Traditionally, the term "Whip Count" has referred to the process party leaders in congress use to determine which way members are planning to vote on upcoming legislation.

Today, we have access to tools that allow for a public "Whip Count" in which constituents can get their Congressperson's position on an upcoming bill, and hold them accountable to the voters.

These instructions will show you how to use Blue America's Whip Count tool to help determine the position of your senators on the upcoming Feingold-Dodd-Leahy Amendment, which would strip telecom amnesty from the FISA bill, and encourage your senators to support this important legislation.

Instructions:

• Have your email address, phone number, and Zip code handy, you will need them to use the whip count tool
• Click here to bring up the page with Blue America's whip count tool
• Enter your name, email address, phone number and Zip code in the form provided and click "submit"
  
• You'll be given a page with a listing for each of your senators. The listing will give your Senator's current position, and a link to click to call them. Click the link and the tool will call your phone (free of charge!) and connect you to the Senator's office.

Sunday night / before business hours

• Leave your senators a message saying "I live in your state. Isupport the Feingold-Dodd-Leahy and Bingamen amendments, and I oppose the bill as a whole."
• Record the senators' position as "unknown".

During business hours:

• Tell the person who answers the phone you are a constituent calling, and that you would like to know the Senator's position on the upcoming Feingold-Dodd-Leahy amendment to the FISA reauthorization bill (HR 6304). Tips on how best to do this here.
• State your support for the Feingold-Dodd-Leahy and Bingamen amendments, and your opposition to the bill as a whole.
  
• Record what you find out in the form provided by the tool. With everyone chipping in, we should be able to put pressure on our Senators to make their positions known.