Evidence that E-mails matter:

[marybourg]

I received a fairly long e-mail from the junior Senator for Arizona, Jeff Flake, in response to my e-mail to him on Tuesday about the nomination of Betsey DeVos. To my mind this shows that e-mails - as long as they are not boiler-plate, copied verbatim from an interest group mailing, are scanned and tallied just as much as phone calls.

The operative paragraph, after an explanation of the committee process and his place in it is here:

"I believe that elections have consequences and that elected presidents should be afforded a certain degree of deference in the presidential appointment process, particularly when the nominee is uniquely qualified. That said, I also intend to closely review Ms. DeVos’ record, along with the results of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee’s hearings. I will certainly keep your comments in mind should Ms. DeVos’ nomination come before the full United States Senate for a confirmation vote."

So PLEASE, continue calling, writing and/or e-mailing, as your resources and your congresspersons' allow.

[LeftInTX]

1. I also heard back from John Cornyn

I emailed him regarding Trump's agency black-outs and Trump's wanting to take over VOA. Here is an excerpt:


"To alleviate the dangers inherent in centralized power, the U.S. Constitution establishes three separate, but equal, branches of government: the legislative, the executive, and the judiciary. Our Founding Fathers developed a system of checks and balances to prevent the accumulation of excessive power in any single branch. Within this system, Congress has the duty to provide critical oversight of the executive branch and determine how taxpayer dollars are spent.



I take this responsibility seriously and am committed to working with the Trump Administration to ensure the will of the American people is heard and the interests of all Texans are represented. I believe open government is an essential requirement of democracy. Transparency allows citizens to view how government operates, permits an honest exchange of information that ensures government accountability, and upholds the American ideal that government never rules without the consent of the governed. "

[marybourg]

2. Good that e-mails are being shown to

be tallied.

Just boilerplate, but more than we get when we call; then we just get a "thank-you for calling".

[LeftInTX]

3. They do take notes, but don't have time for phone conversations

I called regarding my opposition to DeVos. I didn't give a reason. I just stated I did not support Trump's nominee for Sec of Education. The staffer made a note of my opposition and was told it would be passed on to the senator. My voice of was heard, and it was "no" on DeVos.

[Squinch]

4. Also, some Senators' phone lines are jammed. I can never get through to Schumer and

can only rarely leave a message. On the days I can't, I email and send a postcard.

Every day. I am the new best friend of all of my legislators. Happily, I keep getting to call Kristin and say "You GO girl!"