Oppose Rex Tillerman

Rex Tillerman has been nominated for Secretary of State. As the CEO of ExxonMobil until a few days ago (he stepped down on Dec 31, 2016), he has more than a few conflicts-of-interest.

He goes up for the vote TOMORROW JAN 23rd

Call Now!

Major Concerns:

• Russian Ties
• Conflicts of Interest in Fossil Fuel Industry
• No experience in politics whatsoever

What Can You Do?

1. Call the Committee who can approve/reject his nomination.

and especially:

2. Call your individual senators if they are on the committee 
    PARTICULARLY if your senator is John McCain, Lindsey Graham
    or Marco Rubio, as these are three Republican senators that have expressed concern about
    Tillerson's nomination.

    (The website It's Time to Fight is an amazing resource to find committee lists,
      as well as call/email scripts)


MY CALL SCRIPT:

FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE CALL SCRIPT

The Foreign Relations Committee is who will confirm Rex Tillerson's nomination. 
Call: 202-224-4651

Note: Keep in mind who your audience is. Many Democrats will already oppose his nomination, so those that you're trying to convince are the Republican senators. Keep that in mind when considering your talking points. 

Hi, is there someone I can talk to to voice my concerns about one of the cabinet nominees?

Thanks. I am concerned about the appointment of Rex Tillerson.

I'm very concerned about Rex Tillerson's lack of experience, and his conflicts of interests, particularly his ties to Russia and Vladimir Putin.

For these reasons I am very concerned about his nomination, and would recommend that the committee members vote no.

Thanks for your time!

IF YOU ARE CALLING YOUR SENATOR DIRECTLY:

Keep in mind who your senator is and know whether or not they are on the Foreign Relations Committee. Research what her/his stance is on Rex Tillerson and personalize your call accordingly. For example, John McCain, has concerns about Tillerson's ties to Russia, but has recently come out saying after much deliberation, he would vote for him regardless (he will only vote if this goes to a full senate floor vote). 

Here is my script for John McCain (not on the committee):
(202) 224-2235

Hi, I am an Arizona Voter. Is there someone I can talk to to voice my concerns about one of the cabinet nominees?

Thanks. I am concerned about the appointment of Rex Tillerson as Secretary of State.

First, I want to thank Senator McCain for being open about his own concerns with Mr. Tillerson, and particularly his ties to Russia. I know that Senator McCain has recently said he's decided he would vote for Mr. Tillerson, but I would ask that he reconsider. I'm still very concerned about Mr. Tillerson's ties to Vladimir Putin.

For these reasons I am very concerned, and would recommend that Senator McCain oppose the nomination. Surely there is a better, less problematic candidate for this very important position.

Thanks for your time!

And edited slightly for Jeff Flake (the AZ rep on the committee):
(202) 224-4521


Hi, I am an Arizona Voter. Is there someone I can talk to to voice my concerns about one of the cabinet nominees?

Thanks. I am concerned about the appointment of Rex Tillerson as Secretary of State.

I'm concerned both by his lack of experience and his conflicts of interest. Like Senator Flake's fellow Senator John McCain, I am particularly concerned about Mr. Tillerson's ties to Russia and Vladimir Putin.

So for these reasons I'd like to ask Senator Flake to vote NO.

Thanks for your time!


CALL TALKING POINTS:
If you're like me and don't really like reading out an actual script, here is a list of the main talking points:

• Lack of experience
• Conflicts of interest
• Ties to Russia and Vladimir Putin
• Surely there is a better candidate

I realize that there are a lot more talking points than those listed above, but I personally feel that these are the ones that will hold the most sway with Senate Republicans, which is largely our audience at the moment.

Other Scripts:

It's Time To Fight Script
Project 1461 (has scripts for Democrat and Republican senators)
Trump Cabinet Blockade (has lots of other scripts too)
SolitarySundays (has a script asking Marco Rubio to stand firm in his "NO" stance)
Biological Diversity Script (personally, though I think this script contains a little too much left-leaning rationale to be of use in influencing the Republicans in the committee to change their minds)
Climate Reality Project Script (personally, though I think this script contains a little too much left-leaning rationale to be of use in influencing the Republicans in the committee to change their minds)


Further Reading:

What it really means to be a friend of Putin
McCain On Supporting Tillerman: When Pigs Fly
Latest Stance from Rep. Senators on the Fence
Tillerson Hearing Key Moments
Tillerson Misleads at Hearing
Tillerson Fails to Win Over Key GOP Senator (Rubio)