However, you need not travel to D.C. to form a relationship with your representative; local meetings in your own district are just as important. Every member of Congress has one or more local offices where he or she can meet with constituents. These offices have folks whose job it is to help with communication between representatives and all constituents, including you! Elected officials depend on their staff to keep a finger on the pulse of what’s happening in the district and advise them on local issues. Most senators and representatives are in their home districts regularly. During these district work periods, elected officials are hearing about myriad issues affecting your friends and neighbors; it is critical that they also hear from you. Speak up for rheumatology and help educate lawmakers on the important issues facing our community. If you are apprehensive about reaching out on your own, contact ACR advocacy staff at [email protected] to assist with arrangements.
Legislative alerts are another great way to get involved without spending more than a few seconds of your time. The ACR advocacy team stays up to date on anything happening in Congress that could impact rheumatology practices or patients. They then raise the alarm for those potentially affected to communicate with elected officials what you think about the issue at hand. Officials use these letters, faxes, phone calls, emails and even tweets to gauge what their constituents think about specific issues. As few as 10 or 20 pings about a given issue are enough to get an official’s attention. Even if you don’t get a response, rest assured that your representative’s office has taken note of your concerns.
Speaking of tweets, your legislators are on social media. You can tag your representatives to alert them of particularly meaningful news articles on pending legislation or any other topic that could impact the care you provide for your patients. Additionally, following your representatives on social media allows you to keep up to date on happenings in your district.
If you have more time to give, consider volunteering as a subject matter expert for the ACR. When issues come up in your particular area of expertise, ACR staffers will call on you to offer insights and opinions. Perhaps there is an area that you feel especially passionate about—this can provide great material for an opinion article or letter to the editor for your local paper.
