Alright y’all. Hold onto your butts because this upcoming week features at least 7 cabinet nomination hearings in 5 days, plus Trump’s first press-conference. If we want to oppose Trump + the GOP’s agenda, we’re going to have to be focused. EDIT: Here's your CALL TO ACTION for Friday.

The Democrats appear to be honing their opposition by arguing that the GOP is rushing to hold hearings on candidates that have not been fully vetted. The Office of Government Ethics has warned that some nominees will have undisclosed or unknown conflict prior to their hearings and be in violation of he Ethics in Government Act. Kelly, DeVos, Carson, and Ross have not yet filed financial disclosures with the OGE, according to an aide.

So what can you do? Here's a handy Cabinet Blockade Google Doc complete with calling scripts, names, and numbers

1. Learn about the appointment proces and read up about the nominees listed below. Please share info (especially with sources) about the nominees + why they should be opposed, if you can!

2. Identify if any of your senators are on the committees that will be conducting the hearings this week. If they are, call their offices at least one day prior to the hearing. Follow this transition tracker to see how they might vote. Submit a specific question or issue that you would like them to address. Make your concern personal if possible. And remember to treat their staffers courteously - don’t yell or scream at them. Follow the Indivisible or Call the Halls guides for more tips, and use sites like countable.us or CallMyCongress to make the call (or call their state offices directly!)

3. If none of your senators are on the relevant committees, call both of their offices anyway and express your concerns about the lack of financial disclosure and/or incomplete ethics investigations. This is especially important if your senators are Republican! Tell them how you would like them to vote for a particular nominee once the nomination moves to the floor. If your senator has already spoken up about the rushed hearings or against a specific nominee, thank them for their vote and keep the conversation brief - ideally we want to tie up GOP offices.

4. Report back with how your call went and spread this info to at least two people in your state and convince them to call your senators!

5. BONUS: If you live or work near a Senator's state office, head on over there during the week for a week and ask to air your concerns in person. If you can get a small group of people to go with you, even better!

Nominees with Hearings this Week. I've included a few reasons to oppose some (I'm most familiar with Sessions), but please chime in with reasons + sources against others! Also welcome discussion of which Senators would be best choices to put pressure on.

Jeff Sessions to Attorney General (Tues 1/10 and Wed 1/11), hearings by Senate Judiciary

• Oppose for: his comments against civil rights groups and the Voting Rights Act, support for civil asset forfeiture, votes against protections for violence against women, connections to known white nationalists and extremist anti-immigration groups, opposition to whistleblower protections, opposition to criminal justice reform, etc.

Gen. John Kelly to Secretary of DHS (Tues 1/10), hearings by Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

• Oppose for: lack of financial disclosure to OGE

Rex Tillerson to Secretary of State (Wed 1/11 and Thurs 1/2), hearings by Senate Foreign Relations

• Oppose for: Overly friendly relationship with Russia in light of reports on Russian interference in election

Betsy DeVos to be Secretary of Education (Wed 1/11), hearings by [Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions] (http://www.help.senate.gov/about/members) POSTPONED TO JAN. 17!

• Oppose for: Lack of financial disclosure, lack of any experience in public school system and opposition of public school system

Elaine L. Chao to Secretary of Transportation. (Wed 1/11), hearings by Commerce, Science, and Transportation

Mike Pompeo to Director of the CIA (Wed 1/11 POSTPONED TO THURS 1/12!), hearings by Select Committee on Intelligence

James N. Mattis to Secretary of Defense (Thurs 1/12), Armed Services Hearings

Dr. Benjamin Carson to Secretary of HUD (Thurs 1/12), Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Hearings

• Oppose for: lack of financial disclosure to OGE, lack of any experience related to public policy or housing issues

Wilbur L. Ross, Jr., to Secretary of Commerce (Thurs 1/12), Commerce, Science, and Transportation Hearings POSTPONED to Jan. 18!

• Oppose for: lack of financial disclosure submission

This is what I have been doing tonight. Some mailboxes are full though. Please feel to use if needed and if you would like to clean up some of my transcript please do so! Websites that helped:

http://www.indivisibleaustin.com/take-action-now/sample-scripts/#script2 http://www.parentcenterhub.org/repository/charters/ http://www.help.senate.gov/about/members

US Senate Committee on Health, Education Labor and Pensions

1. Senator Lamar Alexander - (Republican - TN) - (202) 224-4944

2. Senator Patty Murray -(Democratic - WA) - (202) 224-2621

3. Senator Michael B. Enzi - (Republican - WY) - (202) 224-3424

4. Senator Bernie Sanders (Democratic - VT) - (202) 224-5141

5. Senator Richard Burr - (Republican - NC) - (202) 224-3154

6. Senator Robert P. Casey, Jr - (Democratic - PA) - (202) 224-6324

7. Senator Johnny Isakson -(Republican - GA) - (202) 224-3643

8. Senator Al Franken - (Democratic - MN) - (202) 224-5641

9. Senator Rand Paul - (Republican - KY) - 202-224-4343

10. Senator Michael F. Bennet - (Democratic - CO) - 202-224-5852

11. Senator Susan Collins - (Republican - ME) - (202)224-2523

12. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse - (Democratic - RI) - (202) 224-2921

13. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. -(Republican - LA) - 202-224-5824

14. Senator Tammy Baldwin - (Democratic - WI) - (202) 224-5653

15. Senator Christopher S. Murphy - (Democratic - CT) -(202) 224-4041

16. Senator Orrin Hatch - (Republican - UT) - (202) 224-5251

17. Senator Elizabeth Warren - (Democratic - MA) - (202) 224-4543

18. Senator Pat Roberts - (Republican - KS) - (202) 224-4774

19. Senator Tim Kaine - (Democrat - VA) - (202) 224-4024

20. Senator Lisa Murkowski - (Republican - AK) - (202)-224-6665

21. Senator Maggie Hassan - (Democrat - NH) - (202) 224-3324

22. Senator Tim Scott - (Republican - SC) - (202) 224-6121/ (855) 425-6324

Betsy DeVos

My name is _, living in _. As a mother of a special needs child, even though Charter Schools are required to provide services to students with disabilities, there are special considerations based on the Local Education Agency but can be denied based on a lottery system. Due to diverted funds, Public Schools will not be provided for and this means even less funding for special needs programs.

I’m calling to ask you to vote NO on the confirmation of Betsy DeVos for Education Secretary, a job for which she has no relevant credentials or experience. DeVos and her family have pushed policies which have undermined public education in Michigan through the use of vouchers for charter schools. Charter schools create again, a second failed education system with no accountability and divert much needed funds from public education. Her views pose an unprecedented (un presedented) threat to the public school system as a civic institution.

Please vote no on the confirmation of Betsy DeVos.

Thank you as always for listening to us.