Phone/Email Templates for Asking Democratic Senators To Kill the Anti-Trans Provisions with the Byrd Rule
Instructions:
These template letters are meant to be a guideline for helping you express what you believe to your Senators (contact info here), rather than a published editorial opinion of MadyCast News. Copy and paste the template of your choice, and replace all words in [brackets] with the appropriate phrase of your choice. You’re also free to completely rewrite the templates or use your own words, as that can often be an even more effective strategy.
Dear Senator [Last Name],
I’m [writing/calling] to you today to express my horror at the total ban of federal funding of gender affirming care for Medicaid and ACA plans for ALL AGES included in the GOP’s extreme reconciliation bill. This bill would [directly impact me/impact many of my friends] and take away our rights to accessing lifesaving healthcare. It is a violation of basic human rights.
You should attempt to challenge the part of the reconciliation bill that seeks to restrict gender affirming care under the Byrd rule. In addition to being an attack on human rights for no reason other than cruelty, it also has a minimal budgetary impact. Trans people are a small percentage of the population, and trans-specific care is a small portion of our healthcare costs—but a vital one. The Byrd rule is an essential component to restraining the power of the majority in the Senate, and allowing this provision to pass uncontested would effectively end the filibuster. Force the Republicans to strike this provision or go on the record overruling the Senate Parliamentarian. In addition, you should consider slowing down daily business by denying unanimous consent on routine motions.
Make sure to raise a point of order about this, and emphasize how small of a portion of Medicaid gender affirming care is to the Parliamentarian. Please reply to this email with the Senator’s plans to challenge this provision of the legislation. It is a matter of life and death for me and my friends.
Thank you,
[Your Name], one of your constituents
Call script (can also be reformatted as an email!):
Hi, I wanted to leave an extremely important and urgent message for the Senator today.
[Staffer reply]
Thank you! I’m calling today because I am terrified at how the gender affirming care ban could [impact me personally/impact many of my friends and loved ones].
[Optional: Include personal anecdote for how Medicaid or ACA plans have improved or even saved your life].
I know that you can’t stop the bill passing alone, but we want you to strike the provision by raising a Byrd Rule point of order with the Senate Parliamentarian. This provision has almost no real impact on the federal budget, so it clearly is not in line with the Byrd rule, which requires all measures to be more than “merely incidentally” related to spending and revenue. In addition, the Senator should consider slowing down daily business by denying unanimous consent on routine motions. Clearly a ban on trans healthcare is not about the budget, it’s about trying to harm or even kill trans people [like me]. Can you confirm that you will inform the Senator of this important information, and to email me back what his plans are regarding this point of order? It is a matter of life and death for me and my friends.