CALL-IN
How to Have a Productive Phone Call With Your Legislator’s Office
Telephoning your legislator’s office is a useful way to communicate your opinions, especially on issues where an action is pending, such as a vote. You will not speak to the legislator directly. As with letters, legislative staff track the number of calls they receive on various topics. Just a couple phone calls into an office over a short period of time can bring an issue to the attention of your legislator and have a big impact. Here are tips to help you make that call:
Calling your legislator: A step-by-step guide
- Call congressional offices directly or through the switchboard. If you do not have the direct number, you can reach US representatives in your area by going to https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials — enter your address to receive a list of federal, state and local officials to contact.
- Ask to speak to the aide who handles the issue about which you are calling. Your call will be more influential if you speak to the correct aide. However, Congressional aides are very busy and this is not always possible. If you cannot speak directly with the aide, leave a message with the receptionist stating your views.
- Let them know that you are a constituent. Elected officials are most interested in your opinions if you are their constituent, so be sure to say the city and state you are from.
- Respect their time and tell them how much you appreciate their work.
“LCAP is fully committed to transparency regarding action and awareness costs and how we will be utilizing any monetary donations.”
Additional tips and resources
- Know your facts. Be sure you have the basic information about your topic in front of you when you call. You should be able to specifically describe the topic about which you are calling and state your opinion on what your legislator should do.
- Note your expertise. If you have professional experience on the issue on which you are calling, be sure to mention it. It will help to establish your credibility on the issue and may event prompt the aide to ask you for some guidance on the issue.
- Be brief. Aides receive a high volume of phone calls every day, so keep your call short.
- Be timely. Timeliness is especially important when you are phoning. If the vote on your issue is imminent, the aide is much more likely to pay attention to what you say.
- Consider calling the local office. Calling the office in your district or state, rather than the Washington office, can sometimes be very effective. If you are calling about a vote or other timely issues, always call the Washington office. But, if you are calling generally about an issue that affects your district or community, calling the local office can be a good way to make them aware of an issue.
LCAP Call-In Script for Cure Long Covid Demands
The objective in calling congress is to restate the demands in the letter you’ve sent to their inbox. If you haven’t already, send your “Find A Cure For Long Covid” Letter. From there, here’s what to do:
- Find your elected officials to call-in
- In your call stress these keywords whenever possible: 1. ≥$28 Billion 2. Cure 3. Pass new SARS-CoV-2 specific legislation for Long Covid that meets these 11 demands
- Briefly tell them who you are and your story (save yourself time for demands)
- Explain you have a list of 11 urgent Long Covid demands for congress and share that list (if you have time to share the details of each demand in full please use the entire Find A Cure for Long Covid Letter). Script E.g. “[intro] I in solidarity with the Long Covid community demand that your political office take immediate action to respond to these demands to help find a cure and social support structure for Long Covid. Specifically, the following demands have been prepared by LCAP and I ask that you issue a statement of response to LCAP and myself in which you consider the following points:
- Declare Long Covid a National Emergency & Recognize it is a National Security Threat
- Establish ≥$28 Billion in Funding for Long Covid Programs and Research to Find a Cure — In November 2023, David Cutler, a health economist and professor of economics at Harvard University, verified to Public Herald’s investigative journalist Joshua Pribanic (also founder of LCAP) that an annual ask of $28 billion for Long Covid is reasonable, “an amount equal to HIV funding, i.e. $28 billion, would not be excessive. The benefits of a cure would be enormous, and the cost of research on the issue is modest.” Cutler added that the ongoing costs of Long Covid to the U.S. economy will be in the trillions, pending a cure.
- Mandate Nationwide Tracking of SARS-CoV-2 in Wastewater at POTWs:
- Announce a Clean Air Law to Prevent SARS-CoV-2 Forward Transmission
- Mandate Respirator Protection in Healthcare Facilities
- I Demand Regular White House Press Communication Updates About Long Covid
- Establish a Permanent Entity to Expand and Accelerate Access to Prevention, Research, and Treatment of Long COVID
- Ensure Sufficient Social Support by the Following:
- Urgent, Sufficient, and Sustained Progress Towards Ending the Long COVID Crisis by:
- Begin immediate assistance to Children with Long Covid by passing new SARS-CoV-2 specific legislation (i.e. for a new and novel virus tied to Long Covid) that meets the minimum annual funding of ≥$28 billion referenced in this letter by Harvard Health Economist David Cutler
- Ensure racial and gender health equity in research, access to clinical trials, preventative measures, educational campaigns, and social services.
- Declare Long Covid a National Emergency & Recognize it is a National Security Threat
Finished?
Congratulations! You are awesome! Thank you for taking action!
Now that you’re finished – log your call by sending out a tweet saying who you contacted and how it went and tag @LongCovidAP.
Be Loud
Take Power
Fight Long Covid!
Solidarity. Stay tuned for more actions!
[The Following Guide to Contact Legislators was prepared by LCAP from Citizen’s for Concerned Scientists Call-In Guide]
