We need to support Senate Democrats who are taking part in a late-night, if not all-night, attempt at a filibuster to prevent confirmation of Betsy DeVos as education secretary. The vote on this confirmation is scheduled for Tuesday at noon (2/7/2017.) We MUST join a nationwide calling effort; call, call, call, until you get through! You can also call after hours, some voicemail accounts do fill, but keep trying. Calls count. Records are kept about calls, for and against an issue.

Tonight and tomorrow we need to call senators who may not be our representatives. Why? Several GOP senators have been identified as possible flips on the DeVos vote.  These senators are vulnerable in upcoming re-elections, have received pressure from their home constituencies or are actually concerned about DeVos. Scroll down to read more about the latest news (including ethics issues that should matter) at the bottom of this post.

Sage advice from Slate: “[It is not] in vain to continue calling or writing them urging them to change their minds. If the heat is turned up to an extreme following a senator’s announcement of support, one of those senators could rethink. The idea is for a senator to feel that the trouble he or she would get in with constituents for supporting DeVos would be greater than the trouble with Trump for voting against her.”

This is the contact information for all senators who others have identified as “possible” or “most likely” to change positions and vote “no” on  DeVos’s confirmation. Note the most vulnerable are those who are up for re-election (yes in the column next to their name).

Leave a message (with a person or machine) that says something simple like, “The future of our country, our children, is at stake. Please vote no on the Betsy DeVos confirmation.” Some have added thoughts like “I will donate and work on campaigns for whomever opposes you in 2018”  ( Jeff Flake and others up for reelection in 2018,) “the whole country is watching,” “This vote impacts ALL of us” “please do the right thing” “Stand up to Trump for our children’s education.”

Example from twitter (calling is more effective):

RT to let @SenToomey that PA res. against DeVos have pledged over $5 million to his next opponent if he votes yes. Follow for updates.

— The Resistance (@ActualEPAFacts) February 6, 2017

If you can’t get through to their Washington office phone, call another one of their offices, and again, you can call off-hours and leave a message.

(late night add to list of those who might be moveable “Call NC Senator Tillis. Word is he’s undecided and you can leave a message at 202-224-2342.”)

Senator	2018	party	state	office	phone	fax	twitter
Pat Toomey		R	PA	Allentown	(610) 434-1444	(610) 434-1844	@SenToomey
				Erie	(814) 453-3010	(814) 455-9925
				Harrisburg	(717) 782-3951	(717) 782-4920
				Philadelphia	(215) 241-1090	(215) 241-1095
				Pittsburgh	(412) 803-3501	(412) 803-3504
				Scranton	(570) 941-3540	(570) 941-3544
				Johnstown	(814) 266-5970	(814) 266-5973
				Washington DC	(202) 224-4254	(202) 228-0284
Rob Portman		R	OH	Cincinnati	513-684-3265		@senrobportman
				Cleveland	216-522-7095
				Columbus	614-469-6774
				Toledo	419-259-3895
				Washington DC	202-224-3353	2022249075
Jerry Moran		R	KS	Hays	(785) 628-6401	(785) 628-3791	@JerryMoran
				Manhattan	(785) 539-8973	(785) 587-0789
				Pittsburg	(620) 232-2286	(620) 232-2284
				Wichita	(316) 631-1410	(316) 631-1297
				Olathe	(913) 393-0711	(913) 768-1366
				Washington DC	(202) 224-6521	(202) 228-6966
Jeff Flake	yes	R	AZ	Phoenix	602-840-1891	602-840-4092	@JeffFlake
				Tucson	520-575-8633	520-797-3232
				Washington DC	202-224-4521	202-228-0515
Deb Fischer	yes	R	NE	Scottsbluff	308 630 2329	3086302321	@SenatorFischer
				Kearney	308 234 2361	3082343684
				Lincoln	402 441 4600	4024768753
				Norfolk	402 200 8816
				Omaha	402 391 3411	4023914725
				Washington DC	202 224 6551	2022281325
Thad Cochran		R	MS	Jackson	601 965 4459		@SenThadCochran
				Oxford	662 236 1018
				Gulf Coast	228 867 9710
				Washington DC	202 224 5054
Shelley Capito		R	WV	Charleston	304-347-5372		@SenCapito
				Martinsburg	304-262-9285
				Morgantown	304-292-2310
				Beckley	304-347-5372
				Washington DC	202-224-6472	202) 224-7665
Dean Heller	yes	R	NV	Las Vegas	702 388 6605	702 388 6501	@SenDeanHeller
				Reno	775 686 5770	775 686 5729
				Washington DC	202 224 6244	202 228 6753
John Cornyn		R	TX	Washington DC	202 224 2934		@JohnCornyn
				Austin	512 469 6034	512 469 6020
				Tyler	903 593 0902	903 593 0920
				Dallas	972 239 1310	972 239 2110
				Harlingen	956 423 0162	956 423 0193
				Houston	713 572 3337	713 572 3777
				San Antonio	210 224 7485	210 224 8569
				Lubbock	806 472 7533	806 472 7536
Mike Crapo		R	ID	Washington DC	202 224 6142	202 228 1375	@MikeCrapo
				Idaho Falls	208 522 9779	208 529 8367
				Boise	208 334 1776	208 334 9044
				Lewiston	208 743 1492	208 743 6484
				Twin Falls	208 734 2515	208 733 0414
				Pocatello	208 236 6775	208 236 6935
				Coeur d’Alene	208 664 5490	208 664 0889
Jim Risch		R	ID	Washington DC	202 224 2752	202 224 2573	@SenatorRisch
				Boise	208 342 7985	208 343 2458
				Coeur d’Alene	208 667 6130	208 765 1743
				Idaho Falls	208 523 5541	208 523 9373
				Lewiston	208 743 0792	208 746 7275
				Pocatello	208 236 6817	208 236 6820
				Twin Falls	208 734 6780	208 734 3905
Todd Young		R	IN	Washington DC	202 224 5623		@ToddYoungIN
				Indianapolis	3127 226 6700
				New Albany	812 542 4820
				Evansville	(no phone provided)
				Fort Wayne	(no phone provided)
Mike Rounds		R	SD	Washington DC	(202) 224-5842	(202) 224-7482	@SenatorRounds
				(DC toll-free)	(844) 875-5268
				Pierre	(605) 224-1450	(605) 224-1379
				Rapid City	(605) 343-5035	(605) 343-5348
				Sioux Falls	(605) 336-0486	(605) 336-6624
				Aberdeen	(605) 225-0366
Mike Lee		R	UT	Washington DC	202 224 5444		@SenMikeLee
				Salt Lake City	801 524 5933	801 524 5730
				St. George	435 628 5514
				Ogden	801 392 9633
John Barrasso	yes	R	WY	Casper	307 261 6413		@Barrassoforwyo
				Cheyenne	307 772 2451
				Riverton	307 856 6642
				Sheridan	307 672 6456
				Rock Springs	307 362 5012
				Washington DC	202 224 6441	202 224 1724
				(DC toll-free)	866 235 9553

Latest news about DeVos

According to NPR:

Senate Democrats are planning an all-night session in a last-ditch effort to try to stop President Trump’s nominee for secretary of education, Betsy DeVos, from being confirmed.
Right now, DeVos just barely has enough votes. Two Republican senators — Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins from Maine — both announced last week they won’t support her nomination. That means there’s a 50-50 split right now, with Vice President Pence expected to break the tie with a vote slated for Tuesday afternoon.

From an article in The Hill:

As former ethics counsels to Presidents Obama and George W. Bush, we’ve reviewed more than our share of ethics filings for cabinet nominees. Seldom have we seen a worse cabinet-level ethics mess than that presented by Betsy DeVos, President Trump’s choice for education secretary.

Her extensive financial holdings present significant—and unresolved—conflict of interest issues. She also failed to provide the Senate with accurate information about her involvement with outside organizations. We have regretfully come to the conclusion that these concerns disqualify DeVos for that cabinet position.

From an article in USA Today with a video that includes Elizabeth Warren

WASHINGTON — As she faces what promises to be the closest vote ever for a cabinet nominee, Betsy DeVos, President Donald Trump’s choice for education secretary, is also the most well-known — and in some sense the most notorious.

Spoofed as clueless on Saturday Night Live last weekend, she has been the subject of Internet memes and angry teacher protests nationwide since her Jan. 17 Senate confirmation hearing. Observers say the Republican mega-donor and Michigan native has tapped into anxieties about the new Trump administration — and with two key Republicans last week vowing to vote against her, she is a ripe target: the first Trump nominee who could potentially be defeated.

CALL! CALL! CALL!!!!