From April 10-21, 2017, Members of Congress (MoCs) will be returning home to their districts, which means there will be opportunities for you to attend town halls and meet with them. This is your chance to make sure your Members of Congress know how important clean water is to you and to let them know you that expect them to use their votes to support their constituents’ right to clean water.
The first thing you’ll want to do is find out whether there will be a town hall held near you. You can look for town halls here and here, and can check out your MoCs’ websites to sign up for their email lists.
We will be sending out more ideas for questions you can ask at town halls, but you can begin preparing this week. Think about specific examples of why clean water is so important to you and your community and write them down – this will be helpful in personalizing your message. Next week, we will provide suggestions for questions you can ask to urge your MoCs to take action on the biggest threats to clean water.
If you are unable to find any town halls being hosted by your MoCs, reach out to their offices by telephone:
[CongressLookup]
And say:
“My name is [YOUR NAME] and I am a resident of ZIP code [ZIP CODE]. Clean water is very important to me and my family and I want to make sure I have the opportunity to speak with you about my concerns. I have been unable to find any information about [MEMBER OF CONGRESS] hosting a town hall during the upcoming April recess. I wanted to double check whether I am mistaken and if [MEMBER OF CONGRESS] is holding a town hall.”
If they say yes… Thank them and ask for the details!
If they say no, tell them:
“I am very disappointed to hear that you are not hosting a town hall during this two-week recess. Your constituents deserve a chance to connect with you in person and share their thoughts. I strongly urge you to reconsider and fulfill your duty to be responsive to those that you represent. Thank you.”
If your Member of Congress is refusing to hold a town hall, spread the word! Post it on social media, write a letter to the editor in your local newspaper, and ask others to call and request a town hall.