Visit www.rheumatology.org/advocacy for more tips and tools on communicating with Congress.
Staff | Issue: August 2011 |
Visit www.rheumatology.org/advocacy for more tips and tools on communicating with Congress.
Members of Congress will spend more time in their respective districts this year. This is great news for both experienced and new advocates, because members of Congress are often more accessible when they are home. If you are apprehensive about meeting with your members of Congress in Washington, D.C., these district work periods provide the perfect opportunity to begin building a valuable relationship with your legislators. Here are a few ways for you to reach out to your legislators while they are at home.
Earlier in the year, it seemed that healthcare reform was stopped in its tracks because of the Massachusetts Senate special election—which placed Republican Scott Brown in the seat held by the “Liberal Lion,” Edward M. Kennedy. The Senate Democrats lost their supermajority and the momentum to pass President Obama’s healthcare reform legislation subsided. But through strong lobbying by the president, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), Congress passed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (H.R. 3590)—comprehensive healthcare reform—on March 21, and the president signed the bill into law on March 23.
Ways to use the ACR’s advocacy toolkit to contact Congressional representatives and articulate your message to lawmakers
The more personal your contact with your elected officials, the more effective it will be. Although a personal discussion with a member of Congress is positive, a meeting or telephone conversation with one of his or her staff is just as valuable.