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Congressional Recess Tactic:

Sample Birddogging and Town Hall Questions

If you're holding your elected officials accountable for their positions in person, consider asking them one or more of the following questions on reproductive rights.

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Questions to Ask Reproductive Rights Champions:

  • [Add one sentence about your feelings about Roe v. Wade being overturned.] That’s why I want to thank you for always standing up to protect abortion rights. How are you going to keep pushing Congress to protect abortion access? What’s next for the Women’s Health Protection Act, and how are you going to lead from here?
  • A lot of us are concerned about the future of reproductive health care — I know I am. Can you tell us what you’re doing to protect us and how you’re fighting back? 
  • [Add one sentence about your fears around birth control being attacked.] I’m grateful for your continued support in protecting contraception. Is Congress working on anything to protect our access to birth control? Are there ways to provide more funding to family planning programs like Title X? 
  • I’m concerned about a national abortion ban. What can we do to prevent that from happening?

Questions to Shame Reproductive Rights Opponents:

Top Questions

  • You recently voted against bills to protect access to abortion and birth control. Do you believe forced pregnancy is fair? 
  • You have said [INSERT OUTRAGEOUS COMMENT]. Do you believe that we are incapable of making decisions about our own bodies, lives, and futures? 
  • Abortion is a medical procedure. Do you believe that doctors should be punished and thrown in jail for doing their job? 
  • Would you force your sister, wife, child, or another person to carry a pregnancy against their will?

More Questions on Abortion:

  • Do you oppose abortion even in instances where the life of the pregnant person is at risk?
  • Do you support preventing pregnant people from receiving life-saving medical care?
  • Do you think people should be punished if they help someone get an abortion?
  • How would you punish someone who gets an illegal abortion? 
  • Do you think pregnant people who have a miscarriage should be investigated for possible self-managed abortion?
  • Do you believe pregnant people should be criminally prosecuted for self-managed abortions?
  • Would you support a nationwide ban on abortion?

More Questions on Birth Control:

  • Do you think Plan B/the morning after pill should be banned?
  • What do you think about calls from some lawmakers to overturn the Supreme Court case that legalized birth control in 1965?
  • Justice Thomas indicated that the decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization calls into question the rights to contraception, marriage equality, and privacy in the bedroom — will you oppose efforts to infringe on those rights?
  • IF you believe life begins at conception, would you ban certain forms of birth control like IUDs? What about in vitro fertilization?

More Tips

By using inclusive language when talking to electeds about abortion, we can center people who face the greatest barriers to care due to systemic racism and discrimination.

Use these language tips to help everyone in our movement feel welcome. And to stay safe during public engagement, use these protest tips.

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