Posted by
Defend America on Friday, March 19, 2010 6:43:49 PM
Via Big Government:
Yesterday,
I decided to call Rep. John Garamendi’s (CA-10) office in Washington,
D.C. He’s my representative and I wanted to voice my opposition to the
Senate Health Care Bill. I spoke with a female staffer and politely
told her that, while I support health care reform, I oppose the Senate
Bill because it wasn’t true “reform.” She said the Congressman thinks
it’s a good bill and that he campaigned on health care reform. I told
her I knew that. I also mentioned that I voted for him. When I tried to
give her specific reasons why the Senate Bill would harm our system
rather than reform it, she refused to listen. She said she was very
busy and hung up on me. Being the persistent person that I am, I kept
calling back. Each time I tried to finish my point, she hung up.
I called one more time. This time she said, “If you call one more
time, we will notify Capital Police.” I asked why my conduct warranted
involving federal law enforcement agents. She said I was “harassing”
her. I tried to explain that trying to convince a representative to
change his or her vote didn’t constitute “harassment.” Before I could
fully explain, she hung up again.
I called back. This time, I asked to speak to her supervisor in
order to report her repeated hanging up as well as the threat she made.
I was placed on hold. Thinking I was holding for her supervisor, I was
shocked when a Federal Agent with the Capital Police picked-up the
telephone.
At first, the Agent was curt with me. He claimed I was harassing Mr.
Garamendi’s staff by continually calling after being told to stop
calling. I asked him when it became a federal crime to lobby a
congressman. He said that it wasn’t but it was a crime to “harass”
congressional members and staff pursuant to 47 U.S.C. 223. I told him I
was an attorney (which I am) and that I would research the statute he
had cited.
After researching 47 U.S.C. 223, I called Mr. Garamendi’s office
again and asked to be transferred back to the Capital Police Agent. The
Agent picked up the phone and I explained to him that the statute he
cited was not controlling since it only prohibits people from calling
with the specific intent to harass. I further explained that I was
simply trying to voice my concerns with the intent of getting Mr.
Garamendi to change his mind, not to harass his staff. The Agent
eventually agreed with my position and said he would call Mr.
Garamendi’s office and instruct his staff that I was within my rights
to call my congressman and voice my concerns.
http://biggovernment.com/capitolconfidential/2010/03/19/the-heat-is-on-congressmans-office-says-constituent-calls-are-harassment/