Today’s Action: Take action during August Recess

We are more than halfway through the longest recess of the year, when Congress is home through September 8. Our Representatives and Senators are holding town halls, taking meetings, and attending local events…which gives us plenty of opportunities to make our demands face-to-face! Make a commitment this recess to get personal with at least one of your Congressional reps.

Ask for a one-on-one meeting. Contact their local offices to make your meeting request, and follow-up after a week if you haven’t heard back! Arrive with your three biggest requests prepared, and request a clear action for each (ex: cosponsor a bill, make a public statement, join a caucus). Type up your requests in a letter to deliver to your rep at the end of the meeting, just in case they weren’t taking notes!

Attend a town hall. If your reps are offering a public forum, this is a great opportunity to make your demands with witnesses. Contact their office to ask if any town halls have been scheduled (and if not, why not?) and visit Town Hall Project to search for events near you (this site includes Democratic Presidential candidate events, in addition to Congressional!)

Organize a protest visit. Is your rep refusing to hold a town hall and declining private meetings? No problem. Ask their offices if they’ll be attending ANY public events during August recess, and join them there to ask your questions. Be sure to film it and broadcast it on social media! No events? Make the signal loud and clear: you cannot hide from your constituents. Gather your friends, family, and community to protest at their offices. Check out Indivisible’s additional resources for protest visits!

And the topics? Oh, there are so many…but here’s a few to get your started…

• A majority of House Democrats now support beginning an impeachment inquiry – does your Rep? What’s their reason for refusing their obligation to impeach a president who has clearly committed impeachable crimes?
• #ClosetheCamps and stop family separation (still happening despite court order) – tell your reps to shut down concentration camps
• Listen to Robert Mueller and protect our elections from foreign influence – we need legislation NOW
• Secure equal rights protections with the Equal Rights Amendment for women and the Equality Act for LGBTQ+
• Raise the national minimum wage to $15/hour – cosponsor and pass the Raise the Wage Act (Senate/House)
• Join the Congressional Progressive Caucus, giving more power to the progressive voting bloc

In the U.S., Congress is a separate and coequal branch, not the president’s personal assistants and enablers. Sadly, many Members need reminders of that, and this is our chance to just that — and in person.