Big Bird and Malaria Prevention Targeted in Trump-Musk Rescissions Bill

Phone scripts and emails to demand Congress not rubber stamp cuts to public broadcasting, foreign aid

Contact all members of Congress:

• By phone: (202) 224-3121

• By email: Congress.gov

• By US mail: Representatives / Senators

• By fax: Representatives / Senators

• By Resistbot: Resist.bot

Elon Musk may claim he’s stepping back, but the damage he’s done is just beginning. The White House has sent a “rescissions” bill to Congress to rubber stamp $9.4 billion worth of his thefts from public services. H.R. 4 targets funding for NPR and PBS and legalize the gutting of our foreign aid programs. It is set for a House vote the week of June 9th.

We are already seeing horrific costs from the Trump-Musk gutting of the U.S. Agency for International Development, with as many as 300,000 lives already lost and millions of preventable deaths every year ahead of us as people go without relief for severe malnutrition and crucial health care programs aimed at malaria, HIV/AIDS, and Ebola. Furthermore, they are making the world more unstable and less friendly to the United States, with shortages opening the door for conflict and other nations concluding we cannot be counted on. The cuts also put 200,000 American jobs and $23 billion in US exports at risk.

The public broadcasting cuts would be devastating to local PBS and NPR stations, threatening a crucial source of local news. With corporate consolidation and changes in the media environment, many public stations are the primary provider for their region, especially in rural areas, and provide children’s and educational content beloved by so many of us. We’re talking about losing everything from in-depth community coverage to Sesame Street. They’re even a key part of disaster response systems in many places.

DC media has suggested it may not be easy for Republicans to find the votes to pull back this funding, and so-called moderates like Don Bacon and Susan Collins are balking. Let’s do our part to make it a little tougher and contact our members of Congress in support of public broadcasting and foreign aid and against legislation destroying them. We can find scripts and language below, or sending them this message via Resistbot by texting SIGN PFIUBW to 50409.

Last updated 6/9. Subscribe here.

PHONE SCRIPTS

You can find your rep’s contact info here. Please adjust, add, and reword as you would see fit - you will be most effective speaking in your own words!

Hi, my name is _________, and I’m a constituent from (city, zip). (If voicemail, leave street address).

I am calling to demand _________ oppose Trump’s rescissions bill gutting foreign aid, NPR and PBS. The freezes at USAID have already cost 300,000 lives and made the world more dangerous and more anti-American. Public broadcasting cuts threaten one of the last remaining outlets for local, non-corporate controlled news in so many communities, not to mention disaster response and the programs we raise our kids on.

(END CALL, ADD HOW CUTS WILL AFFECT YOUR LIFE, OR ADD):

We all know what’s really happening here. Trump and Musk are putting more money in their pockets at our expense. They want to cut services like public TV and radio we use every day, and programs that fight diseases like malaria, Ebola and HIV/AIDS or feed children or make wars less likely. And all to pay for more tax cuts for billionaires! This is in the interests of the wealthy and powerful, not regular Americans, and Congress needs to stand with us and not them. Big Bird and malaria prevention are more important than seventh homes and private jets.

Thank you for your time and consideration.Thank you for your time and consideration.

EMAIL LANGUAGE

We can send this message directly to our members of Congress by texting SIGN PFIUBW to 50409, but you are likely to be more effective if you use this as a starting point for your own words through the standard congressional email system.

President Trump is finally going to send a rescissions bill to Congress, reportedly rubber stamping his thefts of funding from NPR, PBS and foreign aid programs. This is gutting efforts to serve the public to put more money in the pockets of Trump and Musk, and any real public servant must vote no.

We are already seeing horrific costs from the Trump-Musk gutting of the U.S. Agency for International Development, with as many as 300,000 lives already lost and millions of preventable deaths every year ahead of us. Furthermore, they are making the world more unstable and less friendly to the United States, with resource shortages opening the door for conflict and other nations concluding we cannot be counted on. The cuts also put 200,000 American jobs and $23 billion in US exports at risk.

The public broadcasting cuts would be devastating to local PBS and NPR stations, threatening a crucial source of local news. With corporate consolidation and changes in the media environment, many public stations are the primary provider for their region, especially in rural areas, and provide children’s and educational content beloved by so many of us. We’re talking about losing everything from in-depth community coverage to Sesame Street. They’re even a key part of disaster response systems in many places.

And what do regular Americans get out of these cuts? Nothing. They are coming after Kermit the Frog and malaria prevention to pay for tax cuts for billionaires. I know what side I’m on in that fight. You should too.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

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