Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

I’d hate to be the candidate who lost to this guy.

A snarling mass of vitriolic jackals

I’ve spoken to my cat about this, but it doesn’t seem to do any good.

Too often we confuse noise with substance. too often we confuse setbacks with defeat.

Not so fun when the rabbit gets the gun, is it?

So it was an October Surprise A Day, like an Advent calendar but for crime.

They are lying in pursuit of an agenda.

American History and Black History Cannot Be Separated

The republican caucus is already covering themselves with something, and it’s not glory.

Innocent people don’t delay justice.

You can’t love your country only when you win.

Nancy smash is sick of your bullshit.

Conservatism: there are some people the law protects but does not bind and others who the law binds but does not protect.

Let’s not be the monsters we hate.

We are builders in a constant struggle with destroyers. let’s win this.

Why is it so hard for them to condemn hate?

I’d try pessimism, but it probably wouldn’t work.

You don’t get to peddle hatred on saturday and offer condolences on sunday.

Give the craziest people you know everything they want and hope they don’t ask for more? Great plan.

A last alliance of elves and men. also pet photos.

Their freedom requires your slavery.

No offense, but this thread hasn’t been about you for quite a while.

Republicans in disarray!

Republicans don’t trust women.

You are here: Home / Politics / Political Action / Call Your Senators Today: For the People Act

Call Your Senators Today: For the People Act

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Stacey Abrams is asking all of use to call our Senators today.

No matter where you live, no matter if you have called before or never done so, and no matter who your Senator is, it’s crucial that they hear from you on the importance of federal action on voting rights.  ~Stacey Abrams

You just have to do something.  This is what you can do today.

Right now, in states across the country, our democracy is under attack – a coordinated assault on voting rights by Republican legislators that only increases the urgency for federal voting rights protections.

Now is the moment for all of us to take action to defend our sacred right to vote, and to fight back against anti-voter bills in state legislatures across the country. Today, over 360 bills have been filed in state legislatures that would restrict voting access and curtail voters’ freedoms – bills like those in Arizona, which would gut their extremely popular and effective Permanent Early Vote List; a proposal in Texas to greatly empower partisan poll watchers with greater and closer access to voters, prohibit election officials from proactively mail ballot applications to all voters, and set new penalties for election officials who provide assistance to voters; legislation in Michigan removing the right to return a mail ballot to a drop box after 5pm the day before Election Day, and more. Some anti-voter bills, such as SB 202 in Georgia and SB 90 in Florida, have already been signed into law.

However, your voices are slowing this flood of anti-voter legislation, and have helped to protect voting access from Republican attacks. In New Hampshire, Republicans were forced to give up on a bill that would confuse student voters and harm the university system by standing up new residency requirements. In Georgia, provisions that would have removed no-excuse absentee voting, eliminated Sunday early voting, and ended automatic voter registration were removed before SB 202 was signed into law. In West Virginia, a bill that would have shortened early voting and accessibility failed before the session ended. Without your calls, social media, and safe in-person advocacy, voters would have been much worse off.

But make no mistake: To protect the freedom to vote for all eligible Americans, this moment demands that we pass federal legislation that safeguards the right to vote. I am asking you to take action today to call on your US Senators to pass the For the People Act, a crucial bill that can blunt these relentless attacks and protect access to the ballot for all.

Find your Senators’ contact information here, and call now to ask that they support the urgent passage of the For the People Act to protect our democracy. Once you have called, share with your networks and friends to ask them to do the same. 

No matter where you live, no matter if you have called before or never done so, and no matter who your Senator is, it’s crucial that they hear from you on the importance of federal action on voting rights. Together, we can get good done and ensure the freedom to vote is protected across the country.

Thank you, and let’s get it done.

Stacey Abrams Founder, Fair Fight Action

Reader Interactions

67Comments

  3. 3.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @Ksmiami:My Senators in Texas are worthless but ffs call Manchin and Sinema

    if you are in Arizona or West Virginia. Calling Senators and MoC’s other than your own is just harassing low-paid staffers and clogging up the lines for home state activists

  5. 5.

    WaterGirl

    @Ksmiami: @eclare:

    I trust Stacey Abrams, and she believes it’s important to call no matter how much of a piece of shit your senator might be.

    If all they get are calls from the people who want to limit voting rights, that benefits the piece of shit senators.

    Please consider calling.

  6. 6.

    germy

    Stacey Abrams to CBS: "The undermining of our democracy is a danger to everyone—regardless of their party. And that's why it's so urgent we stop treating this as a binary conversation between Democrats and Republicans and focus on this as an issue of citizenship v. partisanship."— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) May 11, 2021

    She has said she’d like to be president someday. If I’m still around when she decides to run, I’ll be voting for her.

  7. 7.

    WaterGirl

    I left a message for Tammy Duckworth.  Dick Durbin’s voicemail said they are experiencing high call volume and to call back later.

  8. 8.

    CaseyL

    My Senators, Murray and Cantwell, were among the co-signers introducing the bill.  I have called their offices to thank them in general, to thank them for introducing this bill specifically, and to ask them to do whatever they can to get enough Senators on board to pass the bill.

    But, you know.  No GQPer will vote for any bill that upholds voting rights.  As the GQP itself has acknowledged, the only way they can win is to keep people from voting.

  11. 11.

    germy

    Ugh.

    Trump family members got ‘inappropriately close’ to Secret Service agents, book claims

    Secret Service agents reported that Vanessa Trump, the wife of the president’s oldest son, Donald Trump Jr, “started dating one of the agents who had been assigned to her family”.

    Vanessa Trump filed for an uncontested divorce in March 2018. Leonnig reports that the agent concerned did not face disciplinary action as neither he nor the agency were official guardians of Vanessa Trump at that point.

    Leonnig also writes that Tiffany Trump, Donald Trump’s daughter with his second wife, Marla Maples, broke up with a boyfriend and “began spending an unusual amount of time alone with a Secret Service agent on her detail”.

    Secret Service leaders, the book says, “became concerned at how close Tiffany appeared to be getting to the tall, dark and handsome agent”.

    Agents are prohibited from forming personal relationships with those they protect, out of concern that such feelings could cloud their judgment.

  12. 12.

    zhena gogolia

    @germy: What a slimeball he is.

    “I want these fat guys off my detail,” Trump is reported to have said, possibly confusing office-based personnel with active agents. “How are they going to protect me and my family if they can’t run down the street?”

  15. 15.

    lowtechcyclist

    Both my (Maryland) Senators are cosponsors, and I called their offices to thank them.

  17. 17.

    WaterGirl

    I find it so irritating that my stove doesn’t heat my leftovers unless I actually turn the burner on.  Shouldn’t it be enough that I have set the timer?!!?!

    My intent was clear!

  18. 18.

    TheflipPsyD

    Just spoke with a staffer in Senator Coons office and left a message with Senator Carper’s office. They are both co-sponsers, so I thanked them for their continued support and for working to get the bill passed.

  20. 20.

    Joy in FL

    I just called my two Florida GOP senators. I got voicemail for both. I left an unambiguous message asking them to vote in accordance with the oath they each have taken to uphold the U.S. Constitution and therefore vote for the For The People Act.

  21. 21.

    Ann Marie

    I left messages with both Senator Casey, whom I expect will support the act, and Toomey, who probably will not, but may, as he is not running for office again, which sometimes emboldens Republicans to do the right thing.

  24. 24.

    jeffreyw

    @WaterGirl: I have a Sonos sound bar on the kitchen TV that integrates Google voice.  It’s handy to say “Hey Google, add mayo to the grocery list” as I am emptying the last jar while making macaroni salad.

  26. 26.

    stinger

    Does anyone have anything like a script? My senators are Grassley and Ernst, so it’s probably a waste of my time, but I’d be willing to call anyway if I had some talking points.

  28. 28.

    J R in WV

    @stinger:

    Here’s what should be all you need from Joy in FL:

    @Joy in FL:

    I left an unambiguous message asking them to vote in accordance with the oath they each have taken to uphold the U.S. Constitution and therefore vote for the For The People Act.

  29. 29.

    Noskilz

    It’s important to contact your elected officials even if they are idiots, because the only math they care about is whether they get elected or not. If enough people hassle them about a given issue, they then have to weigh how much of a risk it is to ignore that issue – just not bothering is basically giving them the all clear to carry on. Blackburn, about as trumpy as they come, has gotten enough heat on a couple occasions to have to do some – admittedly mostly cosmetic – damage control. It doesn’t cost anything to call as senator other than a minute or two of your time.

  30. 30.

    mrmoshpotato

    Via bluegal

    Soooooo….#MorningJoe is now trying to sell the idea that Trump did NOT screw up the pandemic response? I guess he did not lie about the seriousness of the situation, or fire the pandemic response team? Sorry, Im too old to listen to such horse shit.— Kevin Jochens (@kevin_jochens) May 11, 2021

    Again for those in the back – Fuck Morning Joe!

  31. 31.

    WaterGirl

    @stinger: I don’t have a script.  It’s not like you are going to win them over with a good argument, so I keep it short and sweet.  My goal is two fold – to have them put a checkmark in the column that says I support the bill and to get the message across that this is important to me and others.

    I say that I care about my country and that I believe in democracy, that voting is a right in America, and that this bill is necessary if we want America to remain a democracy.  We need federal action to protect voting rights.  Please do everything you can to pass this bill in the senate.  Now.

    Maybe others can chime in what what they said.

    edit: what Joy in FL said is better than mine!

    I left an unambiguous message asking them to vote in accordance with the oath they each have taken to uphold the U.S. Constitution and therefore vote for the For The People Act.

  34. 34.

    Matt

    I get the _idea_ of “everybody call Congress”, but in this case I really don’t see the point:

    • if your Senators are co-sponsors, they’re on board
    • if your Senators are Democrats but they aren’t on board, the only thing you should be telling them is “vote for this or your primary opponent is getting a donation” – and really, if they don’t vote for this it won’t MATTER who their primary opponent is because without it purple states will never send another non-GOPer to the Senate.
    • if your Senators are Republicans, they’ve already heard every possible variation of “fuck you and your despot-fluffing sedition right off the planet” already. They’re unreachable, hopelessly evil people.

    My take: it doesn’t matter how many people call, Manchin and Sinema have already decided they prefer fascism to democracy – being the controlled opposition keeps those donor dollars flowing into their pockets.

  36. 36.

    Lobo

    Called Bennet and Hickenlooper.  Left VM with Bennet.   Urged Hickenlooper to work with reluctant Democrats to exempt voting bills from filibuster.

  37. 37.

    WaterGirl

    @Matt: I’ll reply with what @Noskilz: said at #29:

    It’s important to contact your elected officials even if they are idiots, because the only math they care about is whether they get elected or not. If enough people hassle them about a given issue, they then have to weigh how much of a risk it is to ignore that issue – just not bothering is basically giving them the all clear to carry on. Blackburn, about as trumpy as they come, has gotten enough heat on a couple occasions to have to do some – admittedly mostly cosmetic – damage control. It doesn’t cost anything to call as senator other than a minute or two of your time.

    And with what Stacey Abrams said:

    No matter where you live, no matter if you have called before or never done so, and no matter who your Senator is, it’s crucial that they hear from you on the importance of federal action on voting rights.  ~Stacey Abrams

  39. 39.

    Uncle Cosmo

    @lowtechcyclist: ​Good to know.

    I’m tempted to call Manchin. Mom grew up in Fairmont, Dad went to school in Morgantown and played on a legendary semipro baseball team in Grant Town – and most importantly, I got a shit short ton of cousins back there.

  40. 40.

    UncleEbeneezer

    I left this message: I’m calling to urge Sen. Feinstein/Padilla to pass the For The People Act, even if that means eliminating or reforming the legislative filibuster to do so.

  41. 41.

    H.E.Wolf

    @Matt: I get the _idea_ of “everybody call Congress”, but in this case I really don’t see the point:

    When I see or hear comments like this, I wonder if that person has never known a woman, or a person of color, or an LGBTQ+ person, or an immigrant, or a child.

    We participate in civic affairs via phone conversation with our elected officials – we wield our privilege – to assist those whose voices are not as loudly heard.

    If a phone call is anathema, https://faxzero.com/ is one alternative: 4 free faxes per day, with many Senators’ fax numbers provided at the website.

  42. 42.

    laura

    I’ve left a message with Feinstein’s office but was unable to do so with Senator Alex Padilla’s. He is a strong supporter of the For the People Act, but I’d have been glad to thank his staff and urge him to work on others in the Senate to pass this as necessary to protect our democracy – same as the message to the Senior Senator.

  43. 43.

    Nelle

    I called Ernst and Grassley. Will get my daughter and her husband to call Sinema and Kelley

  49. 49.

    cmorenc

    GOP’s wave of post-2020 election voter suppression efforts and their continued fealty to Trump are interrelated:
    1) The Georgia and Arizona examples demonstrated to the GOP how Dem/Progressive efforts to increase turnout by citizens inclined to vote D were imminently threatening to overtake the numbers the GOP could turn out in states where they formerly dominated by a comfortable margin;
    2) In some states where going into election day the Ds were regarded as narrow favorites, most notably North Carolina, Trump’s October campaigning managed to flush out enough extra R-voting turnout to narrowly tip the presidential and senate races to the GOP. In other words, without Trump very actively late campaigning in certain areas, the Ds might have pulled off at least a modest-sized wave in House and Senate elections (besides the two D upsets in Ga). We might have had at least another half-dozen house seats and a couple more Senate seats.
    3) Of course, an additional motivation to stick with Trump by the GOP is the perception that he can sink any GOP incumbent’s or candidate’s chances of retaining/winning a seat by supporting a primary challenger, or at least refusing to offer his support.

  51. 51.

    Madeleine

    I left voicemail for Gillibrand and Schumer. Gillibrand’s local voicemail was full. Thanked them and told them why the bill is important to me, mentioning the need to counter the horrible state Repub laws limiting voting.

    FYI according to Indivisible, every senator except Manchin has cosponsored. They also have a good run down of what’s in the bill.

  53. 53.

    Another Scott

    My peeps are co-sponsors and are on-board.

    Today is the first-ever Senate markup of the #ForThePeopleAct, getting us one step closer to passing this bill and making sure the power is with the people. pic.twitter.com/Vmty0MdBFb

    — Mark Warner (@MarkWarner) May 11, 2021

    We witnessed an attack on our democracy just four months ago. We're seeing more states try to make it harder to vote. Protecting this fundamental American right is of existential importance—and today is an important step forward. https://t.co/0jdbYvxB0k

    — Tim Kaine (@timkaine) May 11, 2021

    I’ll send them a note. ;-)

    Thanks, WG and everyone.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  56. 56.

    stinger

    @WaterGirl: Actually, I’ve called both senators in the past, but I always feel like a tongue-tied dork for some reason. The indifferent youths taking my call, my near certainty that the call is pointless — I just feel better when I have a firm idea of what to say, no matter how they react (if at all, usually not at all).

  59. 59.

    Another Scott

    @stinger: Here’s what I sent my senators (Warner and Kaine, swapping their names as appropriate) via their web contact forms:

    Dear Sen. Warner,

    I know you and Sen. Kaine are co-sponsors of the For the People Act, but I urge you both to do everything you can to pass this vital legislation. The events of January 6, and the continuing efforts in too many of the states to restrict voting rights show just how fragile our democracy is. Fair and free voting rights for everyone are vital – nothing else can be done to improve the country if the people cannot have their voices heard.

    Thanks for all you do for Virginia and the US.

    Cheers,
    Scott

    In general, I try to keep it short and to the point, with the hope that someone will be able to read it and see the point I’m trying to make. :-)

    HTH a little. Good luck!

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  60. 60.

    caphilldcne

    Sadly I do not have a Senator. However, I’ll make a small donation to Stacey’s group!

  62. 62.

    trnc

    I called my 2 NC republican senators, both the anti and pro-insurrection one. Had to leave vm for both.

  64. 64.

    J R in WV

    @Matt:

    This may be the most stupid and thoughtless comment I’ve ever seen on Balloon-Juice. Democracy means telling elected representatives what to do. It’s the only way we get to participate outside donations, working for a candidate in an election cycle, and just voting.

    If you don’t call a Senator, you aren’t playing the game, you are voiding your shot at democracy.

    Are you even registered to vote?

    Do you even know how to vote?

    No wonder I had to toggle your comment to see what it said — you must have said relatively stupid stuff once before to trigger the pie safe.

  66. 66.

    Comrade Colette

    @UncleEbeneezer:  I called Feinstein’s and Padilla’s local offices and left the same message you did – with a bit more warm thanks to Padilla for his support and a bit more urgency to Feinstein to dropkick the filibuster. First time I’ve ever called either of them.

    Thanks to Stacey Abrams, WG, and the jackaltariat for the nudge.

    Oh yeah, and thanks to Stacey Abrams for the entire goddamn Senate. Queen!

  67. 67.

    Another Scott

    An hours-long, contentious markup of S.1, ended in a 9-9 deadlock, but Senate rules allow Schumer to bring the bill to the floor. All Republicans voted against the bill, even though some amendments proposed by GOP senators had been adopted. w/ @adam_brewhttps://t.co/BTj8Phj4iE

    — Grace Segers (@Grace_Segers) May 11, 2021

    We’ve all seen this game before.

    Sensible Democrats are paying attention. I trust Manchin and Sinema are as well.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

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