Call you senators and urge them to support the HEROES Act as passed by the House. The HEROES Act does a lot of things to help us right now. It provides help that our country needs right now. It provides help:

• to every adult American in the form of a $1,200.00 stimulus check and $1,200.00 per child;
• to those who are unemployed by providing a supplemental $600.00 per week payment to unemployment insurance;
• to state, local, and tribal governments;
• to expand testing;
• to healthcare providers; and
• so many more things – it has 20 divisions in the bill with multiple titles under each.

It does so much that we’ll only focus on the aide to people in the form of the stimulus check and supplemented unemployment insurance payments. Those are due to run out at the end of July, BTW, and need to be extended if we are going to keep the economy afloat.

It’s a lot of money, but before we all reach for the smelling salts and the fainting couches because deficit spending, let’s consider how much the CARES Act helped. According to a VOX.com article, economists using a variety of measures estimate that these benefits lowered the poverty rate. One study found that poverty was reduced from 35.1% to 30.2% because of the benefits. That’s pretty significant given that our unemployment rate soared to its highest level since the Great Depression.

We should also remember that we are the wealthiest country in the history of the world, and there is no economic reason that we cannot support our citizens during this unprecedented crisis. It would help if we could quit giving money to the super wealthy who don’t need it. For example, in that same VOX article, no research has been published citing any benefit from the $500 billion lavished on large corporations or from the Payroll Protection Program (forgivable loans to small business), which was corruptly administered giving lots of money to businesses sized other than small, mostly friends of the Ol’ Pussy Grabber.

We know what works during economic recessions and depressions: consumer spending, not transferring the nation’s wealth to the 1% through tax breaks and corporate give aways. With the pandemic worsening in as many as 36 states, putting people back to work may not be as possible as we would like. We are likely going to need to put money in the pockets of consumers just to keep the economy going until Biden can take office and get the pandemic under control. That won’t be until 20 January 2021! We need the HEROES Act.

The Senate is in recess. MoscowMitch and the Ol’ Pussy Grabber both are pretty uncommitted as far as further stimulus to the economy is concerned because it might mean we’d have to admit that the Ol’ Pussy Grabber hasn’t provided the leadership and federal resources to manage the pandemic and that the Repubes haven’t been providing executive branch oversight or holding him accountable.

Your calls to your senators are more important now than ever! The senate reconvenes on 20 July and has eleven days to pass the bill before the CARES Act benefits run out.

We don’t lack the money to help our citizens; we lack the political will. Be part of the will. Let your senator know how you feel. See Contacting Your MoC section below for information on how to find their phone numbers, addresses, email addresses, and social media handles.

Tips for Calling

When you call your representative’s office, please remember the following:

• Only contact YOUR MoC! They only listen to their constituents and dismiss requests from non-constituents.
• Ask for the aide working on the policy-related issues, in this case, the HEROES Act.
• Be polite! No matter whose office you’re calling. No matter what their positions are. No matter how inflamed you are about the issue — and you should be very passionate — be polite.
• Remember that the people you are talking to are people! So, be nice.
• Call during business hours of the area code their office is in. Typically, that is 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
• Have a script or notes to follow so you don’t forget anything.
• Maybe call with friends. You know like a party.

In Addition to Calling

I’ve heard back from readers that some MoC’s voice mail boxes are always full! It’s as if they don’t want to hear from their constituents. Kinda like those MoC’s who don’t hold town halls or other open forum meetings. Here are some other ways to contact your MoC:

• Send a postcard to their office. Nothing says I care like kicking it old school and using snail mail.
• Email their office. Lay out your concerns in a brief email and send it in. We all know how easy it is to email. Make sure you include the issue you are addressing in the subject line.
• Use the contact page on their website. This is the surest way of getting a message to them. Each MoC has an official government website and each has a contact page that comes with it automatically.
• Contact them using social media. It’s hard to break through all the noise on social media, but it can’t hurt to try given all the time we all spend using it. Be sure to tag your MoC’s when social mediaing about about a specific issue. Be clear and respectful, though, when addressing an issue that you want your MoC to act upon. Make sure you let them know you are a constituent.

Contacting Your MoC

Find out how to contact your MoC using these links!

• Common Cause will give you the names, party affiliation, direct phone number, website link, and social media platforms of all of your federal, state, and local elected officials.
• USA.gov is the official guide to information and services of the US government. This page explains clearly how to contact everyone from the Ol’ Pussy Grabber to your representative to specific government agencies. Through it you can find the following information about your MoC’s:
  • Their phone numbers: DC and state offices
  • Their mailing addresses both in DC and their state offices
  • Official website with their contact page including email, request a meeting, town hall schedules, and social media
  • And, the committees they sit on
• 5 Calls: Sign-up for 5 Calls because they help you contact your member of Congress and keep you abreast of on going issues that are important to you! Now, that is a good deal.
• The Capital Hill Switch Board: (202) 224-3121.
• MassacreMitch and #MoscowMitch: His DC office, (202) 224-2541.
• Nancy Pelosi: Her DC office, (202) 225-4965; her California office, (415) 556-4862
• The Ol’ Pussy Grabber: The WH switchboard, (202) 456-1414 or the comments line at (202) 456-1111 during business hours

Join Indivisible

Follow the link to Indivisible to find a group near you, their campaigns, events in your neighborhood, and download their handy-dandy booklet!

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