Fielding constituent concerns

FRITZ MAYER
Posted 2/15/17

WASHINGTON, DC — There has been an unmistakable increase in phone calls from constituents to congressional representatives in Washington, DC. There was a spike especially in the wake of …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

Log in

Fielding constituent concerns

Posted

WASHINGTON, DC — There has been an unmistakable increase in phone calls from constituents to congressional representatives in Washington, DC. There was a spike especially in the wake of President Donald Trump’s executive order banning immigrants from seven Muslim-majority countries. So many people are trying to get through that some calls to some offices are reportedly not going through.

Acknowledging the situation, a staffer from Sen. Bob Casey’s office emailed a video of the senator talking on the phone. The email said, “Know a lot of people have been covering the uptick in constituent engagement—our call volume has been so high, Sen. Casey himself jumped on the phones in our DC front office today [February 2.].”

Locally, there was a concerted effort to get through to Sen. Pat Toomey regarding the confirmation of Betsey DeVos, Trump’s pick to become the Secretary of Education. With 50 senators opposing the confirmation, including two Republicans, opponents were looking for one more senator to oppose, and some believed Toomey might be that man.

Toomey himself had said he would be “pleased” to vote in favor of the DeVos appointment, but that did not dissuade a large number of people from attempting to contact him on this and other matters, making it difficult for some callers to connect. He ultimately voted for DeVos and she was confirmed.

Toomey’s communications director, Elizabeth Anderson, said in an email to www.politicsusa.com, “There is a lot going on in Washington right now. As such, many Pennsylvanians are calling to make their voices heard on a range of issues. Sen. Toomey’s staff in both Pennsylvania and Washington are taking an ‘all hands on deck’ approach in answering as many calls and emails as possible while also attending to other responsibilities, such as helping veterans, seniors, and attending to legislative concerns. Voicemail accounts are being emptied regularly, but with call volume as heavy as it is, mailboxes do fill quickly. We appreciate everyone’s patience. Another good way to reach the office is via the website toomey.senate.gov.”

Comments

No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here