Sample Email to Friends and Family Members

With this month’s action sheet for Climate Hope Affiliates, we are focused on calling two friends or family members in key states to ask them to call the offices of their senators and urge robust EPA funding for Fiscal Year 2027 without any policy riders that would weaken protections for the environment and public health. Here is a sample email that one can send to friends and family members:

Hi _______,

I hope you’re doing well. I have been involved in my local Climate Hope Affiliate chapter and I have been surprised by the difference we have been able to make.  As someone who cares about the environment, I wanted to let you know of an opportunity to make an important difference in your state. I have been following how Congress is responding to the Trump administration’s proposal to cut the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) budget by 52% for next year (Fiscal Year 2027). Earlier this month, the House Appropriations Committee voted to cut next year’s EPA funding by 20%. In January, similar proposals from the White House and the House were successfully defeated for this year (Fiscal Year 2026). You are in an important state because of the leadership position of your senator. We need your help to defeat this new round of cuts and policy proposals.

In the Senate, the Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies is deciding what they will propose for EPA funding. Like last year, we need a bipartisan effort from senators to reject the severe spending cuts proposed by the White House and House. We also need them to reject the attachment of policy provisions called “riders” that have nothing to do with funding but serve as way to evade scrutiny and enact legislation that would harm the environment and public health. (For more details, check out the monthly action sheet of Climate Hope Affiliates.)

Here’s how you can make a difference:

Call your senator’s Washington, DC, office using the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121. Ask to speak with the office of Senator ______. Here is a sample script for calling:

My name is ______________, and I’m a constituent. I live in [city, state]. As a person of faith [(or) as someone who cares about the environment], I am concerned about proposals to cut EPA funding for Fiscal Year 2027. I am also concerned about proposals to attach policy riders that would harm the environment and public health.  

I urge Sen. ______________ to support robust EPA funding without harmful policy riders. Please let me know the Senator’s decision on this. I can be reached at [leave your email or mailing address.]

Thanks for caring about these critical issues affecting so many people!

There’s a lot of noise out there saying our voices don’t matter, but that’s not true. I will give you a call to say hello and see if you will help with this exciting opportunity to make a difference.  We could even practice calling Washington.

With gratitude,

[Your name]