March 21, 2005
Step up and speak out!
Visit your Member of Congress during the recess: March 21 - April 4

From March 21 to April 4 both the Senate and House are not in session. This is an excellent opportunity to build a relationship with your Senator and Representatives. We urge you to get in touch with them, and to address issues that are of most concern to us.

Two ways to get face time are:

• making an appointment for an office visit or
• attending a local town hall meeting.

See below for more information. For helpful hints about visiting your Congressperson and lobbying, visit the WAND Lobbying Guide.

Office meetings

Send your request letter for the meeting by fax, email, or letter to your Representative and your Senator as far in advance of the proposed meeting date as possible. Then follow up by phone a few days after your request has been received. More information here.

Tips on conducting a successful meeting

1. Assemble citizen groups to meet with your Senators or Representative.

2. Join together with others who support your cause.

3. Have a plan. Be prepared; determine who will lead the discussion, who will ask what questions, and who will take notes.

4. Report back.

More tips and information here.

Town Hall meetings

Going to an event where your Member of Congress is speaking and asking questions is an excellent way to thank your Member in public, call them to action on a particular issue, or ask them to take a leadership role on one of our issues. More tips and information here.

Tips on Attending a Town Hall

1. Do your homework.

2. Prepare questions ahead of time.

3. Familiarize yourself with your Member/s of Congress.

4. Seek out media after the meeting to talk about our issues if they were not covered.

5. Seek out the Member or his/her staff after the meeting to introduce yourself and follow up on your question (or to ask it if you were not able to during the meeting).

6. Leave the event with a clear plan to follow up with their staff.

7. Stay on message.

More tips and information here.

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It's your money. It's your federal budget. Speak out about your priorities for our national checkbook. As Congress prepares to make decisions about where to allocate federal budget dollars, it's time to ask: What makes us secure? | Click here to take action.

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WAND organizes letter to Congress about federal budget Saying accountability lacking in supplemental appropriations practices, a dozen groups sign on to letter delivered Feb. 28, 2005 | Click here for more information.

It's baaaaaaaack: Time to rally to re-defeat the bunker buster for FY06 Late last year, the Republican Congress denied funds for the nuclear bunker buster. Thank you for your advocacy to make that possible. Now we need your help again to ensure that this victory is not reversed.

This is the moment when we make choices -- about our national budget, about our national values. We all need to rise above partisan politics, and set our sights on what will make our country better, safer, and more generous. We can do this. We can make a difference.

Please support our work.
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781 643 6740 | info@wand.org