Call Your Lawmakers About AmeriCorps
In the digital age, we may be more comfortable sending a text, email, or tweet. But a phone call from a constituent can hold more weight and bring awareness to an issue.
We have directions and a script that will help make calling your lawmakers fast and easy, and ensure your message has an impact.
Follow these steps and tell Congress to invest in AmeriCorps:
- Visit Congress.gov and input your address/zip code to find your two senators and representative, and locate their phone numbers.
- Alternatively, you can call the Capitol operator, ask for your lawmakers by name, and be connected directly to their offices.
- House of Representatives Switchboard: 202-225-3121
- Senate Switchboard: 202-224-3121
- Typically a staff assistant will answer your call. However, in some offices, a recording will play and then you will be given the option to leave a message.
- Once connected with your lawmaker’s office, introduce yourself as a constituent and ask to leave a comment for the legislator.
- Read the script below.
- You can ask the office to send you a response, if you would like a letter or email addressing your concerns.
- When you are finished, be sure to thank the staffer for their time!
Sometimes, when Congress is debating a major issue, high call volume can overwhelm the Washington office. If you keep getting a busy signal, we encourage you to try calling the district office instead.
Call Script:
Hello. My name is [FIRST AND LAST NAME] and I’m a constituent from [CITY OR COUNTY, STATE]. I’d like to leave a comment for [MEMBER OF CONGRESS NAME].
I’m calling today to ask [MEMBER OF CONGRESS NAME] to support AmeriCorps funding in the Fiscal Year 2024 Labor-HHS Appropriations bill. There are more than 200,000 AmeriCorps members in communities across the country – urban and rural – helping to address locally determined challenges. They are providing on-the-ground support to 36,000 schools, homeless shelters, health centers, foodbanks, veterans facilities, and other nonprofit and faith-based groups. But unfortunately, AmeriCorps is in jeopardy of shrinking in 2024 without increased funding.
Proposed cuts to AmeriCorps would eliminate between 26,000 and 61,000 AmeriCorps positions and all the services those members provide. Our community will most certainly be impacted. As a constituent, I hope that [MEMBER OF CONGRESS NAME] will protect AmeriCorps in FY24. Our community can’t afford to lose our AmeriCorps members.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
→ If you would like to request a response, repeat your name and contact information (phone number and/or email) before ending the call.
Thank you for participating in the National Service Day of Action! Return to the landing page to email or tweet at your lawmakers, or to share that you took a #Stand4Service with your networks!
