#3:
Home Visits -- How to get time with your
Members of Congress during recess
March
2006
If
you’re planning a trip to Washington,
DC, you can try to set up meetings with
your Members of Congress. However, this
isn’t your only chance to meet them
face-to-face; they do spend a substantial
amount of time at home, and they do spend
some of that time in meetings — both
public and private.
When
your Members of Congress are at home, you
have two ways to get face time. You can
make an appointment for an office visit,
or attend a
local town hall meeting.
Check
the 2006
Congressional Schedule for
the recess schedule for the year. You can
also call the WAND national field office:
404-524-5999.
Two
ways to get face time are:
- making
an appointment for an office visit or
- attending
a local town hall meeting.
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.
When
you call to follow up on the request you
will have made, ask for the person who schedules
the Member’s time when s/he is at home. Fifteen
minutes is a standard amount of time for
a meeting with a Member. (If your meeting
will be with staff, it could be longer.) Offer
to provide your letter again if necessary
by email or fax. The scheduler may want
to know a cell phone number for someone
involved in the meeting in case last-minute
changes need to be made.
Suggested
format for letter from constituent
requesting meeting with Member of Congress:
Tips
on conducting a successful meeting
1.
Assemble citizen groups to meet with
your Senators or Representative regarding
your issue. These are equally effective
in
the state or the DC office. If the meeting
is in the state office, be sure to follow
up with the DC Legislative Assistant responsible
for your issue.
2.
Join together with others who support
your cause, or convince existing groups
of its importance.
3.
Have a plan. Be prepared. Determine
who will lead the discussion, who will ask
what questions, who will take notes. It
is very important to send a handwritten
thank-you note after the meeting.
4.
Report Back. What you learn in these
meetings is very important information for
our future lobbying efforts. Be sure to
send the information requested below to
the WAND field office after each meeting.
Include your information, as well! Email
address, fax number, home address.
Information
needed on the Member of Congress and/or Legislative
Aide
Meeting
with member or staff member or both (please
circle one)
Member’s
name:
Name
and title of staff member in meeting:
Information
on meeting
Lobby
report writer’s name, address, telephone
number, and email:
Other
advocates attending meeting:
What
topic did you bring up with the person?:
What
was their response?:
Not
Sure what to talk to your Member of congress
about?
Check out the WAND
Take Action! Center for the most recent
legislative actions.
*
WAND Legislative Priorities 2006
Town
Hall meetings
Members
of Congress spend much of their time
in their home districts. They often meet
with constituents and special interest groups,
or hold community open houses or town
halls. 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.
The
media are often at these events and
cover the questions asked of the member.
Media coverage will help influence your
member of Congress, educate the community
in the room, and have it covered by a local
paper — a super triple play! So you will
want to be prepared and strategic in attending
the meeting.
Tips
on Attending a Town Hall
1.
Do your homework. Find out from the
local office when and where your Representative
or Senators will be speaking, ask what events
are on the Member’s calendar, or if they
have a meeting planned.
2.
Prepare questions ahead of time.
