Should we call the House Oversight Committee directly?
We tried calling to reach the House Oversight Committee (202-225-5074), but the call went straight to voicemail each time. The voicemail box was full, too, so there was no way to leave a message. As a workaround, we're reaching out to Congressman Jason Chaffetz because he's the Chairman of the Committee. We're calling his office directly and his staffers can pass the message along.
is there anything I should know before calling?
Calling a congressman/congresswoman for the first time can seem intimidating.
Part of our goal is to make it feel more familiar by doing it with a group that's right there with you. All around the country, we'll have friends dialing in and speaking up, passing the baton from one caller to the next....
One helpful thing to know is that it's common for constituents and citizens to call their representatives. So you're definitely not the first or last person to call. Staffers are used to getting calls like this.
The other thing is that Congressman Jason Chaffetz represents constituents in Utah. So normally, it wouldn't make sense for Californians or New Yorkers to call him....
But he's also the Chairman of the House Oversight Committee, which is a neutral committee that represents all of us. And their voicemail box is full.
I did some due diligence directly with his office to double-check: I called and spoke with his staffer at the DC office. I asked him what a concerned citizen would do in this situation, and the staffer said that yes, Congressman Chaffetz would be the one to call if the other voicemail box is full.
If it helps for context before you call, check out the House Oversight Committee website to learn more about Chairman Jason Chaffetz.
Part of our goal is to make it feel more familiar by doing it with a group that's right there with you. All around the country, we'll have friends dialing in and speaking up, passing the baton from one caller to the next....
One helpful thing to know is that it's common for constituents and citizens to call their representatives. So you're definitely not the first or last person to call. Staffers are used to getting calls like this.
The other thing is that Congressman Jason Chaffetz represents constituents in Utah. So normally, it wouldn't make sense for Californians or New Yorkers to call him....
But he's also the Chairman of the House Oversight Committee, which is a neutral committee that represents all of us. And their voicemail box is full.
I did some due diligence directly with his office to double-check: I called and spoke with his staffer at the DC office. I asked him what a concerned citizen would do in this situation, and the staffer said that yes, Congressman Chaffetz would be the one to call if the other voicemail box is full.
If it helps for context before you call, check out the House Oversight Committee website to learn more about Chairman Jason Chaffetz.
aren't there a lot of reasons to call my local representative about?
Absolutely, and we hope you'll make it a regular practice to do so. Your local representatives depend on your vote, so they'll probably be even more likely to listen.
Some amazing folks put together calling sheets like this one: ‘We’re His Problem Now’, which inspired our day-long activity. You can find your local representative's contact info and topics to call about in there.
There are a lot of important, urgent issues at stake. This calling sprint is a reminder that if we're more powerful together. We can make a bigger impact when we focus our effort collectively to concentrate on flipping a person, an issue, a state.... We can overwhelm and amplify our voices.
It's going to take more than one day, of course. If we do this enough, over and over, we will wear them down. This is the start of a long journey and hopefully it inspires us to continue with optimism.
Some amazing folks put together calling sheets like this one: ‘We’re His Problem Now’, which inspired our day-long activity. You can find your local representative's contact info and topics to call about in there.
There are a lot of important, urgent issues at stake. This calling sprint is a reminder that if we're more powerful together. We can make a bigger impact when we focus our effort collectively to concentrate on flipping a person, an issue, a state.... We can overwhelm and amplify our voices.
It's going to take more than one day, of course. If we do this enough, over and over, we will wear them down. This is the start of a long journey and hopefully it inspires us to continue with optimism.
inspired by:
1. An article by former Congressional staff member Emily Ellsworth on How to Make Your Congressman Listen to You.
2. Calling sheet: ‘We’re his problem now’ with a list of representatives to call and scripts to use.
2. Calling sheet: ‘We’re his problem now’ with a list of representatives to call and scripts to use.
Resources:
If you want to call your local representative, check out the calling sheet (‘We’re his problem now’). It has a list of representatives to call and scripts to use on various topics. Other resources below. If you find a good one, send it over and we'll add it to the list.
1. House Oversight Committee’s website
2. Congressman Jason Chaffetz's website
3. Calling sheet: ‘We’re his problem now’ with a list of representatives to call and scripts to use
4. Sites to find your local congressional representative:
http://usecalltoaction.com/
https://callyourrep.co/
5. Article: House Oversight Committee Phones Jammed By Angry Calls Over Trump Conflicts Of Interest
1. House Oversight Committee’s website
2. Congressman Jason Chaffetz's website
3. Calling sheet: ‘We’re his problem now’ with a list of representatives to call and scripts to use
4. Sites to find your local congressional representative:
http://usecalltoaction.com/
https://callyourrep.co/
5. Article: House Oversight Committee Phones Jammed By Angry Calls Over Trump Conflicts Of Interest