MAKE YOUR VOICES HEARD!

Corporate America is gearing up for a massive lobbying effort to try to reduce the $3.5 billion reconciliation bill. We can’t let their voices be the only ones heard in Congress.

It’s time to speak up!

To support climate change legislation, please contact your representatives and senators and urge them to keep the reconciliation bill intact. Legislative staff track the number of calls and emails they receive on an issue, and these numbers influence their vote in Congress. With over 1,000 members in our local chapter, our collective voices can make a real impact.

Your individual voice really does make a difference.

When contacting your legislators, individualized emails, letters or calls work best. Form emails from environmental groups, the ones which ask you to just type in your name and zip code, do show interest but are not as effective as personal emails or calls. When writing an email or letter, short comments with personal stories work best. Think of reducing your Climate Reality message to a few concise paragraphs.

Better yet, attend a town meeting or meet with your legislators to express your views and ask questions. Visit your legislators’ website to sign up for newsletters and announcements to learn when town meetings occur. The Our Climate Moment group, an action-oriented team within our local chapter, meets virtually with members of Congress and Senate to speak with them about climate legislation. Please consider joining the team – we can make a difference!

For helpful information and advice about communicating with your legislators, please refer to this Citizen-Centric Advocacy document. Emily Ellsworth Coleman, who worked for Congress for six years, has also published a document with best tips for effectively communicating with legislators. Another great resource for you can be found here.

Here’s one of Emily’s helpful tips:

Call once about an issue. It’s not necessary to call daily or weekly about an issue. Again, the point is to have a large number of phone calls about an issue, but once you’ve told your story, it’s important to allow others to do the same. However, if you have new information about an issue or a separate issue, make a separate call.

Please write, call or meet with your legislators during this crucial time. Your one voice can have a crucial impact!