5 Calls
Direct communication with your representatives is the easiest and most effective way to make your views heard! Your call is logged and counted, and a large volume of calls on a specific topic shows a high level of constituent concern, which can influence a representative’s priorities and votes.
The 5 Calls approach makes it even easier! Simply enter your zip code and they will find the contact information for your representatives and, if you’d like, provide a script. All you have to do is call!
IBBMD 5 Calls Events
Every Wednesday, IBBMD members come together (virtually) to deluge our Senators and Congress members with a concentrated “storm” of constituent calls about a chosen topic. To participate, simply call your 2 Senators and one Congress member each Wednesday anytime between 12:01 am – 11:59 pm. The message changes each week and is typically relevant to current events.
Weekly Scripts
Messaging Storm
August 26, 2026
A coordinated call to our Elected Officials
U.S. Capitol Switchboard
(202) 224-3121
Action
Demand Congressional oversight and hold the Trump administration accountable for the suffering of our sailors during endless deployments to the Middle East.
Background
The USS Abraham Lincoln is on its way back to port, it has not been to shore since a brief stop in Guam after leaving their home port of San Diego in 2025. After the President’s, unauthorized aggression against Iran on February 28th, the Abraham Lincoln was diverted from their Pacific mission to the Middle East. Now after a staggering 274-day deployment they are heading home, but there are more ships currently stationed in the Middle East reporting similar conditions: delayed mail, food and water shortages, low availability of basic hygiene supplies, power failures, and suffering mental health issues on ship. There has been at least one confirmed report of a sailor jumping overboard the Lincoln (and was rescued). The Navy avoided identifying it as a suicide attempt; however, other reports suggest the sailor was stopped from jumping.
However, the Pentagon and White House are downplaying the concerns from military spouses and families about the well-being of their sailors on these ships, and refuting the public comments made by sailors aboard these vessels. The President even stated the deployment of the Abraham Lincoln was “not nearly long enough.” Trump wants our military to hold the Strait of Hormuz indefinitely, but this is not an authorized War by Congress. Congressional leaders need to share a plan with the American People to protect our troops from further harm from this administration. Trump’s vanity war in Iran is adding significantly to our now $40 Trillion debt, standing as yet another factor to the ongoing mismanagement of the government’s budget since the start of his second term.
Call/Email Script
Hi, my name is [NAME] and I’m a constituent from [CITY, ZIP].
I’m calling today because I am outraged by the treatment and conditions experienced by our service members currently deployed on vessels in the Middle East due to Trump’s ongoing War with Iran. The American people want action NOW on supporting the sailors that have been on extended deployments.
I demand that [REP/SEN NAME] present a plan on how to hold the Trump administration accountable for their mismanagement of the government and their authoritarian overreach of military personnel and deployments. As well, we want an end to this war that has added significantly to our now $40 Trillion debt, yet another example of the ongoing mismanagement of the government’s budget since the start of Trump’s second term. I would like a response from [REP/SEN NAME] to know how they plan to hold this administration accountable for harm to our military readiness as well as wasting our tax dollars for a war we don’t want.
Thank you for your time.
Leave full address if leaving a voicemail so your opinion is tallied.
Additional Reading
Bath, A. (11 August 2026). USS Abraham Lincoln families press Navy leaders over sailors’ mental health. Stars and Stripes. https://www.stripes.com/theaters/us/2026-08-11/abraham-lincoln-middle-east-mental-health-town-hall-meeting-22506344.html
Lagrone, S. (22 August 2026). USS Abraham Lincoln Leaves the Middle East After Almost 7 Months. USNI news. https://news.usni.org/2026/08/22/uss-abraham-lincoln-leaves-the-middle-east-after-almost-7-months
Mayes-Osterman, C. (16 April 2026). Cookies, deodorant, socks. Iran war puts military packages in limbo. USA Today. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2026/04/16/iran-war-mail-packages-middle-east/89609308007/
Toropin, K., Madhani, A. & Price, M.L. (14 August 2026). WATCH: Trump says USS Lincoln’s deployment was ‘not nearly long enough’. PBS News. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/watch-trump-says-uss-lincolns-deployment-was-not-nearly-long-enough