From reader No One of Consequence:
As luck would have it, I was fortunate enough to be ahead of this curve. I called Senators Grassley and Earnst (ETA: on last Friday). I prefaced the reason for my call with the fact that I was proud of both of my senators for not siding on with the Electoral Results Deniers, and that indeed they should not have. I then followed with my belief that the events of Wednesday provided evidence of a clear and present danger to the Country in the person of Donald J Trump, and that he should be lawfully removed from office as quickly as possible. I left my name, address and the fact that I am a born-and-raised Iowan.
My last call to their local offices was to express my belief that their actions and votes in the most recent impeachment trial were unconscionable, and I was disgusted with my Senatorial representation.
After you call, please use this thread to note how the offices reacted, if you got a reaction. CaseyL voices a concern that I have heard a lot:
I don’t know if that is a rule or SOP, but the rule of thumb for years has been, there is no point calling a Representative or a Senator if you’re not in their district/state. Their policies affect all of us, for pity’s sake.
You have to call your own representation because American democracy, refreshingly, works more or less exactly as intended. Representatives represent their district and only their district. The only exception is the few people with enough money to get the Congressperson or Senator’s personal attention, and that does not describe you or me. If you call someone who does not represent you, you will waste your time and annoy their staff.
I’ll post a Max pic when I see more reports in the comments. Yes, that’s extortion. No, you can’t send a screenshot to Bad Legal Takes.
Kent
My Senators are Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray. I’m not sure either of them are on the fence about Trump but I’ll give their office a call.
Nicole
… Though I think it doesn’t hurt to call someone you aren’t represented by to thank them sometimes. Not because it will get to them, but because you’ll make some intern’s life a little more pleasant. I called Nancy Pelosi’s office early in 2011 after the Dems lost the House to say I was glad Pelosi ran for Minority Leader and to keep up the good fight and I thought the young woman on the other end was going to burst into tears when she thanked me.
But yeah, as far as criticism- if you don’t have a vote to offer them, they don’t care.
WaterGirl
Tim, I have been Googling, trying to find a resource that lists local offices for US representatives.
Does anyone know if such a resource exists, or if there are magic words you can google, along with the name of your state, to find the local office phone numbers?
Just Chuck
Now you bigfooted Cheryl with both feet. Welcome back to the jackal pit Tim :)
Just Chuck
@WaterGirl: It should be on your local rep’s web page. Mine lists both their DC office number and their local one.
LuciaMia
Did I hear correctly? Trump is supposed to speak sometime today. Lordy, what the f*ck now.
Just Chuck
@LuciaMia: 10-1 odds it’ll be another toneless reading of a prepared script.
MattF
I’d assumed that MD Senators Cardin and Van Hollen are on the correct side and their home pages confirm both saying Trump should go immediately. And… my congressional rep is Jamie Raskin.
Gary K
My representative is an Ohio Republican who voted against sustaining the electoral college objections, and I wrote him to say thanks. But he doesn’t really matter at the moment; the House Dems by themselves can impeach. On the other hand, I intend to haunt Rob Portman every day, by e-mail, phone, or both. We’ve got to hold his feet to the fire.
(Before redistricting my rep was Jim Jordan, who’s being awarded the Medal of Freedom today. Trump can debase anything.)
Just Chuck
Bullshit. Moscow Mitch fucked all of us over in every state. He needs to be held accountable by all of us.
Ceci n est pas mon nym
@Just Chuck: Somebody must have explained to him the consequences (i.e. $$$ costs to him) of an impeachment, even if it’s months from now. So he’s going to try to convince us there aren’t terrorists at this very moment planning something for this weekend or the 20th.
Whatever words he says, he can’t backtrack them immediately on Twitter, so there’s that. Maybe he’ll flash those supremecist hand signals or give a Nazi salute while pretending he’s stretching or something.
zhena gogolia
I called De Lauro, Murphy, and Blumenthal (got machines everywhere except De Lauro’s local office) — I know they support impeachment and removal, but I expressed my support.
WaterGirl
@Just Chuck: Thanks. I’m not looking for mine in particular. I’m hoping for a source where everyone could find their local offices for their reps.
zhena gogolia
@Nicole:
I called Schiff’s office repeatedly during the first impeachment to express my support.
zhena gogolia
@WaterGirl:
Just google the person’s name and their site will list their local number.
WaterGirl
@MattF: Then be a voice telling them that they are on the right side. There will be plenty of voices telling them otherwise.
Princess
I FAX’d my rep and senators on Sunday — they’re all onside but I wanted to give them the affirmation. That being said, if I were to call them, and if I were to call GOP reps and senators especially, I might try to call their Capitol Hill numbers. The people who answer calls there either were personally traumatized themselves on the 6th or have friends who were. I would make use of that — be concerned and empathetic and firm that action must be taken so it never happens again. Someone can tell me if this is terrible advice, but I saw posts that McCarthy’s staffers were all freaking out and putting pressure on him. I think we can use that. These were real people who have experienced something they never thought would happen to them. We know that’s the only thing that changes GOPers minds.
LuciaMia
@Just Chuck: I doubt it. He’s still regretting his last ‘hostage’ speech.
Man, can you imagine if he DID announce his resignation? The bells in Paris would be ringing out again.
Feathers
Mastercard is no longer processing donations to Senators and Congressmen who voted against certifying election:correction: Mastercard’s PAC is no longer donating to Senators and Congressmen who voted against certifying election
https://twitter.com/JuddLegum/status/1348678972863881216?s=20
Mary G
I spoke to my rep. Mike Levin’s local office last week and again today. He is of course fully on board. I called DiFi’s LA office today too for you, Tim, though I’ve always gotten a snippy young person young person who acts like I’m wasting their time, so I’m handwriting a letter also, too.
Scout211
@WaterGirl:
https://www.house.gov/representatives
https://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
My congress person had his local number on his listing but I don’t know if all of them do.
zhena gogolia
@Princess:
I couldn’t get through to anybody on the DC numbers.
Gary K
@WaterGirl: To find the local numbers for your representative, google her/his name. One of the top hits will be their official page, and on that page they will list the phone numbers.
Alternatively, start at https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/map, and click on your district.
Kelly
Oregon’s Democrats issued impeach Trump statements right away with the exception of my Rep Kurt Schrader who started out by telling his colleagues at the caucus meeting that a rush to impeach Trump was a “lynching”. The immediate and epic blowback brought him around to the impeach camp.
lee
My Senators are ‘Coup Cruz’ and ‘weather vane Cornyn’. I’m not going to bother calling Cruz, we know he would never cross Trump.
Cornyn on the other hand might just might recognize which was the wind is blowing and vote to convict.
zhena gogolia
OT but short and funny:
WaterGirl
@Scout211: I had already added the Senate link in the sidebar, but I just added the one for the house. thanks.
oldster
@lee:
Cruz is no slouch on the weather-vane action, either. Once it becomes clear that Trump is toast, Cruz will be elbowing his way in front of a camera to make self-righteous, moralistic denunciations of Trump.
Rubio, too, is going to start finding bible verses to fit his conversion to the resistance.
Baud
@Feathers:
Wow.
The Limper
So what would people advise for someone like me who has a Trumpublican Rep who voted to overturn the electoral college vote?
What about for Senators (retch) Blackburn and Hagerty?
lee
@oldster: Cruz always seems to be the last to figure out the direction of the wind. So I don’t expect him to figure it out until sometime later this year.
Cornyn at least is a slightly ahead of Cruz and might see it now.
Roger Moore
@MattF:
Even if your reps are on the side of the angels, it doesn’t hurt to let them know their constituents are behind them.
Kent
My GOP Congresswoman Jaime Herrera-Beutler (WA-3rd covering SW Washington and Vancouver) came out opposed to the GOP efforts to block the electoral college certification back in December and was not one of the traitors who voted against certification. Local news is now all over her about her position on impeachment and she has been uncommittal. But I suspect the real action is going to be in the Senate anyway. They don’t need her vote to impeach.
Calouste
@Feathers: NOT CORRECT!
The document says that Mastercard is no longer making donations itself, via its own Political Action Committee, to Representatives and Senators who voted against certifying the election. It doesn’t say anything about processing payments made by other people to those Representatives and Senators.
bluefoot
I’m in MA. I had called and also filled out the contact forms (which require address, phone, email and CATCHPA) for my MoC on Thursday. I also contacted my previous rep since I recently moved and had lived in her district for 10 years. The only full reply I got was from Sen. Markey’s office. I plan on calling again today with my support and further request for full investigations (since Jan 6 looks more and more horrific as more info comes out). I also plan on calling Pelosi’s office. I am thinking also the Judicial Committee members?
trnc
I plan to call NC Senators Thom Tillis and Richard Burr later, but there’s no question Tillis continues to support DT.
https://www.tillis.senate.gov/2021/1/tillis-statement-on-electoral-college-certification
Burr couldn’t be bothered to take a stand, so he’s probably stuck in the middle of some insider trading deal.
Mary G
Representative Bonnie Watson Coleman from NJ, who is Black, had to shelter in place during the insurrection with some Republican assholes who refused to mask up, and now has tested positive for Covid. She reports mild symptoms so far.
ETA: Sorry Spanky, didn’t see your reply in the last thread.
Woodrow/asim
I’ve looked for some time, in vain. So far as I’m aware, the only reliable source for local offices is your Rep’s web page, as others have stated.
That said, I’ll give a tip as a former Senate Office Page* — if you have access to a fax machine/online fax service, this can be a way to cut thru and get your words heard. That’s what I use for my notes to Graham and Scott here in SC, and I generally get a response that actually isn’t 100% canned.
* For no less than Strom Thurmond. That was an eye-opening month, let me tell you.
WaterGirl
@The Limper: Call and tell the office exactly what you think of their treason. There are links in the sidebar with inspirational letters from Martin and Albatrossity.
Maybe read those before you make your call and see if there is a point or two or language in those that you want to use when you make your calls?
WaterGirl
@Kent: She sounds EXACTLY like who you should be calling. Impeaching with 250 or 300 votes is way better than impeaching with the minimum.
We need to make this a tide that cannot be ignored or resisted.
WaterGirl
@Feathers: How would you feel about my editing your comment to make it clear that MasterCard is no longer donating to any of them.
They have not stopped processing of donations from other people or organizations.
Argiope
Senators Brown and Portman of Ohio contacted and messages left on their CLE office voicemails. Email sent to my seditious rep Gym Jordan who will ignore it and continue to polish the presidential knob while whipping up further insurrection.
schrodingers_cat
I have an all D Congressional representation. Our DTC of which I am member wrote a long email to their offices just now. We even got a response from Senator Markey this morning. Since they had a letter ready to go tells me that a lot of people are contacting their offices
DTC = Dem Town Committee
mrmoshpotato
Trump trash still has a head to cry from.
I wish Colbert had taken Seth Meyers’ A Closer Look “Fuck you, and here’s why” stance months if not years ago but this is good.
Fire up the chainsaws.
Sebastian
Tim, I respectfully disagree with not calling representatives from other districts. Considering how much I donated to races im districts I don’t live in, providing ones name (so the office can verify past donations) and pledging to donate money and time to the reps opponent can influence a politician.
it would be even more impactful if combined with a pledgecounter where politicians can see how much is being raised against them.
gvg
@Mary G: I saw that and came to comment on that. She is a cancer survivor too. I really want someone to sue the people who give them covid. Teach them “responsibility”
brendancalling
I have made a lot of calls, not only to my current reps here in Vermont, but to my former reps in PA (where I’m a registered voter) and to my former reps in Tennessee (where I still know my address).
On a related note, I would encourage anyone on Facebook who sees people bragging about being in DC for the rally and splitting hairs about their role to report those braggarts to the FBI. You can do so anonymously, and you can upload screenshots. I am not normally a rat, and do not like the cops, but I draw the line at traitors.
geg6
Copied and pasted from last thread:
Oh, and I called all of mine Friday. Lamb, to thank him for his wonderful speech on the House floor during the certification vote. Casey I thanked for being the mensch that he is. And I got a staffer at Toomey’s office who said the senator did NOT approve of the president’s actions and, while not sure about impeachment, was pretty open to it as a last resort.
Feathers
@WaterGirl: Fine. I saw a tweet from someone who I thought was a reputable source.
JPL
Tim, Since the last time you posted, I’m now blue. Rep. Lucy McBath has already come out in support of ousting the white supremacist in office, and my Senators won’t be confirmed for another five to ten days.
sixthdoctor
My senators are Cardin and Van Hollen, left messages with them both. VH always goes to voicemail but I sometimes get a live person for Cardin; I didn’t this time and hope that means he’s getting calls.
Also will call my rep, Kweisi Mfume, and ask him to vote to expel McCarthy.
PT&S
Rep. Michael McCaul (R- Austin TX): no statement of position or intention available to public. My opinion recorded.
I forgot to thank him for voting against the Electoral College challenges, so perhaps one of y’all will remember to fill in for me if you call him.
Enhanced Voting Techniques
@LuciaMia: Yes, at Alamo, Texas (not the Mission) I assume Trump will be comparing Pelosi to “Generalissimo Carlos Santana”, presumably, whose awesome guitar rifts signaled the Mexican attack.
WaterGirl
@Feathers: i’ll add an update now. Just to be clear, i wasn’t being critical of you; I just want to be sure we aren’t picking up on and passing along incorrect information. thanks.
edit: updated
Madeleine
I called my Rep and Senators last Thurs afternoon. At their DC offices, staffs were not available and I left messages insisting that, if the 25th Amendment was not invoked immediately, impeachment be undertaken; that the failure of law enforcement be investigated and addressed; and that insurrectionists be found, arrested, and tried. Too much, I know, but it was Thurs. afternoon and I was still hair-on-fire furious. As it turned out, my Rep, Jamaal Bowman, had already signed on to the impeachment.
mali muso
Copying from the last thread: I’ve been calling mine since Thursday, although they are all on the side of good. In fact my Representative, Jennifer Wexton, was calling for impeachment pretty much immediately following the attack. Kaine and Warner are solid. But I’m gonna keep calling just to encourage them and their staff that I’ve got their backs.
mac8
Called Rep Gonzalez’s office (OH-16) and got a real person. Said my piece on thanking him for not objecting to the certification and asked him to push for accountability for all those responsible. She took down my name and that was it; I didn’t push because her voice sounded really rough — either she was not having a good day or she’s getting over something. Either way I felt bad about making her talk any more than necessary.
WaterGirl
I called my representative, Rodney David (R-Scumbag).
He didn’t vote in support of the challenges to the election. They say he has decried the violent assault on the capital, but he does not yet have a statement with regard to what should happen from here.
They don’t know when he will have a position on that, but I said there can be no unity until we address this head on, and I used Tim’s words to say that I “demand a full and relentless accountability for violent insurgents and those who aided them”, either before or after. I asked him to vote to expel anyone who supported the challenge to the election.
I asked whether it’s best to reach them by phone, email, fax, etc. The fellow said that it makes no difference because no matter how you contact them “it all goes into the same system”. For what it’s worth. I imagine every office is different.
He was polite, but very neutral.
WaterGirl
I called my senator, Tammy Duckworth, and had to leave a message as there was no human involved.
I called my senator, Dick Durbin, and a human answered the phone.
They said his primary objective at this point it to remove the president from office, for national security reasons, and that once that happens he will move on holding his enablers in public office accountable.
Jay K.
I’ve called my Rep and Senators daily since the attack. Congresswoman Kaptur (D OH-9) supports impeachment and using the 25th Amendment. Awesome Senator Sherrod Brown has called for removing Trump, and for Hawley and Cruz to resign or be expelled.
The awful Rob Portman is still bleating about a commission to investigate “election issues” and can only offer “thoughts and prayers” to the families of the Capitol Police who died. His awful staff never answer the phone, but I’ve let him have it via voicemail each time I call. He’s despicable.
stinger
Called local offices for Grassley and Ernst and spoke to live humans. Started by confirming that each Senator and their staff weren’t harmed during the insurrection, then asked that the senator in question support all efforts to investigate and punish offenders, including elected officials who provided information and/or incitement before and during the assault. In particular, I asked that they vote for impeachment if the House sends articles to them, as Trump has clearly demonstrated his unfitness for office. That it doesn’t matter how little time he has left in office; this is too important. Also called my provisional Representative, Miller-Meeks — that election is still being contested, so she only lists a DC office number. Miller-Meeks was very pro-Trump during her campaign, but had come out with a statement against challenging electors, which surprised me. I only got an answering machine there, but thanked her for opposing the challenge and left a similar request on investigating, punishing, and impeaching.
Sparkedcat
@The Limper
This is our dilemma. My rep is John Rose of the Sedition Caucus. Have been crafting a response. Called several times today and the voicemail is full.
stinger
@Woodrow/asim:
Deets, please!
debbie
@Gary K:
That weasel deserves worse than a haunting.
PAM Dirac
My rep is Jamie Raskin and although he certainly doesn’t need any push to support impeachment, with what he’s been through there’s plenty of other support needed.
N M
Lurker here. I am from Wisconsin, Madison area. I reached out to my rep, Mark Pocan, and my senators Tammy Baldwin and (*spit*) Ron Johnson. I could only get voicemail boxes when I gave them a call, though I tried all of (*spit*) Ron Johnson’s listed offices. I of course left voicemails, not that I expect that did much good, but whadda ya gonna do.
bluefoot
One thing I’ve been thinking about is not just our members of Congress. Are you a member of a professional organization? A union? An org that gives money to political campaigns? If so, there may be ways to ask/pressure the leadership to put out a statement. If you’re a member of the NYS Bar Association, can you request Rudi gets disbarred for inciting insurrection? Or request members who participated on Jan 6th get sanctioned in some way? I’m not a lawyer, and I’m just spitballing here. In any case, the more we can normalize the idea and participation in insurrection and planned assassinations is wrong (I can’t believe I need to write this sentence), the more expectation there will be for impeachment, investigation and consequences.
Topclimber
@Sebastian: I agree. If I give money and canvass for a candidate in another district I damn well expect a response.
Luthiengineer
I called both senators and my rep on Thursday. Had to leave messages for the Senators, so did not get a reaction. My rep was ready to go for impeachment and had publicly stated support early Thursday morning. VA District 11, D-Connolly.
BCHS Class of 1980
We live in FL-12 and my wife called our GOP Rep Bilirakis. My nickname for him is “Replacement Level Republican” and since he’s a Florida Man too, he has Covid and is using his quarantine to 🦆 all of this. I’m sure that some of these votes could be handled via proxy but I’m sure he’s going to keep his head down as long as possible because he’s exactly that sort of nebbishy coward.
jackson
Called my rep.
lowtechcyclist
I called up Steny Hoyer’s office to express my surprise that consideration of the impeachment resolution had been put off until Wednesday. Why? Because Pelosi wants to give Pence 24 hours to invoke the 25th Amendment.
Well fine, but Pelosi said that over the weekend; why couldn’t the clock have started running on Sunday? (Hell, why not last Thursday?) Because for some reason the 24 hours can’t start until the House passes this 25th Amendment resolution, which it can’t do until tomorrow.
(Please don’t ask me to explain why an ultimatum to Pence personally has to take the form of a House-passed resolution. I don’t see that anywhere in the Constitution or even the House rules. ISTM like the sort of thing you’d do if you would strongly prefer to do nothing and really want to stall as much as possible. They’d better impeach this week, because the shit’s gonna hit the fan again this weekend.)
But I’ve digressed. The staffer who answered the phone went on about how House procedure must’ve required the 25th Amendment resolution before starting Pence’s 24 hour countdown. I eventually got tired of listening to the bullshit and signed off.
Windpond
I live in Alaska, called Lisa Murkowski and only option was to leave a message, same with Dan Sullivan. Don Young’s office answered directly, I gave my position on wanting Trump removed from office and asked what Young’s position was in the matter. His assistant said he had not yet formed an opinion.
Lumpy
This was the toll-free hotline to Congress (I tried to check if still active, but it’s after hours and nobody picks up)
202-224-3121
In the past you could tell the operator your zip code, and they would put you through to the correct representative. I understand that it works like a tally system, where they keep a count of “for” and “against” calls. The staffers are often interns (I think) and it’s no use expressing uncontrolled anger, because they will dismiss your call as a kook if you don’t seem rational.
As far as companies like JP Morgan Chase stopping all contributions for the next 6 months, big deal… there are no upcoming elections so it’s purely symbolic, if even that much.