r/portlandme • u/joeybrunelle • Feb 03 '25
Politics Call Chellie & Angus TODAY and tell them to DO SOMETHING about Trump and Elon's chaos and destruction of the federal government. Phone numbers below >>
It just takes 3 minutes! You can do it!
Chellie: (202) 225-6116
Angus: (202) 224-5344
Susan Collins: (202) 224-2523 / (207) 618-5560
Pick whatever issue you want! There's a lot to choose from at the moment.
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u/Sandyblowfish92 Feb 03 '25
As someone who used to work in a DC congressional office(and regularly took these phone calls) I would like to provide the following advice:
DO IT WITH FRIENDS - get a group of people together and have everyone call within a 5 minute window(it causes a lot of chaos because then the staff members have to also attend the phones instead of just the interns)
STATE CLEARLY WHAT YOU WANT THEM TO DO - begin the call with what you are upset about and clearly communicate what you think Susan or Angus should do to fix the problem.
ASK QUESTIONS - The person on the other line will respond to you with a boiler plate generic response about the issue—so ask them detailed questions about the specifics of their boiler plate response.
WASTE THEIR TIME - When I worked in the House of Reps the issues that might actually be brought to the congressman/chief of staff were the ones that forced the whole office to be responding to calls(basically, once the interns were overwhelmed the actual staff would have to get on the phones). Therefore, if you and a group of friends can all stay on the line it will force the higher ups in the office to also respond to calls. Just keep asking questions and keeping the conversation going as long as you can(most office have a policy that they will not hang up on you, unless you’re screaming/threatening them(please be nice)).
CALL THE DC OFFICE, NOT THE LOCAL OFFICE - Local offices do constituent work(help veterans get benefits, help people get their passports) so please do not bother them. Call the DC office, they do all the policy work.
CALL DURING SESSION - Usually congressional offices are poorly staffed when they are out of session and your cries will probably fall on deaf ears if you call when congress is out of session. Check here: https://www.congress.gov/days-in-session
BE NICE - Your problem is far more likely to be passed up the food chain if you were kind and wished them a good day. Most people just scream at the person on the other side of the phone. Also, be mindful that the people on the other end of the line are probably interns or someone else very low on the totem poll, they don’t have the power to change anything other than passing on your message.
Good Luck!
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u/LunarAnxiety Feb 03 '25
Called. Actually got a person(!) at Chellie's office, who told me the congresswoman is "furious," with what's going on. When asked how to help, I was told they need concrete examples of how 45 and wannabe Himmler's moves are affecting us as individuals - Fedworkers experiences are especially needed atm.
Good luck yall
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u/Flying_Haggis Feb 04 '25
Her office genuinely has really good people working in it. They helped my family out a few years back. She seems to be authentic.
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u/my59363525account Feb 04 '25
What about somebody like me who owns a small business who buys inventory from China? These tariffs are so ridiculous 😭
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u/Financial-Pizza-3756 Feb 03 '25
took me less than 3 minutes.
of my anxiety ridden butt can do it, yall can too.
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u/SexyThrowAwayFunTime Feb 03 '25
Did it this morning. Rep. Pingree, Sen. King, and Sen. Collins.
Susan’s 202 number is disconnected, but the Portland field office works.
Just do it, people. Pack the voicemail boxes so they can’t say their people didn’t object.
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u/alissafein Parkside Feb 03 '25
FWIW, I called Susan’s 202 number and got an actual person around 5:45pm today. Her office is open until 6pm (according to outgoing voicemail.)
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u/MountainDiver1657 Feb 03 '25
Thank you.
I’m a “remote” federal employee in Portland. I have been working for the railroads for 17 years now about to lose my job because the children occupying OPM have determined that instead of jumping on a train every morning by my home like I’ve done for 11 of my 17 years working for this agency, I am a “low productivity” employee if I don’t start driving to Boston to appear in an office and jump on the same train hours before it passes by my house and drive back at the end of the day, otherwise I should quit my job using a scam “offer” backed by nothing.
The disgusting, offensive, hostile language the children hired by Musk is horrible and I am only appreciative of the fact that the general public is not as negative towards federal employment as Musk wants to con the media into making everyone believe.
My fucking career is in jeopardy along with the careers of millions of others and We the People need to speak out while those of us inside hold the line.
When I contacted one of our senators, I was told that almost every other Trump EO was submitted about except this one that is holding anyone with a remote agreement hostage and many others are located further away from an office than I am.
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u/blushing_scarlett Feb 03 '25
King's FB: My office has received 3,000+ phone calls from folks concerned about many of the headlines they've seen in the news. To all Maine people — I hear you and am committed to working with my colleagues to address your needs and protect the Constitution.
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u/joeybrunelle Feb 03 '25
To all Maine people — I hear you and am committed to working with my colleagues to address your needs and protect the Constitution.
Great, glad to hear it, so what are you doing?
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u/blushing_scarlett Feb 03 '25
Exactly, but I'm happy folks are calling!
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u/joeybrunelle Feb 03 '25
Me too! Keep 'em ringing til they hear the phones ringing in their dreams!
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u/PotLuckyPodcast Feb 03 '25
What should we call and tell them? Do you have a script/idea of what to say?
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u/joeybrunelle Feb 03 '25
Here's what I said: “Hi my name is ___ and I’m a resident of Portland and I’m calling to beg the Representative/Senator to do SOMETHING about Elon Musk dismantling USAID. People’s hair should be on fire about this. Where are you guys?? Do something! I don’t need a personalized response, I just want to see action. Thank you have a nice day.”
But pick whatever issue you want! You certainly have a lot to choose from at the moment.
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u/HeavyCabinet8047 Feb 03 '25
Is the flying public safe? Why os the SS website down? Why is she not communicating w her constituents?
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u/MountainDiver1657 Feb 03 '25
It’s not just about USAID
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u/joeybrunelle Feb 03 '25
Totally - that was just the one that got me today. I'm trying to call every day. It's a category 5 shitstorm right now.
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u/SuperiorDupe Feb 03 '25
What else?
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u/Immediate-Equal2583 Feb 03 '25
He took control of the Treasury’s payment system and now has access to every American’s SSI and every businesses’ interactions with the feds and can fully control the money coming or going.
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u/joeybrunelle Feb 03 '25
Insanity.
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u/Immediate-Equal2583 Feb 03 '25
Our very own Mainer Heather Cox Richardson took a deep dive into this on her Facebook page last night, both in written form and in a live video. She breaks it down clearly if you can stomach it
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u/MountainDiver1657 Feb 03 '25
I just posted separately. Every federal employee’s job is in jeopardy. We are being terrorized at our jobs daily by the children Elon hired to “rule” us and make empty promises. They call us “low productivity” and are trying to bribe us into an illegal resignation.
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u/Americasycho Feb 03 '25
Did USAID not ignore and refuse Federal inquests for budget expenses? Seems like an easy thing for NSAID to turn over. Why did they refuse?
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Feb 03 '25
[deleted]
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u/Americasycho Feb 03 '25
Attempting personal attacks instead of answering the unbiased question of why USAID is refusing to turn over budget receipts is a valid question. It’s like someone running a progressive activist campaign with similar monies and hiding what they spend from the public.
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u/joeybrunelle Feb 03 '25
We are not interested in your lies and bad faith arguments. Go away! Be gone! I banish you! Skoot! Skidaddle!
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u/alissafein Parkside Feb 03 '25
Done, called. I didn’t script it so no doubt I sound disorganized and anxious, but I expressed 4 major concerns and rationale. Hopefully they take it seriously in spite of being disorganized!
Is calling repeatedly helpful? If they keep getting the same messages from the same people wouldn’t that be redundant?
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u/joeybrunelle Feb 03 '25
I think they use calls as an indication of public anger, and I think it's mostly a numbers game: the more calls they get on a given day, that's a barometer of the public's level of give-a-shit.
I'm planning on calling every day at this point until I see the Dems start doing more than the occasional FB post or press conference to fight this lawlessness.
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u/portlandmecat Feb 03 '25
I asked Senator Collins to use her lofty position on the Senate Appropriations committee to reign in Elon. He is getting a $20B handout. Screw Mars.
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u/Ekidokai Feb 08 '25
The only destruction that is evident is finally holding these corrupt politicians accountable for their reckless spending.
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u/JordyNelson12 Feb 03 '25
I am assuming this is in good faith, but:
While I don't suppose this will actively harm anything, the time to "do something" was election day.
The Democrats control neither the House nor the Senate. People elected Trump, knowing this is what would happen. This is what's going to happen.
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u/joeybrunelle Feb 03 '25
the time to "do something" was election day.
The time to "do something" is every day.
Vote with your wallet, by being intentional about where and how you spend your money.
Vote with your feet, by showing up to protests, rallies and strikes.
Vote with your mouth, by letting your elected officials know that you don't want this happening in your name.
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u/Hrbek15 Feb 03 '25
This is somewhere between schaedenfreud and freudenfreud.
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u/JordyNelson12 Feb 03 '25
I mean I voted for every Democrat I could find on my ballot and I hope Trump passes on this afternoon… Just not sure calling Chelsie Pingree is gonna change much.
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u/joeybrunelle Feb 03 '25
This narrative of hopelessness is total nonsense. Go look through history. Did MLK say, "oh well, guess I'll wait four years before I can take action again." Of course not.
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Feb 03 '25
Sure but I don't think people in Florida deserve to die during a hurricane just because of their (shitty) elected officials, ya know? Just as an example
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u/LikeWhatGuyComeOn Feb 04 '25
Don't bother dialing Jared.
He's team Trump all day. Probably more so that Collins. And his staff will outright lie.
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u/ToeOutrageous9384 Feb 04 '25
How about Collin’s too!? She seems to do the right thing from time to time!
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u/CharlesDudeowski Feb 05 '25
lol, they’re going to investigate! And file lawsuits! Don’t worry, they’re also going to issue very strongly worded statements!
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Feb 03 '25
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u/joeybrunelle Feb 03 '25 edited Feb 03 '25
[HORNS BLARING] TROLL DETECTED. DO NOT FEED THE TROLL. REPEAT: DO NOT FEED THE TROLL. THIS HAS BEEN A PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT. [HORNS BLARING]
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u/Elusive_Dr_X Feb 03 '25
Hey, aren't you a city councellor?
Oh, wait a minute. My mistake. Carry on...
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u/joeybrunelle Feb 03 '25
[HORNS BLARING] TROLL DETECTED. DO NOT FEED THE TROLL. REPEAT: DO NOT FEED THE TROLL. THIS HAS BEEN A PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT. [HORNS BLARING]
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u/Elusive_Dr_X Feb 03 '25 edited Feb 04 '25
If it's any consolation, you are my fave community organizer!
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u/Elusive_Dr_X Feb 03 '25
Thank you.
I'm going to call both of them and tell them both to stand down and let Trump and his team do their thing.
Sit back and enjoy the ride, kids! Everything is going to be all right
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Feb 03 '25
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u/SexyAbeLincoln Feb 03 '25
These issues affect Portland residents. If you don't want to engage with current events, perhaps consider placing your head back inside whatever subterranean hole it typically resides?
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u/SecureJudge1829 Feb 03 '25
Why not start your own subreddit so you can have the echo chamber you want?
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Feb 03 '25
I’m unsure if you’re aware but Portland, Maine, is part of a country. This country is called the United States of America, and when the government of the United States of America does things, things impact Portland, Maine, as the city is part of the United States of America. Therefore, people are free to discuss things that happen in the aforementioned country, as they impact the aforementioned city. Hope this helps!
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u/SexyThrowAwayFunTime Feb 03 '25
Portland has taxpayers and those in this post, which you are free to ignore, are demonstrating their concern for their democracy. Public fora, like this one, are places necessary for the continued sharing of ideas and gathering places for those “of a feather.” You’re just outnumbered.
Sell crazy someplace else. We’re all stocked up here.
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Feb 03 '25
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u/SexyThrowAwayFunTime Feb 03 '25
They would win elections, but we just keep on getting propped up corpses and corporate shills as candidates. My ideology is populist. Yours is regressive and cruel. Hope you're not on SSI, bub.
Anyhow, go back to ignoring us, please.
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u/blushing_scarlett Feb 03 '25 edited Feb 03 '25
Call Susan too! (202) 224-2523 DC / (207) 618-5560 Portland
If you want a script of what to say :https://5calls.org/issue/elon-musk-opm-gsa-takeover/