Stop the Budget Bill!
Stop the overreaching Republican “budget” bill — call our senators and tell them to hold the line!
With the disastrous MAGA tax and spending bill passing the House, we need to push hard on our senators to do everything they can to stop it. We need to let them know that we support a firm, very public commitment from both Warren and Markey to bring the Senate to a grinding halt. Not one minute of business as usual can take place.
Please reach out to our senators today and let them know you support them doing everything they can to stop this bill—and keep calling until they’ve committed to doing everything in their power.
Ed Markey: 202-224-2742
Local office numbers:
413-785-4610 – Springfield, MA
617-565-8519 – Boston, MA
Elizabeth Warren: 202-224-4543
Local office numbers:
413-788-2690 – Springfield, MA
617-565-3170 – Boston, MA
What should I say?
There’s plenty to hate in this bill, so if you already know how this bill would affect you personally, share that when you call—senators sometimes find it helpful to have personal stories of their constituents in their back pockets. But if you need some help in knowing what to say, here’s a script you can use:
Hello. My name is [name] and I live in [location in MA to show you’re a constituent].
(Optional:) My number is [your phone] and my email is [your email].
House Republicans have just passed a murderous MAGA budget bill filled with provisions that will hurt and kill your constituents. I am calling to ask you to do three things to stop this:.
DELAY
Deny ALL calls for unanimous consent for ANY Senate business, no matter how mundane.
VOTE-A-RAMA
Once debate time has expired, protest this bill by introducing an unlimited number of amendments. Make this the longest vote-a-rama ever. Break records. Make history.
BLOCK
Use the Byrd rule to remove each and every item in this bill to which it can be applied.
Raise a point of order to challenge all provisions which are extraneous under the Byrd rule, including any such provisions related to the following (pick 1-3):
Attacks on the powers of the Judicial Branch
Attacks on trans rights
Attacks on Planned Parenthood
Attacks on clean energy and climate protection
Alterations to our system of student loans that will both harm borrows and harm institutes of higher education
Selling off our public lands
10 year ban on state-level regulation of artificial intelligence
Inappropriate alterations to the tax code (including sec. 889 aka “revenge tax,” and repealing the direct file program)
Deliberate misuse of the “current policy baseline” to hide the deficit impact of and extend the reauthorization of the tax cuts passed in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act in 2017
Moving towards defunding our public schools under Educational Choice for Children Act (ECCA)
Increased funding for ICE and mass deportation
Eliminating tax on gun silencer sales
Slashing funding to Medicaid
Slashing funding to Medicare
Slashing funding to SNAP
Use your power to stop all inappropriately-placed items. Stand up, speak out loudly, and act now.
Thank you for your time.
What’s the context?
If you are interested in learning more about the sections of the bill in question, the text of the bill can be found here.
If you are interested in learning more about the Byrd rule, more information can be found here. The Senate normally allows a senator to filibuster, which prevents a bill from progressing unless 60 senators vote to overcome the filibuster. The Senate also has a process called reconciliation, in which a bill that deals with topics limited to revenue, spending, and/or the federal debt limit can be passed by a simple majority—without the threat of filibuster.
The Byrd rule allows a senator to point out that a section of the reconciliation bill goes outside those three topics. The section is struck from the bill, unless 60 senators vote to waive the Byrd rule for that section.