August Congressional Recess Action Toolkit

Lean on relationship

Reach out to people you know; they’ll be showing up for you, not necessarily because they understand or care about this issue yet!

Consider, what’s your stake? Share why you care about this topic, how it affects things you and your community care about.

Example: Trump’s budget bill defunds federal agencies that track extreme weather. I’ve already had to move to a new community because of flooding last year, and I’m afraid of what could happen next without emergency services and scientists monitoring weather.

Example: Our senator voted to pass Trump’s budget bill even though he promised not to support any legislation that would cut money from renewable energy to pay for oil and gas industry tax breaks. But those clean energy projects were creating jobs in our community, and the taxes supported conservation work, improving public spaces my family loves.

Help friends understand, what’s their stake? Ask your friends and family questions to help them understand why they care about the topic, or bring up issues you know affect them already.

Example: I remember you mentioned being horrified by the green cards of university students being rescinded because your partner is a green card holder. Did you ever hear back from our member of congress about your concerns?

Example: I know you were worried about layoffs at your job because of Trump’s impact on the economy. How have things been for you lately?

Agitate!

Jane McAlevey, the late, great SEIU organizer says: “agitation in organizing is the spark that creates the wildfire.” In this step, you want to help your friend acknowledge that things need to change, understand who has the power to change things, and help your friend recognize that the change cannot happen without them.

Example: I see you at the farmer’s market every weekend and know how much you value local, fresh food. Trump’s new bill instead pays for more commodity crops that are unhealthy and bad for the environment — how do you think this will affect the prices at the market and those producers?

Example: Did I hear you talking about some of the new electric pickup trucks coming out for 2026? It’s a shame that Trump’s budget cuts the clean vehicle tax credits, and rural EV charger tax credits too. Why do you think he supports these kinds of policies? Do you think he wants to keep us behind the rest of the globe on EVs?

Share a solution and make a clear ask. Wait for their answer.

Example: I’m working with an organization called Union of Concerned Scientists to try to correct these issues that you and I are talking about to try to fight back. Congress helped pass Trump’s terrible budget bill and now our legislators are back in town for August recess. We have a chance to tell them what we think about Trump’s big, ugly bill and to send them back to Washington ready to fight back harder. Can I count on you to join me next Saturday, August 30th to take a photo together outside their office and share on social media?

Here’s a backup sample text or phone call script (if there’s not enough time to organize): Hey, [Friend’s Name!] I wanted to reach out to you because I know you care about [insert their issue here, e.g.: stopping Trump’s war on science] as much as I do. Congress helped pass Trump’s terrible budget bill even though it cuts funding to scientific agencies that prepare us for climate disaster and takes money away from programs that feed our community members. Our legislators are back in town for August recess, so we have a chance to tell them what we think about Trump’s Big, Ugly Bill. Can I count on you to join me next [Day, Date, Time] at [Legislator’s Name] office to take a photo together and share on social media?

Download & print your signs.

Download and print your UCS signs, available here. Or, make your own sign! See social media post ideas below to help you choose 1 short phrase that gets at the heart of what you care about.

Take your picture at your legislator’s office, or other government location.

Here are some tips to make it great! Try to make sure everyone in your group’s faces can be seen. Pay attention to lighting. If you are taking the photo outside, try facing toward the sun. It may be bright, but the photo will turn out much better than if the sun is behind you! If inside, find some good light that illuminates your faces. Include at least one UCS sign in your group if you can. And get creative! Feel free to take multiple pictures. These will go on your social media, so let your personality show!

If you can, deliver a letter to a staff member or slide it under the office door.

While you’re there, have your group sign and drop off a letter based on the Shame or Thank messaging available at the end of this toolkit. You can print as many signature pages as you need, or have your group sign on the back. If a staff member is at the office, deliver letters to them. Otherwise, feel free to slip it under their door.

Everyone in your group should sign the letter with their full name, scientific credentials if they have them, institutional affiliation if they have one (and are comfortable signing), and zip code.

Amplify your photo & share

Make sure everyone in your group posts the photo on any and all social media networks that they have! Now is also the time to call your family members! Talk with your old friends and classmates in states where legislators need to hear these messages loud and clear. Let your social media post be a conversation starter, “Did you see what we did on Saturday?!”

If you are part of any local organizations, ask them to share your post as well.

Don’t forget to tag your member of Congress in your social media post to get their attention! There is usually an official website listed here where you can find their social media profiles linked.

And be sure to tag Union of Concerned Scientists in your posts, so that we can re-share and amplify them!

• UCS Facebook: @ucsusa.org
• UCS Bluesky: @ucs.org
• UCS Instagram: @unionofconcernedscientists

Here are some messaging ideas for you to use in your signs and letters, we’ve included examples so you can “Call Out” or “Call In” your members of Congress.

SHAME Social Media Ideas [for any Republican EXCEPT Susan Collins (ME), Lisa Murkowski (AK), and Thom Tillis (NC)]:

• Sound the alarm, call out the harm! Trump and [Tag your legislator]’s anti-science actions are harming me and my community.
• Sound the alarm, call out the harm! Tell [Tag your legislator]: Don’t play ball with Trump at Recess.
• Sound the alarm, call out the harm! Get loud and tell Congress their anti-science actions are dangerous for you and your community. 📣📢
• Sound the alarm, call out the harm! Hey [your state], tell Congress what you really think about their anti-science actions!
• Sound the alarm, call out the harm! Trump and [Your Legislator] are defunding USDA science that our small farmers need.
• Sound the alarm, call out the harm! Trump and [Your Legislator] are ruining our [national parks, beaches, forests]
• Sound the alarm, call out the harm! Elon Musk and oil companies receive millions of dollars DAILY from federal contracts. Why weren’t their subsidies cut by Trump’s Big, Ugly Bill? Instead, Trump and [Your Legislator] have defunded critical scientific research and nutrition programs to line his cronies’ pockets
• Sound the alarm, call out the harm! Trump and [Your Legislator] are defunding NIH cancer research that saved my life

THANK Social Media Ideas:

• Thank you, [Tag your legislator] for sounding the alarm and calling out the harm of Trump’s anti-science actions that harm me and my community. Keep the drumbeat going and prevent future RIFs at federal scientific agencies!
• [Tag your legislator], you’re on the right track. Keep defending science and return to DC ready to hold the line and prevent future RIFs at federal scientific agencies.

Thank you for being part of our August Congressional Recess Action! Please stay in touch, and help your networks do the same!

• Make sure the folks you recruit join UCS’s Science Network if they are experts.
• Follow Union of Concerned Scientists on social media, and sign up for our emails for regular opportunities to take action and learn more about issues that affect you and your community.
• If you still want to do more, you can write a letter to the editor to your local paper to help put more pressure on your member of Congress! Contact Abbey Vogel for next steps and support getting your letter published.