Can You Spare One Minute for Aid this Week?

Sep 21st, 2009 2:22 PM UTC
By Emily Stivers

The mark-up, or committee discussion of the Kerry-Lugar Foreign Assistance Revitalization and Accountability Act (S.1524) was supposed to be tomorrow. But we’ve just learned it’s been pushed back until NEXT Tuesday — September 29.

That gives you an extra week to make a phone call that will only take a minute. It couldn’t be easier:

1. Enter your info on this page to generate your senator’s toll-free phone number.
2. Dial the number, and introduce yourself to the Senate staffer who answers. Make sure to mention that you’re a ONE member and a constituent.
3. Say you want the senator to cosponsor S. 1524, the Foreign Assistance Revitalization and Accountability Act of 2009. Give more information if you want, but don’t worry if you’re not an expert on the bill. It’s enough to just ask the senator to be a cosponsor, and mention the bill number.
4. Say thanks, and hang up.

I made calls to both of my senators last week and it literally took me less than a minute for each call. And you can call any time this week — any day before the 29th, and feel free to call after office hours and just leave a message.

So far, ONE members have made more than 750 calls on behalf of this important legislation — which calls for better, smarter and more effective foreign assistance to fight global poverty and preventable disease around the world. 750 calls is good, but we need a much stronger showing to convince our senators there’s an American movement to Upgrade Aid.

Help us jam the Senate switchboard for the Kerry-Lugar bill from now through next Tuesday. Start here.

-Emily Stivers

TAGS: ONE