Meeting with your Senator or Congressman is among the most important steps you can take to make your voice heard on the budget debate. As a constituent, a community leader, an employer, and an industry expert, you bring a perspective to the table that few other visitors to a member’s office can offer.
- To schedule a meeting, call the district or DC office, explain who you are including your connection to the district, and ask for a brief meeting with your representative.
- If they suggest you meet with staff, ask for the Chief of Staff and, at the meeting, make clear that you would still like to personally discuss the issues with your representative.
- Be respectful of the representative and all staff you talk to or meet. Try to be flexible regarding scheduling last minute changes, especially if the meeting is in DC where the congressional calendar is always in flux.
- You should research your representative’s voting record and public statements on the issue. Most of the relevant information is easy to search on www.thomas.gov. If the member’s record is unfavorable, the meeting is still important and you should present your arguments.
- The most important thing to bring to the meeting is your own set of experiences and views, and the information you have about the practical impact of the DC budget debate on people back home. Be as concrete as possible. Invite the member or staff to visit your facility and meet the workers whose jobs may be at stake.
- Representatives will also be interested in the views of groups and political organizations, particularly those that have supported him or her in the past. Information on views of the organizations like the local chamber of commerce or labor unions is important.