Mistakes were made
OK, some further explanations and links for those who are interested/asked.
Reps vs. Reps vs. Senators
There are a bunch of people who represent you in government at several levels.
In your immediate town/city, there might be council members or aldermen - these people work with the mayor or town manger to run things.
Some states also have county-level government. I confess to being very ignorant about this because CT doesn't have this, so I never paid attention.
There are people who represent you at the state level. They are your state Representatives and Senators.
And there are people who represent you at the federal (national) level. These folks are also your Representatives and Senators.
And the term "reps" is used for ALL OF THEM because they represent you.
Calling only certain people
When you "call your reps" it is important to call only those people who represent you. Those are the only calls and comments that can make a difference. Sure, you can drunk dial Mitch McConnell's office and blow off steam, but unless you live in Kentucky, your call won't be counted by McConnell's office.
Your federal Representatives and Senators will have offices in your state and in Washington, DC. There are addresses and phone numbers for both places. I like to mix things up and send postcards to Hartford and DC and call the DC offices sometimes and the Hartford offices at other times. When you call, be sure to tell the person or machine that answers your name, address, and full on zip code. This lets the rep's people know that they honestly represent you.
If that is all too much, there is a very straightforward phone number to call - the Capitol Switchboard. This is a phone that is answered by an operator who will connect you to your rep's DC office if you ask.
So if I am tired and know that I just want to vent at Richard Blumenthal about things, I call 202-224-3121 and when someone answers, I say, "Senator Blumenthal's office, please" and they transfer my call to his office (which these days usually just has an answering machine) and then I talk/cry into the phone. And then, amazingly, a week later, I get an email from a Blumenthal staff person responding to me about whatever it is I vented/cried about. Bumenthal's office is really on the ball. Up your games, Murphy & DeLauro!
Anyway, these people are meant to represent you. So part of their jobs is to listen to you and your concerns and worries and even hopes. Call them and tell them what's on your mind.
Here and here and here are some other headline news sources you might want to follow and/or subscribe to.
Thank you, Chelsea & Anne & Kate.
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