Visiting Your Members of Congress Personal visits with your legislators are an effective method of grassroots advocacy. These visits often lay the groundwork for future communication with the legislators and their staff. A face-to-face meeting can be held in Washington, D.C., or in your Member’s district office.
Below are some tools to make your meeting more effective: - Call your Member’s office and request a meeting (at least a few weeks in advance, if possible). Identify who you are, who you represent, and who will attend; state the time required (15 - 30 minutes is typical) and the subject you want to discuss. The day before the appointment, call to confirm. To find the contact information for Members of Congress, please visit ACTE’s Legislative Action Center.
Be prepared to answer questions or provide information about your program and know what points you want to make before the meeting. Also, learn about the legislator and his or her hometown and priority issues. Try to have statistics and facts about your local program, and know how their support has helped in the past or could help in the future. A lot of information can be found using the Internet. If you need assistance, contact the ACTE Public Policy staff at 1410 King Street, Alexandria, VA 22314, 800-826-9972, or e-mail us at publicpolicy@acteonline.org.
When it is time to meet with a Member, be punctual and patient. It is not uncommon for a Congressperson to be late or to have a meeting interrupted due to their crowded schedule. If interruptions do occur, be flexible. If the opportunity presents itself, continue your meeting with the Member’s staff. Bring concise written information (the shorter the better – e.g., a fact sheet) regarding your program and its importance for the Member and staff.
If there are two or more people going to the appointment, identify a spokesperson to lead the discussion and ask other members of the group to speak as the discussion moves along.
After introductions and handshakes, start the meeting with a comment about mutual interests (friends, activity in the state, a recent vote) to tie you or your program to the legislator.
Tell the Member who you represent, what you want to talk about, and why you are talking with him or her. If you are advocating for a specific bill, be sure to refer to it by number, explain its status and indicate what action you would like the Member to take. Be direct, but polite.
You are there to share your expertise on the issue you’re discussing. Be prepared to share brief anecdotes and success stories to make your point. Be sure to identify how your Member’s constituents will be affected.
Discuss your program or organization and its importance to the community. Discuss the importance of CTE programs to the people in your community, local businesses, and the economy. Cite specific examples of your program’s success in meeting the particular needs of your area, and emphasize why maintaining a national investment in CTE is so important. It is a good idea to have with you 1-2 pages of information to leave behind as a future reference.
Allow the legislator to share his or her insights or positions with you. Though you may not agree, this gives you the chance to respond based on your knowledge and experience. Don’t argue, but listen carefully and identify issues of concern to the Member or differences of opinion. Answer all questions to the best of your ability. If you do not know the answer to a question, say you don’t know and promise to find the answer and get back to them.
Wrap up the meeting by summarizing the major points of discussion, and leave behind a fact sheet with your name, address and phone number.
At the end of your allotted time, thank the Member and the staff for their time and leave promptly.
Send a brief thank you letter and any follow up information you may have promised to the Member and any staff who were instrumental in assisting you, and keep up the relationship with the office over time. Periodically send legislators and staff information that may be of interest. Invite them to visit your program. Thank legislators who honor commitments or who vote in support of your position. Also remember that developing and maintaining good relationships with staff may be the most effective means to making your concerns heard.
- Fill Out a Congressional Visit Report Form
Let ACTE know the results from your visits and other contacts with federal policymakers. If you visit, receive return correspondence, or communicate with your Members of Congress in other ways, please complete a report form and return it to ACTE via e-mail to jbaxter@acteonline.org or by mail to 1410 King St., Alexandria, VA22314. This gives ACTE staff in Washington additional insight into the positions of Members of Congress and helps us identify strong supporters and those that need additional attention or information.
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