5 Things You Can Do This Week

Tips for making phone calls to your Electeds

Remember to use the 5Calls App. Go to wherever you get your apps, find 5Calls, and download it. Here’s more info about 5Calls:

• Sometimes the materials listed in the calls section of IGGR’s weekly report will be the same or similar to what 5Calls suggests. Sometimes it will be other issues that also seem important.

• The 5Calls App gives a well summarized outline about the issue in question and a script you can use when calling senators and representatives.

• Best of all, the App provides a link to your senators’ and representative’s phone numbers so you don’t have to dial them.

• You can make multiple calls about the issues that concern you or you can summarize your concerns and list them in your call. Representative Scholten’s staff has expressed a preference for one call listing multiple issues.

• Whichever way you decide to call, always give your name and street address so the staff will know you are a constituent. Unfortunately, senators and representatives only want to hear from constituents, which seems counter intuitive when the issues in question are national but they want to get reelected, so they only want to hear from constituents.

Reliable and trustworthy sources of information can be found by visiting the websites for the Library of Congress, Congress.gov, and Senate.gov. The Bridge is an online newspaper about Michigan issues which is also a good source.

1) Call Your Senators

Senator Gary Peters: (202) 224-6221 

Senator Elyse Slotkin: (202) 224-4822 

• • (see Resources for You for more contact info). The Senate is recessed until April 13.

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• Demand Congressional review and oversight of Trump’s deal with Iran. It is essential to end this illegal and unconstitutional war; however, the Congress must be allowed to review and provide oversight over any deals made by Trump who brags that the Strait of Hormuz will be opened, ironically it was open before the war. US and Iran Announce An Initial Deal to End the War and Open the Strait of Hormuz.

• Oppose Todd Blanche for Attorney General. Under his leadership the Department of Justice has become a symbol of abuse of power and prosecutions based on Trump’s desire for revenge for perceived wrongs. Center for American Progress Statement: Senate Must Reject Todd Blanche As Attorney General

• Oppose Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) section 702 which recently expired. There are too many loopholes that would allow for warrantless surveillance of U.S. citizens. Oppose Trump’s position that the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) A being attached to the FISA bill. Trump: FISA Extension Must Include SAVE America Act. The Brennen Center, Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, Explained.

• Oppose Senate Bill 140, an amendment that repeals the Roadless Area Conservation Rule, opening 45 million acres of wild forests to logging and development. Environment America: Senate Committee Votes to Strip Protection for 435 Million Acres of Wild Forests.

• Oppose confirmation of Jay Clayton to Director of National Intelligence. Federal law requires the president’s nominee for this position must have extensive national security expertise. Jay Clayton does not have such expertise. What To Know About Jay Clayton, Trump’s Nominee for Director of National Intelligence.

• Oppose the SAVE Act that would require proof of citizenship to register to vote in the form of a US Passport or certified birth certificate that matches the name on a state issued identification such as a driver’s license. Trump is demanding that the SAVE Act be attached to the FISA Act and that the confirmation of Jay Clayton for Director of National Intelligence be delayed until the SAVE Act is passed. Trump Kills Plan to Quickly Confirm New Intelligence Chief.

• Read the IGGR deep dive article by Women’s Health and the Threat of Trump Administration’s Policies and call our Senators asking them to fix the Medicaid rollbacks and support funding for the Women’s Health Initiative that researches health risks, prevention of disease, and serious health conditions.

2) Call Your Representative

Be sure to give them your home address so they know you are a constituent. Scholten’s staff has indicated that one call succinctly listing the multiple issues that concern you is preferable to multiple calls addressing one issue for each call.

Representative Scholten: (202) 225-3831

Representative Moolenaar (202) 225-3561

• Demand Congressional oversight of Trump’s deal with Iran. It is essential the war ends but the Congress must be involved in the approval of the deal. US and Iran Announce Initial Deal to End the War and Open the Strait of Hormuz.

• Read the IGGR deep dive article by Women’s Health and the Threat of Trump Administration’s Policies and call your Representative asking them to fix the Medicaid rollbacks and support funding for the Women’s Health Initiative that researches health risks, prevention of disease, and serious health conditions.

• Oppose HR 8595 as written which would cut spending by $49.8 billion dollars. It would significantly cut the US financial commitments to the United Nations. A Better World Campaign, What’s In the House FY 2027 National Security, Department of State and Related Appropriations.

• Oppose HR 9022 the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act 2027. The Bill calls for significant cuts to the Department of Energy and abandons research and development of alternative energy sources. League of Conservation Voters: Oppose the Fiscal Year Energy and Water Appropriations Bill.

3) Call Your State of Michigan Electeds 

(contact information here)

• • Ask your State Representative to pass Senate Bills 29-34 and 36-39. The Michigan Senate passed these Bills in April 2025. They provide for women’s health, particularly regarding pregnancy, delivery and post birth care. Women’s Health and the Threat of the Trump Administration’s Policies

  • Ask your State Representative to pass Senate Bill 878, the 2027 Budget passed by the Michigan Senate on April 29. Passage of Michigan Senate Budget.

4) Stand Up for Science.

The Office of Management and Budget has proposed a new rule that would take its existing authority to provide general guidance on financial management for government agencies and transform that into rules every agency must follow for every discretionary grant of any kind. Grants would be evaluated based not on how they advance science or the nation’s goals, but against how well they push Trump’s personal policies. Grantees would be muzzled from discussing anything the administration considers a “divisive” ideology and could be revoked at any time without explanation if a political appointee feels like it.

Anyone can comment. Effective comments can be short and do not need to be some sort of legal argument, but they should be specific: point to something in the proposed rule or explain a specific harm that can arise, for example. Don’t copy and paste someone else’s. Stand Up For Science has a good guide on how to draft a useful comment. Comment here (Regulation for Federal Financial Assistance). The deadline is Monday, July 13.

5)Oppose USPS Rule to Restrict Mail-in Ballots. Deadline July 2 via email.

• Trump issued an executive order to require the U.S. Postal Service, an independent agency, to deliver mail ballots only to people on a federal list of qualified/approved voters. Last week, USPS published a proposed rule to implement the executive order. The rule would, for the first time, establish a “Mail-in and Absentee Participation List” of eligible voters submitted by each state, thus “allowing law enforcement officials to compare the total number of mailed ballots to the total number of received ballots to detect potential issues meriting further investigation.” The proposed rule violates Article 1 of the Constitution, which gives the power to set rules for federal elections to state legislatures and Congress only. The USPS has no legal authority to issue and implement the rule. In addition, the proposed rule adds unnecessary burdens on voters and those administering elections. And it establishes a new pretext by which federal agents can raid election offices. Email your comment opposing a federal list of voters, federal authority over elections, and the USPS rule by July 2. Email to: PCFederalRegister@usps.gov, with a subject line of “Ballot Mail.”

Get Out the Vote Opportunities 

IGGR is creating a Get Out the Vote team. Please join us as we work to save Democracy! It’s up to us to take back our country and voting -- and encouraging others to vote -- is the way to do that. You can volunteer here. We will have car pools available, details to follow.

Exciting news! Saturday, June 27 from 1 - 5 pm. Ground Truth Canvassing Training. Our friends at Swing Left recently launched Ground Truth: an innovative, people-powered canvassing program that’s helping Democrats win back power by reimagining how we talk with voters. They’re using a new canvass app to knock every door, listen deeply to voters’ concerns, and capture insights that then get shared back with campaigns and state parties to improve how Democrats understand and serve voters. The Swing Left team is coming to Grand Rapids on Saturday June 27 for a strategy session and door knocking event where you’ll learn about the program and have a chance to try it out. The exact location in Grand Rapids and timing is TBD, but you can save your spot here.

Sunday, June 14 at 10 am - 3 pm. Get Out the Vote Canvassing! 185 E Main St, Benton Harbor, MI. Join Chicago Indivisible and help flip CD-04 by canvassing! Sign up here to help flip CD-04, Bill Huizenga’s district. (Future dates: July 12, August 2)

Neighbor 2 Neighbor (N2N) is Indivisible’s relational organizing tool that focuses on building real relationships, not just transactional conversations. The first 2026 N2N campaign is focused on offering ICE preparedness resources, ensuring that our neighbors have the information they need to stay safe and informed. Connecting with your neighbors now for this action will make it easier for future GOTV actions. You don’t need to be an expert; you just need to show up. Sign up here. And if you’re feeling nervous, bring a friend! Seriously, it makes it way more fun.

Not sure where to start? Check out this quick read from the Indivisible team: How We’re Going to Defeat MAGA, 10 Doors at a Time

Freedom Summer: The organizers of “All Roads Lead to the South” are calling for action on voting rights all summer long.

Help Ensure Voter Registrations are Active and Voters are Prepared. This is the time to be working on voter registration and to help make sure that registered voters have active registrations and know what they will need at the polls to cast their ballots for 2026. The Trump administration is working hard to intimidate voters, to purge voter rolls, and to suppress the vote. Share this website with EVERYONE you know, in every state across the US so they can verify they are registered to vote:

• Vote.org offers a one-stop shop to double-check one’s registration status; if a citizen is not registered, they can sign up in minutes online through the site.

Share this video about changes in the USPS postmarking policy with everyone you know to make sure their votes are counted.

Voter Registration Opportunities with The League of Women Voters of the Greater Grand Rapids Area. The LWVGGRA is working with area high schools, apartment complexes, and community organizations to provide voter registration and education events. They continue to add additional voter registration events as they are scheduled. Please take a moment to review the current list here and sign up to volunteer. Keep this link and check back periodically. Additional events are being added as requests come in.

Be part of the WAVE. If you have used WAVE (We All Vote Everytime) in the past, this is exciting news for you. They have initiated a “Bring Them Back Campaign.” In Michigan, 640,000 people voted in 2020 but did not vote in 2024. In 2024, the average Michigan voter was roughly 66% likely to participate. However, Voters on the Permanent Absentee Voter list turned out 97% of the time. So let’s get them signed up!

You can read more about WAVE’s “Bring Them Back” program here. You can review the various ways you can access the WAVE program here.

Sign up for Postcards to Voters, a group of American volunteers who write postcards to targeted voters in the hope of increasing Democratic turnout in close, key elections across the country. This is something you can do from the comfort of your own home, whenever you have a moment.

Write letters for Vote Forward. Vote Forward is a broad-based national effort to encourage voter turnout by participating by sending millions of letters to potential voters in underserved communities in key states. The majority of their letter writing campaigns are nonpartisan, focusing on mobilizing potential voters in historically marginalized communities—such as people of color, women, and young voters. This is another thing you can do from the comfort of your own home, whenever you have a moment.

The Election Protection Corps is a grassroots network of volunteers located in Georgia, Iowa, Michigan, North Carolina, and Ohio dedicated to protecting the right to vote before, during, and after the 2026 election. When federal protections are removed, defending democracy becomes a community effort.

Sign the pledge today to commit to joining the Election Protection Corps. By signing up now, you’ll receive strategic updates via email and text, training opportunities, and critical calls to action during key election protection moments in your state. Join the Election Protection Corps