Make Your Voice Heard

February 10 is drawing closer, but there is still time to voice your concerns about the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) to Congress and the national media. With so little time left, it's important that we use only the most effective means of communications: the phone.

Forget about email. Forget about letters. Those take too long to be processed and are easily ignored. 

It's much harder to ignore or set aside a real person. And if we all make a few phone calls, we'll be speaking with one very loud voice. The more pressure we put on our representatives the more likely they are to work for change.

Below, you'll find list of phone numbers to help get you started. The representatives listed are folks who, if persuaded by some very vocal constituents, might be able to help sway Congressman Henry Waxman. Of course, you'll also want to contact your own representative.

• Congressman Howard Berman - Southern California (818) 994-7200
  
• Senator Diane Feinstein - California (310) 914-7300
  
• Senator Patrick Leahy - Vermont (802) 863-2525 or (802) 229-0569
  
• Congresswoman Hilda Solis - 32nd District, California (323) 307-9904 or (626) 448-1271
  
• Congresswoman Maxine Waters - 35th District, California (323) 757-8900 or (310) 642-4610
  
• Congresswoman Diane Watson - 33rd District, California 323-965-1422
  
• Congressman Bobby Rush - 1st District, Illinois 773-224-6500 or 708-385-9550
  
• Congressman Henry Waxman - 30th District, California (323) 651-1040 or (202) 225-3976

Let's not forget about the media! Here are a few numbers of some national media sources that we should all be calling (again, forget about press releases, emails and letters). Ask them if they've heard about CPSIA and how it is going to devastate American small businesses, share your own story and urge them to cover this issue!

• CNN - 404 - 827-1500
• Bill O'Reilly, host of the O'Reilly Factor, FoxNews - 212-301-3320
• Todd Ciganek, National News Editor, FoxNews - 212-301-3352
  
• Associated Press - 212-621-1500
• New York Times - 888-NYT-NEWS
• Wall Street Journal -1-800-369-2834

Am I missing anyone? Please leave the phone numbers of any important media or congressional contacts that I may have missed in the comments section of this post. I'll be happy to add them in!

Still looking for information on CPSIA and how you can help? Check out Reform CPSIA.