The group that collected the numbers intentionally excluded any they believed had a role in national security, because they said they wanted to avoid disrupting them and keep the focus on transparency and domestic accountability. A solid chunk of the numbers were disconnected, probably during the Obama-to-Trump transition, but it's possible they'll be put back in use if Trump ever gets around to hiring White House staffers. We've been calling the numbers on the list and have found a few fun ones—somewhere in there you'll get a voice mailbox belonging to one "Conway, Kellyanne." See if you can leave her a message before it's disconnected.

Here are the ones that work, so far:

+1 (202) 456-1259
+1 (202) 456-1260
+1 (202) 456-3323
+1 (202) 456-3376
+1 (202) 395-1194
+1 (202) 456-1565
+1 (202) 395-1608
+1 (202) 456-2046
+1 (202) 456-2500
+1 (202) 456-4640
+1 (202) 456-3256
+1 (202) 456-3878
+1 (202) 395-1480
+1 (202) 456-3450
+1 (202) 456-4655
+1 (202) 456-4770

As a constituent concerned with threats to reproductive health care access, I write to urge you to support a measure that will reaffirm the State of Illinois' commitment to ensuring access to comprehensive reproductive health care, including abortion, for all women in the state.

Please support House Bill 40 when it comes up for a vote.

House Bill 40 repeals a dangerous "trigger" provision in the Illinois abortion law and affirms that Illinois has no intention of every going back to the pre-Roe days of illegal abortion. When Illinois passed the Illinois Abortion Law in 1975, it included what is known as a "trigger" provision, which states that if the U.S. Supreme Court ever overturns or modifies Roe v. Wade, Illinois will automatically turn back the clock to its pre-Roe law. By removing this provision, women's health care will be protected in Illinois, regardless of what happens to the Supreme Court in a Trump administration. There is simply too much risk in keeping the "trigger" language in our statute.

HB 40 also removes discriminatory provisions from Illinois law that deny insurance coverage of abortion to many women who depend on Medicaid and State Employee Health Insurance. Every woman, regardless of whether she has private or government-funded health insurance, should have affordable and comprehensive health coverage including coverage for abortion care.

When it comes to the most important decisions in life, like whether to become a parent, it is vital that a woman is able to consider all the options available to her. It is not up to lawmakers to interfere with her decision by withholding coverage. HB 40 is common sense policy that supports a woman's personal health care decisions.

Determine the extent to which “Interstate Crosscheck” improperly disenfranchised voters, by establishing a fully-funded, open-ended, non-partisan congressional investigative committee (4 Democrats/4 Republicans – Chaired by Independent Bernie Sanders) with subpoena power to investigate and publish the policies, procedures, datasets, workpapers, and purge lists.

OK, what’s this book about? It’s about what’s happened to the American government lately. It’s about the disastrous decisions that government has made. It’s about the corruption that rotted the Congress. It’s about how traditional conservatism has nearly been destroyed by authoritarianism. It’s about how the “Religious Right” teamed up with amoral authoritarian leaders to push its un-democratic agenda onto the country. It’s about the United States standing at the crossroads as the next federal election approaches.

“Well,” you might be thinking, “I don’t believe any of this is true.” Or maybe, you’re thinking, “What else is new? I’ve believed this for years.” Why should a conservative, moderate, or liberal bother with this book? Why should any Republican, Independent, or Democrat click the “Whole Book” link on this page?

Because if you do, you’ll begin an easy-ride journey through some very relevant scientific studies I have done on authoritarian personalities--one that will take you a heck of a lot less time than the decades it took me. Those studies have a direct bearing on all the topics mentioned above. So if you think the first paragraph is a lot of hokum, or full of half-truths, I invite you to look at the research.

For example, take the following statement: “Once our government leaders and the authorities condemn the dangerous elements in our society, it will be the duty of every patriotic citizen to help stomp out the rot that is poisoning our country from within.” Sounds like something Hitler would say, right? Want to guess how many politicians, how many lawmakers in the United States agreed with it? Want to guess what they had in common?

Or how about a government program that persecutes political parties, or minorities, or journalists the authorities do not like, by putting them in jail, even torturing and killing them. Nobody would approve of that, right? Guess again.

Don’t think for a minute this doesn’t concern you personally. Let me ask you, as we’re passing the time here, how many ordinary people do you think an evil authority would have to order to kill you before he found someone who would, unjustly, out of sheer obedience, just because the authority said to? What sort of person is most likely to follow such an order? What kind of official is most likely to give that order, if it suited his purposes? Look at what experiments tell us, as I did.

If, on the other hand, you’re way ahead of me, and believe the extreme right-wing elements in America are poised to take it over, permanently, I think you can still get a lot from this book. The studies explain so much about these people. Yes, the research shows they are very aggressive, but why are they so hostile? Yes, experiments show they are almost totally uninfluenced by reasoning and evidence, but why are they so dogmatic? Yes, studies show the Religious Right has more than its fair share of hypocrites, from top to bottom; but why are they two-faced, and how come one face never notices the other? Yes, their leaders can give the flimsiest of excuses and even outright lies about things they’ve done wrong, but why do the rank and file believe them? What happens when authoritarian followers find the authoritarian leaders they crave and start marching together?

I think you’ll find this book “explains a lot.” Many scattered impressions about the enemies of freedom and equality become solidified by science and coherently connected here.

You think I’m pulling your leg? Click the link.