Last week we made history. For the first time in 36 years Congress voted to update our out of date toxic chemical safety laws. From the whole Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families team, we want to thank all of you for helping make this moment happen.
The bill passed out of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee and was referred to the Senate floor…so now what?
Our goal is to have a vote on the Safe Chemicals Act on the Senate floor this year. Most cards are stacked against us, but we know this is a good issue and we’re going to work with people like you to generate support from Senators across the country and political spectrum.
Here is where you come in. Will you help us raise awareness among Senators on this important bill? Here are the top five things you can do today to show your Senator you care.
How you can help if you have: (and remember you can do all of these things!)
- One minute: Please call Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s office and encourage them to bring the Safe Chemicals Act to the Senate floor. 202-224-3542. Email him here, or tweet him @SenatorReid.
- Two minutes: After calling on Senator Reid (above), pick up the phone and call your Senators to ask them to support the Safe Chemicals Act. It is really simple and has a big impact, all you have to do is call the Congressional switchboard and they will directly connect you to your Senators. Here is the number: 202-224-3121. Find out if your Senator is already a co-sponsor here.
- Five minutes: Encourage your friends on Facebook and Twitter to call their Senators, asking to support the Safe Chemicals Act.
- OR Send a personal email to your Senator. This has a big impact and only takes a few minutes. Simply go the website of your U.S. Senators and under their contact page, they will have an email submission form. Send an email urging your support. They read these emails and take them seriously.
- Thirty minutes: Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper. This shouldn’t take more than 15- 30 minutes. Here is a post I wrote giving some tips to make it easy. By sending a letter to your local newspaper, you can spread the word to your local community and raise the profile of this important issue.
- And finally, please tell your friends. Inspiring your friends and family to act will go a long way. Please share this post with those that you love and share the same vision of a less toxic future. Never underestimate the power of word of mouth, the ‘grassroots’ are the path towards positive change!
It was just two months ago that hundreds of moms, cancer survivors, nurses and concerned individuals gathered at the Capitol for the National Stroller Brigade. The success of this event helped show Congress that we’re tired of waiting and we want new laws that protect our families from toxic chemicals.
If the Stroller Brigade was any indication of the impact a small, but tenacious group of individuals can have, then bring it on! Let’s show Congress that there are millions of Americans fed up with toxic chemicals and we’re demanding they do something about it.
