Advocacy
Basics
As an association member you are an ambassador
to the cause. Even if you are unable to attend
meetings and events, you can still champion
your organization's mission by serving as a
crusader.
Congressional Staff Roles
Telephoning Your Representative
Writing Congress
The Legislative Process
Visiting Capitol Hill
Get Involved
The more active you are, the more people become
familiar with your face. Once they learn what
groups you are associated with, they will think
highly of you and your industry and profession.
Write
Your Elected Representatives
When your association alerts you to a governmental
concern and requests your participation, step
up to the plate. Help flex the advocacy muscles.
Submit
Letters To the Editor
When you see an editorial or article that casts
negative light on your industry, take a stand.
Inform the readers of the facts. The pen is
mightier than the sword.
Subtly
Encourage Your Colleagues
Others in your industry may not be a member
of your organization, because they do not know
all the benefits, or worse: they may not even
know it exists. Make association materials available
so others will see what they are missing. Advocating
your industry is an unselfish and a rewarding
experience. Your peers will recognize you are
concerned about the industry as a whole and
not just yourself.
Charity
Lobbying
ASAE reports that Independent Sector, a national
not-for-profit initiative group, has begun an
effort to inform leaders of 501(c)(3) organizations
about their ability to conduct lobbying activities.
Many 501(c)(3) organization leaders are under
the mistaken impression that their tax status
precludes them from lobbying on behalf of their
members. However, the tax code only includes
a prohibition against "substantial" lobbying
by 501(c)(3) organizations. To learn more about
this law, see the website: www.indepsec.org/clpi/index.html
Congressional
Staff Roles:
Each
Member of Congress has staff to assist him/her
during a term in office. To be most effective
in communicating with Congress, it is helpful
to know the titles and principal functions of
key staff.
Commonly
Used Titles:
Administrative
Assistant or Chief of Staff: The Administrative
Assistant reports directly to the member of
Congress. He/she usually has overall responsibility
for evaluating the political outcome of various
legislative proposals and constituent requests.
The Admin. Asst. is usually the person in charge
of overall office operations, including the
assignment of work and the supervision of key
staff.
Legislative
Director, Senior Legislative Assistant, or Legislative
Coordinator: The Legislative Director is
usually the staff person who monitors the legislative
schedule and makes recommendations regarding
the pros and cons of particular issues. In some
congressional offices there are several Legislative
Assistants and responsibilities are assigned
to staff with particular expertise in specific
areas. For example, depending on the responsibilities
and interests of the member, an office may include
a different Legislative Assistant for health
issues, environmental matters, taxes, etc.
Press
Secretary or Communications Director: The
Press Secretary’s responsibility is to build
and maintain open and effective lines of communication
between the member, his/her constituency, and
the general public. The Press Secretary is expected
to know the benefits, demands, and special requirements
of both print and electronic media and how to
most effectively promote the members’ views
or position on specific issues.
Appointment
Secretary, Personal Secretary, or Scheduler:
The Appointment Secretary is usually responsible
for allocating a member’s time among the many
demands that arise from congressional responsibilities,
staff requirements, and constituent requests.
The Appointment Secretary may also be responsible
for making necessary travel arrangements, arranging
speaking dates, visits to the district, etc.
Caseworker:
The Caseworker is the staff member usually
assigned to help with constituent requests by
preparing replies for the member’s signature.
The Caseworker’s responsibilities may also include
helping to resolve problems constituents present
in relation to federal agencies, e.g., Social
Security and Medicare issues, veteran’s benefits,
passports, etc. There are often several Caseworkers
in a congressional office.
Other
Staff Titles: Other titles used in a congressional
office may include: Executive Assistant, Legislative
Correspondent, Executive Secretary, Office Manager,
and Receptionist.
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To
find your representative’s phone number, you
may use our searchable online congressional
directory or call the U.S. Capitol Switchboard
at (202) 224-3121 and ask for your Senator’s
and/or Representative’s office.
Remember
that telephone calls are often taken by a staff
member, not the member of Congress. Ask to speak
with the aide who handles the issue to which
you wish to comment.
After
identifying yourself, tell the aide you would
like to leave a brief message, such as: “Please
tell Senator/Representative (Name) that I support/oppose
(S. _/H.R.8 _).”
You
will also want to state reasons for your support
or opposition to the bill. Ask for your Senator’s
or Representative’s position on the bill. You
may also request a written response to your
telephone call.
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The
letter is the most popular choice of communication
with a congressional office. If you decide to
write a letter, this list of helpful suggestions
will improve the effectiveness of the letter:
1.
Youth purpose for writing should be stated in
the first paragraph of the letter. If your letter
pertains to a specific piece of legislation,
identify it accordingly, e.g., House bill: H.R.
_, Senate bill: _.
2.
Be courteous, to the point, and include key
information, using examples to support you position.
3.
Address only one issue in each letter; and,
if possible, keep the letter to one page.
Addressing
Correspondence:
To
a Senator: Dear Senator: _, (Rm#) _ (name
of) Senate Office Building _, United States
Senate, Washington, DC 20510
To
a Representative: The Honorable (full name),
(Rm#) _ (name of) House Office Building, United
States House of Representatives, Washington,
DC 20515
Dear
Representative:
Note:
When writing to the Chair of a Committee or
the Speaker of the House, it is proper to address
them as:
Dear
Mr. Chairman or Madam Chairwoman:
Or
Dear Mr. Speaker:
Tips
on E-mailing Congress: Generally, the same
guidelines apply as with writing letters to
Congress. You may find and e-mail your representatives
directly from our web site.
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The
Legislative Process:
Introduction:
Anyone may draft a bill; however, only members
of Congress can introduce legislation, and by
doing so become the sponsor(s). There are four
basic types of legislation: bills, joint resolutions,
concurrent resolutions, and simple resolutions.
The official legislative process begins when
a bill or resolution is numbered – H.R. signifies
a House bill and S. a Senate bill – referred
to a committee and printed by the Government
Printing Office.
Step
1. Referral to Committee: With few exceptions,
bills are referred to standing committees in
the House or Senate according to carefully delineated
rules of procedure.
Step
2. Committee Action: When a bill reaches
a committee it is place on the committee’s calendar.
A bill can be referred to a subcommittee or
considered by the committee as a whole. It is
at this point that a bill is examined carefully
and its chances for passage are determined.
If the committee does not act on a bill, it
is the equivalent of killing it.
Step
3. Subcommittee Review: Often, bills are
referred to a subcommittee for study and hearings.
Hearings provide the opportunity to put on the
record the views of the executive branch, experts,
other public officials, supporters and opponents
of the legislation. Testimony can be given in
person or submitted as a written statement.
Step
4. Mark Up: When the hearings are completed,
the subcommittee may meet to “mark up” the bill,
that is, make changes and amendments prior to
recommending the bill to the full committee.
If a subcommittee votes not to report legislation
to the full committee, the bill dies.
Step
5. Committee Action to Report a Bill: After
receiving a subcommittee’s report on a bill,
the full committee can conduct further study
and hearings, or it can vote on the subcommittee’s
recommendations and any proposed amendments.
The full committee then votes on its recommendation
to the House or Senate. This procedure is called
“ordering a bill reported.”
Step
6. Publication of a Written Report: After
a committee votes to have a bill reported, the
committee chairman instructs staff to prepare
a written report on the bill. This report describes
the intent and scope of the legislation, impact
on existing laws and programs, position of the
executive branch, and views of dissenting members
of the committee.
Step
7. Scheduling Floor Action: After a bill
is reported back to the chamber where it originated,
it is placed in chronological order on the calendar.
In the House there are several different legislative
calendars, and the Speaker and majority leader
largely determine if, when ,and in what order
bills come up. In the Senate there is only one
legislative calendar.
Step
8. Debate: When a bill reaches the floor
of the House or Senate, there are rules or procedures
governing the debate on legislation. These rules
determine the conditions and amount of time
allocated for general debate.
Step.
9. Voting: After the debate and the approval
of any amendments, the bill is passed or defeated
by the members voting.
Step
10. Referral to Other Chamber: When a bill
is passed by the House or the Senate, it is
referred to the other chamber where it usually
follows the same route through committee and
floor action. This chamber may approve the bill
as received, reject it, ignore it, or change
it.
Step
11. Conference Committee Action: If only
minor changes are made to a bill by the other
chamber, it is common for the legislation to
go back to the first chamber for concurrence.
However, when the actions of the other chamber
significantly alter the bill, a conference committee
is formed to reconcile the differences between
the House and Senate versions. If the conferees
are unable to reach agreement, the legislation
dies. If agreement is reached, a conference
report is prepared describing the committee
members recommendations for changes. Both the
House and Senate must approve of the conference
report.
Step
12. Final Action: After a bill has been
approved by both the House and Senate in identical
form, it is sent to the President. If the President
approves of the legislation he signs it and
it becomes law. Or, the President can take no
action for ten days, while Congress is in session,
and it automatically becomes law. If the President
opposes the bill, he can veto it; or, if he
takes no action after the Congress has adjourned
its second session, it is a “pocket veto” and
the legislation dies.
Step
13. Overriding a Veto: If the President
vetoes a bill, Congress may attempt to “override
the veto.” This requires a two-thirds roll call
vote of the members who are present in sufficient
numbers for a quorum.
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Meeting
with a member of Congress or congressional staff
is a very effective way to convey a message
about a specific legislative issue. Below are
some suggestions to consider when planning a
visit to a congressional office.
Plan
Your Visit Carefully: Be clear about what
it is you want to achieve; determine in advance
which member or committee staff you need to
meet with to achieve your purpose.
Make
an Appointment: When attempting to meet
with a member, contact the Appointment Secretary/Scheduler.
Explain your purpose and who you represent.
It is easier for congressional staff to arrange
a meeting if they know what you wish to discuss
and your relationship to the area or interests
represented by the member.
Be
Prompt and Patient: When it is time to meet
with a member, be punctual and be patient. It
is not uncommon for a Congressman or Congresswoman
to be late, or to have a meeting interrupted,
due to the member’s crowded schedule. If interruptions
do occur, be flexible. When the opportunity
presents itself, continue your meeting with
a member’s staff.
Be
Prepared: Whenever possible , bring to the
meeting information and materials supporting
your position. Members are required to take
positions on many different issues. In some
instances, a member may lack important details
about the pros and cons of a particular matter.
It is therefore helpful to share with the member
information and examples that demonstrate clearly
the impact or benefits associated with a particular
issue or piece of legislation.
Be
Political: Members of Congress want to represent
the best interests of their district or state.
Wherever possible, demonstrate the connection
between what you are requesting and the interests
of the member’s constituency. If possible, describe
for the member how you or your group can be
of assistance to him/her. Where it is appropriate,
remember to ask for a commitment.
Be
Responsive: Be prepared to answer questions
or provide additional information, in the event
the member expresses interest or asks questions.
Follow up the meeting with a thank you letter
that outlines the different points covered during
the meeting, and send along any additional information
and materials requested.
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