Action Alert: Call now to #StopTheShock!

Last week, we wrote to you about a bill that was voted on in a House subcommittee. It is the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. Some members of Congress have added a new section to the bill, Section 722. If this bill becomes law, this section would prevent the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) from banning the electric shock devices used at the Judge Rotenberg Center.

The subcommittee passed the bill. The next committee to vote on the bill is the House Appropriations Committee, which will vote on the bill on July 10. We have now until July 10 to stop this bill and preserve the FDA’s authority to ban electroshock torture. Take action today to #StopTheShock!

First, check if your MP sits on the Budget Committee. Check if they are on the membership list here. If you are not sure who your MP is, you can find out by entering your postcode here. If your representative sits on the Appropriations Committee, call the House switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask to be connected to your representative’s office. You can say, “Please connect me to the office of representative (first and last name).”

Once you are connected to your agent’s office, you can use our script:

My name is (your full name), and I’m from (your city). I’m a constituent of Representative (name). I’m calling to ask Representative (name) to oppose Section 722 of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. This amendment takes away the FDA’s ability to ban the use of electric shocks for behavior modification. Only one institution in the country still uses electric shocks in this way, and the UN classified the practice as torture in 2013. The FDA’s proposed resolution to ban the devices this year received hundreds of public comments in support of the ban, and this bill would overturn that decision. The House of Representatives must make sure the people it represents are heard. Can I expect Member (name) to oppose this amendment?

If your representative not There is something else you can do in the House Appropriations Committee! You can call the staff of the Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies. Their contact information is:

Pam Miller (202-225-2638) and

Martha Foley (202-225-3481).

You can use this script to plan what you will say:

My name is (your full name) and I am from (your city). I am a constituent of Representative (name). I am calling for opposition to Section 722 of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. This amendment removes the FDA’s ability to ban the use of electric shocks for behavior modification. Only one institution in the country still uses electric shocks in this way, and the UN classified the practice as torture in 2013. The FDA’s proposed resolution to ban the devices this year received hundreds of public comments in support of the ban, and this bill would overturn that decision. The House of Representatives must ensure the people it represents are heard. Please do whatever you can to remove this driver!

Are you anxious about making calls or wondering what to expect when calling your elected officials? Read this guide to calling your members of Congress. It is very important that we call often between now and July 10th.

Once you’re done calling, you can send an email using our tool here. If your representative sits on the House Budget Committee, you can email their office. If your representative doesn’t sit on that committee, you can email subcommittee leaders and other committee staff. Our email tool will automatically send emails to the right people for you. Then spread the word by sharing on social media!

Our community can’t wait. We must act now to save the FDA ban and end torture. Your commitment will ensure we #StopTheShock forever. Thank you for taking action today!