and we recently discovered that he did not even follow labor laws when hiring a housekeeper in his own home. I urge you to oppose Andrew Puzder’s nomination.
Ben Carson
I’m calling to urge you to block the appointment of Dr. Ben Carson as head of the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Dr. Carson himself admits that lacks the experience and expertise necessary for this, or any, cabinet position, and his retrograde statements on fair housing rules are a threat to the civil rights of countless American citizens. Please block Dr. Carson’s confirmation. Thank you.
Betsy DeVos
I’m calling to ask you to vote NO on the confirmation of Betsy DeVos for Education Secretary, a job for which she has no relevant credentials or experience. DeVos and her family have pushed policies which have undermined public education in Michigan through the use of vouchers for charter schools. Charter schools create a second failed education system with no accountability and divert much needed funds from public education. Her views pose an unprecedented threat to the public school system as a civic institution. Please vote no on the confirmation of Betsy DeVos.
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Cabinet Nominees / Fast-Tracking / OGE Letter
I’m calling to ask what the Senator is doing about cabinet appointees such as Rex Tillerson and Betsy DeVos who have not completed financial disclosure forms or undergone background checks. In the Office of Government Ethics’ 40-year history, the Senate has never held a confirmation hearing before the nominee’s ethics review was complete. The Senator cannot fulfill his Constitutional duty if he doesn’t fully understand potential conflicts of interest. Can you tell me what the Senator is going to do about this?
Hat tip to Indivisible D/FW TX – contact them for long-form scripts
Elaine Chao
Hello, I’m calling to ask my senator/representative to vote NO on the nomination of Elaine Chao as Secretary of Transportation. I am concerned about Ms. Chao’s financial and political conflicts of interest. Furthermore, Ms. Chao’s tenure as Secretary of Labor was earmarked by brutal cost slashing and union busting efforts. If this same style of reduction is applied to our nation’s infrastructure, it could potentially have a deadly result. Thank you for your time.
Global Warming
Hello, I am one of your constituents in Texas. I am concerned about global warming. I don’t believe that Republicans are genuine when they disagree with the scientific consensus that global warming is caused by humans and threatens our planet. Rather, Republicans are aware that the only real way to combat global warming is through progressive policies espoused by Democrats, such as investment in renewable energy and public transportation. It is time to put politics aside and do what is right for our children and grandchildren. We can debate the methods of fighting manmade global warming, but we must stop debating its existence. Thank you for listening.
James Mattis
Hello, I’m calling to ask my senator/representative to vote NO on the nomination of James Mattis as Secretary of Defense. I am concerned that Mr. Mattis has not yet completed the mandatory waiting period required between armed service and appointed office. Furthermore, Mr. Mattis has a checkered history, having once been quoted as saying it was a “a hell of a lot of fun to shoot” people. The President Elect’s attempt to fill positions with warhawks is disconcerting. Thank you for your time.
Jeff Sessions
I am calling to voice my concerns about the selection of Sen. Jeff Sessions as Attorney General, and urge you to block his appointment to the Justice Department. Sessions has a long record of racial insensitivity, bias against immigrants, disregard for the rule of law and hostility to the protection of civil rights that makes him unfit to serve as the attorney general of the United States.
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John F. Kelly
Hello, I’m calling to ask my senator/representative to vote NO on the nomination of John F Kelly as head of the Department of Homeland Security. I am concerned about Mr. Kelly’s flippant attitude about civil rights issues, particularly in regards to prisoners held in Guantanamo Bay. Mr. Kelly described actions by civil rights groups as “foolishness.” The President Elect’s attempt to fill positions with warhawks is disconcerting. Thank you for your time.
Mike Pompeo
Hello. I am calling to ask you to vote No on the confirmation of Mike Pompeo for CIA director. Pompeo has no meaningful experience in espionage. He has advocated for the bulk collection of domestic calling records that violates US citizens’ privacy. He also advocates returning to the use of waterboarding and other ineffective torture techniques, and is against closing CIA black sites. Please vote no and do not confirm Mike Pompeo.
Muslim Ban 2.0
Trump’s newest executive order singling out refugees and people from six Muslim-majority countries has the same fatal flaws as his first attempt. It does not represent American values and it violates our Constitution. The only way to fix a Muslim ban is to get rid of it. As your constituent, I implore you to do everything in your power to publicly denounce, oppose, and fight Trump’s unconstitutional Muslim ban.
Office of Congressional Ethics
I’m calling about the effort to undermine the OCE known as the Goodlatte* Amendment. If the House dismantles its own ethics office, how can we trust that they have the spine to represent our interests under Trump, whose conflicts of interests present their own ethical dilemmas? As your constituent, I would like to know how you voted on this rule change.
*Pronounced “GUUD-lat”
Planned Parenthood
Hi, my name is ____________ and I live in _____________.
I’m calling to ask my representative to vote NO on any attempt to defund Planned Parenthood.
This is nothing more than a blatantly political attempt to do whatever it takes to attack women’s health and rights and take health care away from the people who need it most. If Congress cuts funding to Planned Parenthood, millions of people will be left without access to birth control, lifesaving cancer screenings, and other basic care. Many of them will have nowhere else to go for the health care they need.
I’m counting on my representative to do the right thing and stand up for the Planned Parenthood patients in our community and across the country who rely on those health centers.
I stand with Planned Parenthood because [insert your own story, if you like].
I expect my representative to vote against any attacks on Planned Parenthood and the vital health services they provide.
Thank you for your time.
Presidential Accountability Act
I’m calling about HR 6340, Rep. Katherine Clark’s Presidential Accountability Act. Clark’s bill would would increase our homeland security by ensuring the homeland comes before the president’s personal interests; and it would ensure that the president is not immune from investigation. I’m calling to ask that you do your job, as a legislator and an American, and make sure Rep. Clark’s bill passes.
Presidential Tax Transparency Act
I’m calling to voice my support for the Presidential Tax Transparency Act, which would give the public honest insight into the president-elect’s actions, values and foreign business dealings. A president’s tax returns should be a matter of public record; there is no excuse for Donald Trump to play by a different set of rules. Thank you.
REINS Act
I am calling to ask you to vote NO on the the REINS Act. The REINS Act would delay or shut down the development of critical new health and safety protections, obstructing actions that Congress has already mandated by law. It will also effectively shut down the oversight system that protects the public’s health and safety in favor of inaction that pads polluter profits.
Rex Tillerson, Secretary of State
Hello. I’m calling to ask my senator to vote NO on the nomination of Rex Tillerson as Secretary of State. I am concerned about Mr. Tillerson’s numerous potential conflicts of interest, especially his close ties with Russia’s Vladmir Putin. These ties are worrisome in light of the US intelligence community’s assertion that there was Russian interference in the November 2016 election. Furthermore, Tillerson’s stance on climate change is unclear and should be considered during his confirmation because as Secretary of State he could have some influence on environmental policy. Thank you for your time.
Rick Perry, Secretary of Energy
Hi my name is ____, I am a constituent of Sen. [Cornyn or Cruz] and I am calling to urge you to vote “NO” on the confirmation of Rick Perry for Secretary of Energy. Gov. Perry has no scientific or professional background that qualifies him to serve in this role. His fundamental misunderstanding that the DOE is responsible for securing our nation’s nuclear arsenal makes him wholly unqualified for this role. Furthermore, he is on the record as a climate change skeptic, and I believe he is unlikely to continue the DOE’s cultivation of safe, renewable energy sources. I hope you will demand a higher qualification for this important position than political loyalty to the President-Elect. Thank you.
Russian intervention in elections
Hello, I am one of your constituents in Texas. I am concerned about the possible foreign intervention from Russia into our presidential election. I encourage you to join your fellow GOP senators and representatives in calling for a full inquiry. This is not a democratic or republican issue. Our nation is founded on free and fair elections, and foreign intervention puts our democracy at risk. History, and voters, will not look kindly on representatives in Congress who looked the other way when a foreign government infiltrated our elections. Thank you.
Steven Mnuchin for Treasury Secretary
“I oppose Steven Mnuchin (Men-oo-chin) for Secretary of Treasury because of his history of predatory loan and foreclosure practices, ties to Goldman Sachs and Wall Street, and conflicts of interest. He cannot be trusted with ensuring financial justice in our country. Please reject Steven Mnuchin for Secretary of Treasury.”
Courtesy of Valerie Overton
Scott Pruitt for EPA
“Having Scott Pruitt in charge of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is like putting an arsonist in charge of fighting fires. He is a climate science denier who, as Attorney General for the state of Oklahoma, regularly conspired with the fossil fuel industry to attack EPA protections.
“Nothing less than our children’s health is at stake. Scott Pruitt, whose own bio describes him as ‘a leading advocate against the EPA’s activist agenda’ cannot be trusted to head the EPA, an agency charged with protecting all Americans from threats to their water, air, and health. We strongly urge Senators, who are elected to represent and protect the American people, to stand up for families across the nation and oppose this nomination.”
Tom Price for HHS
Trump’s Conflicts of Interest
Hello, I am one of your constituents in Texas. I am concerned about Trump’s many conflicts of interest. Passing control of his business interests to his children is not enough; he needs to completely divest and place his assets in a blind trust. Congressional Republicans are our best hope for providing checks and balances on Trump. Republicans who blindly accept Trump’s words and actions put our Democracy at risk, and set precedent for future administrations from either party. History, and voters, will reward only those who oppose Trump’s ethical lapses. Thank you for listening.
Trump Hotel
Donald Trump needs to fully divest from the Trump Hotel and all other holdings. We cannot have a president who puts his personal interests ahead of those of the country.
Wilbur Ross
Hello, I’m calling to ask my senator/representative to vote NO on the nomination of Wilbur Ross as Commerce Secretary. I am concerned about Mr. Ross’ record of predatory business tactics which favor the corporation over the worker and his financial and political conflicts of interests. Mr. Ross has a long history of favoring the bottom line over that of the common man in many industries, from coal to banking. Thank you for your time.