If you live in a district that is represented by a Republican in the US House of Representatives, you might feel like calling them to ask them to vote a certain way is an exercise in extreme futility. I know I’ve felt that way the last several years.
But this time I think we have a chance to make a difference. The issue of aid to Ukraine is a hot one, and there actually are Republicans in the house that support it, enough to get it passed if it gets to the floor for a vote. What we need is for those Republican representatives to have the courage to either make their unfortunate speaker change his mind and bring the Senate bill to the floor for a vote, or they need to join with the Democrats in a discharge petition to bypass the speaker and get the bill on the floor for a vote.
I really believe we can help give them that courage if they hear from enough of us. I called my Republican representative. Here’s the gist of what I said:
I’ve called before to urge the representative to vote for Ukraine funding, but in light of the assassination of Alexei Navalny, I feel compelled to call again. I’m sure that, as a member of the US House of Representatives, the congresswoman understands the import of this assassination and the implications it has for US security. I want urge the representative to vote for Ukraine funding as soon as humanly possible because it’s critical to protect American security.”
I really was not expecting much more than a, “Thank you for calling,” but what I got was, “Wait a minute while I pull up the call log.” I waited, and when the aide indicated that the logging had been completed, I said, “Please make sure you included the part about Navalny. It’s very important,” to which the aide replied, “Yes, I did.”
Please call. Republicans in Congress must cease using this as a campaign tactic for their failed leader and must step up to protect the security of the constituents they represent. God bless America and Слава Україні !