By now, most Americans know that some of Trump's advisors were in frequent contact with Russian intelligence during the campaign, and that Trump's former NSA adviser consulted with the Russian government regarding sanctions before Trump took office. The Senate Intelligence Committee (SIC) and the House Intelligence Committee (HIC) are currently looking into Russia's involvement in the 2016 election. And according to the Washington Post, the HIC, "...Chairman Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) and ranking Democrat Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.)...promised their focus on Russia’s alleged meddling in the 2016 election would include “any intelligence regarding links between Russia and individuals associated with political campaigns.”" The FBI is also conducting an investigation into Russian involvement in the 2016 election.
While these investigations are encouraging, there is a problem--the SIC and HIC both have a Republican majority. Therefore, it's very difficult to believe that these investigations will be conducted in a nonpartisan, objective manner. In addition, Attorney General Jeff Sessions has refused to recuse himself from any involvement in the Russian FBI investigation, even though he was a Trump adviser during the campaign and was rewarded for his loyalty by being give the AG position. At this point in time, it appears that the only way we will get clear answers about the relationship between Trump and the Russians is through an independent investigation.
If we want this independent investigation to happen, it is time for Republicans that are unhappy with Trump to rise up. As a former Republican, I have a number of Republican friends and family members and I have noticed that a significant number of them are embarrassed by his actions and are anxiously awaiting his resignation or impeachment. If you are one of these Republicans, I hope you realize the amount of power you have--Republican representatives are going to be more influenced by people who have actually voted for them and are likely to vote for them in the future. [How will these representatives know that you voted for them? In a nutshell, politicians have access to data bases that record the primaries in which you have voted, including in open primary states; your party affiliation; and demographic data that indicate the likelihood that you support/ed them.]
What can you, as a Republican, do to help with the cause? Please reach out to your Republican legislators and demand that an independent investigation into Trump's Russian ties be conducted. (Keep in mind, every person reading this should reach out to his/her legislators, regardless of his/her political affiliation. But the urgency, at this point in time, is for Republicans to put pressure on Republican representatives.) Following are some simple steps to make yourself heard:
1) Click here to find the names and contact information of your 2 senators.
2) Call, email, or snail mail your senators and express your desire for the Senate to conduct an independent investigation of Trump's involvement with the Russian government. You can copy and paste the below text to use in your correspondence.
Dear _____________,
I have proudly voted for you and I appreciate all you have done for our state/community over the years, but right now I am extremely concerned about the apparent collusion between Trump's campaign team and Russian intelligence agents. I am asking that you please support and push for a bipartisan, independent Senate Select Committee Investigation into this issue. Thank you in advance for your action.
Sincerely,
(In addition to your name, include your address and phone number.)
3) Keep contacting your senators every few days until they do the right thing.
(Thank you to the TN Democratic Party for providing suggestions for the next steps in this process.)
Once again, the above suggestions can be used by each and every American, regardless of his/her party affiliation or the affiliation of his/her congressional representatives. (Of course, if you have not voted for the senator you are contacting, please remove "I have proudly voted for you and..." from the above suggested correspondence text.) But, right now, our country desperately needs Republicans who are unhappy with Trump to speak up because you are more likely to be heard by Republican senators and representatives. Thank you for reading and please share this with others.
