Tell Your Senator to Vote NO on this Ruthless Giveaway to Billionaires
This bill serves only one purpose, to help the wealthy at the expense of the rest of us.
Right now, behind closed doors, the United States Senate is negotiating a sprawling and ruthless bill that guts and dismantles services, programs, policies, and laws that rural communities depend on for their health and wellbeing – so billionaires and corporations can get richer and pay less in taxes.
It’s time to take action and call your Senators.
We have to remind them that the wellbeing and livelihoods of our families, neighbors, and communities are on the line with this bill, and its current provisions are deeply unpopular with their constituents.
The most effective way we can deliver that message is through phone calls because congressional staff must listen to and account for every call they receive (whereas emails don’t receive the same level of attention).
What to expect when you call:
- When you call the capitol switchboard, the operator will ask which member of Congress you would like to be connected to. Tell them the name and state they represent. (Don’t know who your Senators or Representatives are? Find out here.)
- Most of the time you will be leaving a voicemail. That’s not unusual, especially if you call outside business hours in D.C.
- If you get someone on the phone, keep it short and be polite, but firm. These are often junior legislative assistants who cannot speak to the representatives’ views on legislation and can only take note of your viewpoint.
Make your call to Congress
Call the Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121.
Here is what you can say to your Senator:
My name is [NAME] and I live in [CITY / STATE]. I am calling to voice my opposition to the reconciliation bill. The bill cuts taxes for billionaires and corporations at the expense of the rest of us and would devastate rural communities like mine if it became law.
I’m am shocked at what is being negotiated, especially because this bill would:
[We encourage you to choose one or two from the list of bullet points below that outrage you the most and make the most sense for where you live. You can always call the following day or week to voice your objections to more of what’s included in the bill.]
- Severely diminish Americans’ lawful right to have a say on federal decisions involving fossil fuel development and other projects on public and private lands.
- Give federal agencies the power to rubber-stamp certain fossil fuel projects, allowing companies to pay to avoid any legal review.
- Assure American taxpayers do not receive a fair rate of return on the development of public lands and minerals, depriving state and local governments of funding they rely on for rural schools, roads, and basic infrastructure.
- Eliminate clean energy tax credits, a move that would kill jobs, drive up the cost of electricity, and pull the rug out from underneath homeowners and rural electric co-ops who were counting on those credits
- Continue the extremely expensive and wasteful carbon capture tax credit that is driving carbon pipelines and injection proposals across the West – something that could cost taxpayers at least $30 billion over the next 10 years.
- Sell off between 2 and 3 million acres of public lands across 11 western states, setting an extremely dangerous precedent for future sell offs in other states.
- Cut Medicaid by $715 billion, leaving 8.6 million people without healthcare.
- Cut $211 billion from SNAP by shifting costs to states, which they can’t afford and would take food away from eligible children and families in need.
This bill serves only one purpose, to help the wealthy at the expense of the rest of us. I ask that you vote NO against this bill.
Thank you and have a nice day.