This just in

[annathepiper]

I just got the following piece of email from the Human Rights Campaign regarding the vote happening in the Senate on the FMA. They're urging people to call in; those of us against the FMA are still outnumbered by 2 to 1 in the feedback Senators are getting from their constituents. And apparently, the Republicans are about to try to vote on something called "cloture" on this amendment, which means that it would limit debate and pre-empt any attempts at filibustering. HRC reports that they are expected to vote on cloture tomorrow and urges people to call 1-202-225-3121 to express opposition to the FMA.


Here is the email they sent me:

Dear Angela,

Three weeks ago, our allies in the Senate told us they were hearing from our pro-FMA opponents by a 5 to 1 margin (10 to 1 in some cases!).

Last week, your efforts made a difference: some Senators told us we were still outnumbered, but only by a 2 to 1 margin.

BREAKING NEWS: the Senate Republican leadership turned down an offer from the Democrats for a vote on the substance of the Federal Marriage Amendment and instead filed for cloture on the amendment. Cloture is a procedural motion that limits debate in the Senate (and pre-empts any attempts at filibustering). The Republican leadership could change its strategy yet again, but as of now the vote on cloture is expected to take place on Wednesday, July 14 at 12pm.

Today -- Tuesday -- the day before the Senate votes on cloture for the Federal Marriage Amendment, please help us narrow the gap even more. For one day, make your Senators' phones ring off the hook with 100,000 calls from constituents like you. Call Senators Murray and Cantwell today to ask them to oppose the FMA and to vote against cloture (even if you already have): 1-202-225-3121

The line may be busy due to the heavy volume of calls today - be persistent!

For more information and what you should say, click here: http://tinyurl.com/25wg8

If the above number is busy, click here to look up the direct lines for your Senators: http://tinyurl.com/3dk8j

And then, ask five more people to do the same. It's important that Senators hear from NEW people - so, forward this e-mail, print it off and hand it to a friend, or click here to send many friends an e-mail from our system: http://tinyurl.com/35qo5

Yes, we've been asking you to call your Senators often for almost two weeks. Why? It's working. When we concentrate our efforts into this one, critical activity rather than many different actions, our voices are heard louder than ever before. Please, stick with us for just one more day. Make that call. And get a friend or two to join you.

Need some added inspiration? Listen to this:

The good: Robert Novak wrote in his column in the Chicago Sun Times on Sunday: "Moderate Republican senators grumble that some longtime contributors are refusing their usual contribution to the Republican presidential campaign. Their biggest grievance: Bush's endorsement of the anti-gay marriage constitutional amendment."

The bad: President Bush spent the weekend calling on the Senate to pass the FMA in both his radio address and at a campaign stop in Pennsylvania. In a week dominated by reports of CIA mismanagement, President Bush's focus on the FMA is a clear effort to take focus off the real problems facing his administration.

The truly ugly: yesterday during debate, Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA) said that the FMA is necessary to "stop what I believe is the death knell of our society."

Many thanks for all your efforts. Make that call!

Cheryl A. Jacques
Human Rights Campaign President

P.S. I urge you to visit our web site to hear ALL the news on this historic battle. Click here: http://www.hrc.org/

MSN has a story about the issue up on their site, for the interested. (Thanks to firni, from whose post elsewhere I swiped the link!)

Comments

[avram]

Cloture limits consideration of a bill to 30 additional hours, thus bypassing a filibuster. It takes the approval of three-fifths of the Senate, or 60 Senators.

[annathepiper]

*nodnods* Okay. I kinda got that idea from the HRC mail, as well as from reading the MSN story, but nice to know what the heck that is. Thanks!

[cafiorello.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I've already contacted mine twice. Doubt it will do much, frankly, since the above-mentioned Santorum is one of mine. :(

Cathy

[annathepiper]

Gluh. Thanks for giving it a shot though!

[mikekn]

Same here. And we don't even get to vote against him this year...

[annathepiper]

Ugh. My sympathies!

News from the future!

[avram]

I just used Google News to search for “marriage senate”, and found a Washington Post story (posted half an hour ago) with tomorrow’s date on it:

Gay Marriage Ban Headed for Senate Defeat

A proposed constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage was headed for defeat in the Senate today, doomed by nearly solid Democratic opposition, sharp divisions within Republican ranks and a lack of consensus among voters over how best to deal with the issue. [...]

A two-thirds majority (67 votes if all senators are present) is required to amend the Constitution, and 60 votes are needed to cut off debate. It was not clear yesterday whether amendment sponsors could muster even a simple majority.

Re: News from the future!

[annathepiper]

NEWS! FROM! THE! FUTURE! Hee hee... who knew that for once, heavy waffling in Congress would actually be a GOOD thing? ;P Thanks for the link, Avram!

[avram]

Heavy waffling in Congress is a design feature. It’s when they’re all united that they do crap like pass the USA PATRIOT Act.

[annathepiper]

Good point. ;P