Who's Who in Your Congressman or Senator's Office
As much as we think our representatives oughta know everything about every issue, that's not quite a human capability. Instead, they have staffers who do the grunt work and advise them on the pros and cons of each bill, and even on how to vote. To communicate your message to your representative, you need to know who does what in their office, so you can most effectively make sure that your story makes it up the command chain to the top.
- Legislative Correspondent - This is the bottom of the totem pole in the office. They work to collect information about issues and about what constituents think on those issues.
- Legislative Aid - This is the next step up. This person will have a portfolio of issues they are working on.
- Senior Legislative Aid - This person is the next step up from the Legislative Aid.
- Legislative Director - This person is ultimately responsible for all of the issues that are being handled by everyone below them.
- Chief of Staff (sometimes called the Administrative Assistant) - The top dog in your representative's office. This person knows the member of Congress very well and can even recommend how they should vote.
Also note that the staffers aren't just interested in the pros and cons of issues but in which groups of people support or oppose them. If you can show that parents, small business owners, farmers, and doctors all support the same side on your issue, that will carry some weight. Because of this, it is VITAL to build coalitions around your issue in D.C. Always be on the look out for who you can work with (even - in some cases - groups that you normally can't stand... who would've thought that Kroger and I agree about the need for rBGH-free labeling???).
What Happens When You Contact Your Representative's Office
Your point of contact starts with a receptionist or in a mail room. While the person answering the phone might be very nice, they aren't the one you want to talk to. You need to work with them to find out which staffer actually works on your issues so you can talk to them.
Some issues may be cut and dry, so it's very obvious for the receptionist who to connect you to. For example, if I call about a straight up agriculture issue, they would put me in touch with the ag staffer. Other times it may be less straightforward. Who in the office worries about childhood obesity? Yes it has to do with food, but there's no food staffer and there's no food committee. You need to help them correctly assign you to the right staffer by giving them a quick summary of your issue (not a long, drawn out explanation).
How to Work With Staffers
Your job is to help the staffers do their job. Think about it. If you give them information that would require a LOT of work for them to analyze and write up to share with your representative, that might not happen. If you can give them some quick bullet points, those bullets might make it all the way up to the representative when they assess the pros and cons of the issue.
Furthermore, politicians LOVE personal stories. So what's your personal story? They aren't interested in your life history, but if you have a relevant story that clearly illustrates why this bill is needed (or why this bill is totally unacceptable), they want to know. Also, how would your story have been different if your desired bill had already passed?
For example, my mother taught a preschool student whose parents both worked at Burger King. This little boy was 73 lbs at age 3. My mom suspects his parents feed him nothing but Burger King. Programs like WIC or the WIC farmers' market nutrition program or the national school lunch program could make the difference for him in providing him with the only healthy food he eats all day.
By working with the staffer, you can be a resource for them. You're not just a constituent calling to say "I want healthier foods in schools," you can also be the one telling them what food your kids have in their schools and what statistics or case studies you've found that supports the need for healthier school food. By making their job easier to do, you'll make them appreciate your help. They'll actually want to listen to you!
Also, over time you can form relationships with staffers. Don't you pay more attention to friends than just random strangers and co-workers? I know I do. When I visited the Texas State Capitol with JudithM, we walked around to each of the representatives' offices and she often knew their staff by name and even knew enough to ask details about their lives (like "How is so-and-so's new baby doing?") You can bet that type of touch counts for something.
Where to Start
I finally asked a question I've wondered for a while: there are different ways to contact my representatives - what's the best way? The answer:
1. In person
2. Mail
3. Fax or email
4. Phone call
5. Petition
Also, form letters or emails are given much less weight than those you write yourself. The staff is trying to assess how much you care about the issue by how much work you put into contacting them. Signing a petition is easy. One-click online actions are easy. Writing a letter yourself and putting it in an envelope with a stamp is a lot more work. If you do that, they assume you care more. Also, giving them a pile of physical letters that they can look at visually to assess how many constituents care about an issue makes an impression!
NOTE: Send snail mail to the district office, not to DC. All letters going to DC get delayed because they are checked for anthrax.
If you are sending a form letter - and that's OK to do - make sure to change the subject line of the email and change a sentence or two of the email at least. When yours isn't a carbon copy of everyone else's, it'll show you care more and it will get more attention.
Most of the tips here are given assuming that you will actually speak on the phone with a staffer or meet with them in person and (hopefully) develop a long term relationship with them. However, the letters and emails make a difference so while you're having the occasional meeting with your staffer or even your member of Congress, make sure that your friends and family are all sending in letters that support your point!
Dealing With the Press
You know how you don't want to find out that your friend got engaged by reading it on Facebook? Well, your staffer buddy doesn't want to find out any surprising news about you and your issue by reading it in the Washington Post. If you are going to engage the media, let the staffer you're working with know first as a courtesy.
Also, when you talk to the media, try to focus on the positive and absolutely focus on the issue. Getting side tracked by sharing that your think your representative is a totally useless hypocrite is NOT going to help get their support for your issue even if you give the world's best reasons why they MUST pass your bill.
What would be good for your representative is to help them be the hero by fixing a major problem with their vote or support for your bill. If you give them a compelling reason to think there's a problem that must be fixed and that they can fix it by voting for your bill, you're golden.
Meeting With Your Representative
Most of what I have written here assumes that you'll be working with your representative's district office. My rep's district office is less than 5 miles from my house. Obviously I'm not going to DC on a regular basis. Therefore, I won't see much of my representative while Congress is in session.
During recesses, members of Congress come home to their districts. This is an excellent time to arrange a meeting with your representative or Senator. Even better - give them a forum to talk to many people! For example, invite them to speak at a meeting for the organization you work with.
Bill Sponsors and Committee Assignments
Last but not least comes the fact that you only have one member of the House and two Senators, but there are 535 people in DC who make policy that affects your life. Sometimes your member of Congress is the key go to person on an issue but often they are not. When that's the case, you may start with your representative's office and have them put you in touch with the right person for your issue even if it's someone from another district or state.
Pay attention to which committees your Congresscritters are on, and which committee is hearing the bill you actually care about. When your member is on the committee, you've hit the jackpot. If not, make sure you find a way to work with the right committee. Bottom line: a bill's sponsor will care A LOT about the bill passing, so if you can lend your support they will be appreciative and receptive to you even if you aren't in their district. |
