Indivisible Walla Walla Links for action… Confirmation Schedule
An action plan for positive progressives.
US Congress Confirmations: Cabinet and Supreme Court
today’s to do’s: Ways to be involved Are you new here? About this blog
April
Social Media for Action
Items in this section are archived former daily action elements. This will give us a running list of what we worked on.
Feb 1 Feb 2 Feb 3 SCOTUS Feb 4-5-6 Feb 7 Feb 8-10 Feb 12-13
Jan 30 and 31 (click to expand) Jan 25
Jan 24 take physical action – meet a MoC (or a staffer) January 23
Women’s March Jan 21 Trump Cabinet
Jan 16 Honoring Dr. ML King
Our group has updated and moved to Walla Walla Indivisible
https://www.wallawallaindivisible.org/
If you are interested in Peace Choir or Peaceful Protest training, check out Indivisible
DATES:
Indivisible Walla Walla Monthly Working Meeting
FEBRUARY 9, 7PM TO 9PM AT BLDG 270.
Our monthly meetings are a chance to share progress and work face-to-face. In the first half hour, each sub-group will present a short summary of their accomplishments and challenges since our last gathering. Next, we’ll open it up to Q&A and a chance for anyone organizing an event to share their plans or pitch an idea. Finally, we’ll conclude by breaking into our sub-groups for a chance to catch up and work face to face. New members can join an existing sub-group, existing members can rearrange, and new sub-groups can form as our numbers grow and the political climate evolves.
WHO SHOULD ATTEND:
Anyone who has read both the Indivisible Guide and full About section of our web site, who’s ready to commit a couple of hours per week to working within a sub-group or planning an event.
*Feel free to bring snacks or libations, because remember, “Saving Democracy is Fun!”
Feb 15 Indivisible Q&A and Postcard-Signing Social Hour
(Items below this line are cued up for the date that they are going to be moved to the top for daily action. Please contribute items for this as well. Thanks!)
TO DO’s:
Find out when our MoCs will be in our area. Attend TownHall meetings or public events.
Indivisible, with liberty, and justice: Actions4All 
I’m calling Senator Murray thanking her for her diligence in the confirmation hearings and current health care legislation.
I called the Spokane office today, hoping for developing a relationship with Amy or John. I left a message. I identified myself, leaving contact information, and said how much I appreciated her work in Congress during this very difficult week. I thanked her specifically for her support of health care issues, and in the confirmation process. I ended by saying how proud I am that she is our Senator! This was easy, and I liked making this kind of call. (I got my ideas for talking points from her Twitter feed on her we site, easy!) Next up: Cantwell
And then I called the Richland office of Senator Cantwell and got a real life staffer, who didn’t share her name, and I forgot to ask. I just said that I wanted to make sure that the Senator knew how much I valued her work in congress this week on health care. She perked up, said that was great, and that she’d get that message to the Senator. I did give her my contact information.
Sounds great! I called James Risch, Ben Cardin, and Bob Corker. I told them to reject Rex Tillarson because of his ties to Russia. I also called Rubio and thanked him for his tough questioning
I signed up for emails from my MoCs today, and texted ACTION to 228466 to get the Daily Action alerts. All they wanted in return was my email. I’m hoping this is a useful strategy!
Today I’m updating our links page, so feel free to send in links that will help us with background and current developments in the confirmation process. I’m trying to figure out what reputable news sources to keep watching in the days ahead. (I think BuzzFeed is in the penalty box for a bit! ) I’m also thinking about putting my call time on my personal calendar each day so it is blocked off. I used GovTrack Record to sign up for alerts for my MoCs. This is a useful site that gives handy info. I put the link on our LINKS page on the top line. I also spent a little time with OpenSecrets (LINKS page, top) looking at who has influenced our MoC. I need to spend some more time here.
There was some debate in social media sites today about whether calling members of congress from other states is useful, when they are on committees, etc. I’ll echo what the Indivisible guide says: our MoCs respond to “verified constituents.” I’ll focus my time on them as a result.
http://2hoursaweek.org/
is a great site that will send an action plan to your email when you sign up. They usually are ahead of the curve of things coming up fast.
Nice! This is new to me as well. I’ll post it on our Links page.
OK, now that this is posted, I’ve had a chance to dig a little deeper on this web site. They have very parallel purpose and a lot of background information easily accessible. Thought this is an NYC group, their calendar is very helpful in seeing what is coming ahead. I subscribed to their daily email.
The color coded nature of their action items makes it easy to scroll thorough and find the cabinet nominees. There is information on putting pressure on key committee members, so if you know like-minded constituent in their states, ask if they’d be willing to make a phone call.
I’ve found this the most useful site in all of the ones that we have so far!
Alright! Called Patty Murray, Susan Collins, Tim Scott, Orrin Hatch and Michael Enzi – opposing Devos
Thanks! This is HUGE. IF you have time tomorrow, call Lamar Alexander and ask for a full and public hearing. Our senators have more questions about ethics, expertise, and policy that will impact students that have not yet been asked in public.
Encouraging to see Cathy McMorris Rodgers get shouted down ar the end of her speech yesterday!
http://www.khq.com/story/34272012/cathy-mcmorris-rodgers-booed-during-mlk-speech-in-spokane
Today’s hearing in the HELP committee went well over the three original hours, and was contentious in the limitations on time imposed by Tennessee’s Lamar Alexander. As a parent of a student, I aimed to communicate my distress at this process to the senator. Here is a list of his contact information:
http://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/officelocations
I found all of his phones unable to take messages, and so leave you with the fax information for the committee. Second Fax of the day for me… (Sent from my computer for free with GOTFreeFax http://www.gotfreefax.com/Confirm.aspx)
HELP Subcommittee on Children and Families Office
835 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Fax: 202-224-6510
Got another Alexander phone number from a Tweet, and this one did have an answering machine that was not yet full. 901-544-4224
In my calls to Murray and Cantwell today (both went to message machines) it seems like there is about 1:10 minutes of time to express your opinion. Get your thanks in there, and the names of the nominees that you oppose.
I used Twitter and Facebook yesterday to get folks to join me in calling. This is especially helpful in getting the message to folks in other states.
I called Senator Murray yesterday and left a message. Called Senator Cantwell this morning. Could not get through to D.C. Office, but got a live person at 206 #
Awesome, Donna!😊
Great calls!
Great info!😊
Called M. Cantwell about Steve Mnuchin and Wilbur Ross. Thanked her, too.
Registered opinion on Scott Pruitt with voicemail at the Senate Repub Commitee of Envir and Public Works
Called Patty Murray about Tom Price
Thanks for the updated info, Tracy! I called Lamar Alexander,Orrin Hatch,
Pat Roberts,ENzi,Issakson and Casey. Whew.
That’s great…. did you get any real people?
I called both Cantwell and Murray this morning to give my thanks for their leadership in opposing DeVos. Both offices were cheerful, but clearly handling a volume of calls! Keep it up. I thanked the staffers, too for their work.
Since I had extra time, I called Senator Alexander’s DC line 202 224-4944 to express my dismay at the limiting of the public hearing on DeVos. His line was busy, but I let the call back feature of my phone go for a few rounds. I may use the free fax again today to send him another message…
Called the Corp! And called Murray and Cantwell about Devos
Today, I’m headed to Main Street just outside McMorris-Roger’s office 26 E Main St. to protest the Muslim travel ban. Join me if you’d like. 2:00.
The NYC folks are showing up at 5, so I figured solidarity at the parallel time.
Great article in Political about all the calls coming in against Devos! Keep it up!
http://www.politico.com/story/2017/01/betsy-devos-confirmation-senate-phone-lines-234216
Thanks! I just added this to my daily post. It’s great to have help gathering info!
I visited Cantwell’s office this week while in Spokane… worthwhile!
called murray and cantwell to slow down and delay all confirmations
called Patty Murray about Devos
I called McMorris Rodgers Spokane office today and talked with a nice staffer named Ian. I asked when the next town hall meeting would be. He suggested that it is being planned and that folks on the newsletter list will get that information, and that her website will include that information. I think that as a constituent, that I’d like to have regular interactions with her. I’m going to add all of her known contact numbers to the page in this blog, and cycle through them with variations of this message.
Piece by Cathy McMorris R
http://motto.time.com/4659734/cathy-mcmorris-rodgers-political-unity/?xid=homepage
Thanks for this! I’m pressing Cathy McMorris Rogers for a published list of Town Hall meetings. Congress takes a break the week of the early 20’s in Feb. She should be available.
Your email tips and suggestions have been so helpful, Tracy!
Today, called Mo Ro about HR 637 and asking her to support Stephanie Murphy’s anti Bannon Security Council bill. Talked to a nice staffer each time.
Called Patty Murray about HR 637 and asked her to oppose Scott Pruitt- left message. Left message about Pruitt to Maria Cantwell
Thanks! I spent the day listening to the senate oppose DeVos and sending Tweets to the senators as they spoke. It’s been a lesson in democracy. I’ve penned 6 new tweets, used a few re-tweets, and had one Walla Walla sidetracked moment.
I’ll keep this up as I listed. I appreciated the Senator from Hawaii, and New Mexico. I’ve even garnered a new follow. Woot!
And talked to staffer of Patty Murray to vote no on Sessions and Devos.
Left message on Cantwell’s about Sessions and Devos
I saw that another Indivisible group who also had a MIA Congress rep, threw 4 different “Town Hall” meetings in her territory without the rep!
I think that is a great idea!
called bob feruson- Washington State’s Attorney General who stopped the Immigration Ban to thank him. called murray and cantwell to vote no Puzder as Labor Secretary. talked to staffers for all three calls
I am glad you called Bob Ferguson. He’s terrific!
I called both Senator Murray and Senator Cantwell expressing my thanks for their part in aiming to defeat DeVos, and letting them know that I’m behind them 100%. I gave the standard reasons for voting NO on the next three cabinet confirmations. I cleaned up our daily page a bit, and listed a few of the Indivisible recommendations at the bottom. After aiming to listen to all of the DeVos debate, I was disheartened that the senate pays not attention to each other. There were some brilliant speeches. It was telling that only two R’s spoke, and they were sincere, but have not been let in on the reality that DeVos’ data is skewed. The party line was very evident in all of this, which makes me MORE RESOLVED to support the wider set of things that we can do to get others elected and to stay engaged. Mitch McConnell said at his press conference that there would be “fatigue” over the resistance. NOPE. I’m more resolved.
called Murray and Cantwell about Sessions and Price and Mnuchin- told them to vote NO!
I called Senator Cantwell’s Seattle office and got a human! I expressed my thanks for her role in opposing DeVos, and registered my alarm in the current proceedings about Jeff Sessions. I believe that this is an egregious attempt to limit the rights of citizens to place someone in this position who has no regard for the current law, nor the lives of most Americans. The staffer was terrific, and let me know that Senator Cantwell spoke out last night. I ended the call with thanks to the staffer, and my reiteration of thanks for Senator Cantwell’s leadership. This was an easy 1 minute phone call.
I also called Senator Murray’s Seattle office and got her full answering machine. It beeped, so I left a message anyway. It’s hard to tell if that worked, but what the heck?
Called Cathy M Ro about HR 804- talked to a staffer.
Called Murray and Cantwell about opposing Gorsuch and co sponsering s 291- talked to staffers both time!
Nice job getting staffers! I figure since Congress is in recess, there are different strategies. I called to register my opinion about Steve Bannon being on the NSA. And next, I’m calling the ethics office.
I got a nice letter from Senator Cantwell on her position on Gorsuch.
Great you went to the rally, Tracy!
I called Murray and Cantwell about mnuchin,and called them about Pruitt. Called Murray about about Puzder.
called Cathy Mo Ro about supporting HR 748 the safeguarding sanctuary cities act
and called Cathy Mo Ro again about Rep Nadlers inquiry resolution into Trumps taxes