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Advocacy & The Legislative Calendar

Post-Adjournment Strategies -- October 3, 2003

Keeping Track of What's Going On -- September 19th, 2003

How to Advocate When There are Other Priorities -- February 17, 2003

Surving & Thriving During the End of the Session Madness -- October 2, 2002

Being Effective During the Busy Season -- February 25, 2002

A Few Items to Look Out for in the Coming Months -- January 28, 2002

October 3, 2003

EFFECTIVE ADVOCACY TIP - POST ADJOURNMENT STRATEGIES

I know it seems like just yesterday I was nagging everyone about the August recess and the importance of making appointments with elected officials and their staff during that time. Well, it’s already time to start nagging everyone about connecting with elected officials after Congress adjourns for the year. For 2003, that’s anticipated to be anytime from early November to mid-December. You can keep track of the latest schedule updates at www.house.gov or www.senate.gov. However, despite the uncertainty in the schedule, effective advocates will be thinking about how to connect with their elected officials in November, December and January. Here are some ideas:

Set up a meeting: Yes, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. One important way to make your views known to your elected officials is to TALK TO THEM. And you can do that very well through a meeting in the district. Check in with the district scheduler on potential timing. You can find out who that is at www.congress.gov

Invite them to a holiday event: Many organizations have theme events around the holidays. Whether you’re a library having a “Ghost Story Reading” day, a local hospital hosting a “Turkey Trot”, or an environmental group promoting the use of living Christmas trees, consider how your elected officials can be involved.

Ask them to help with fundraising: If you’re an organization that considers the holiday season to be a great time for fundraising (and you should) ask your elected officials to help you out. Consider whether they would be willing to attend an event, work the phones for an afternoon, or send a letter of support (on non-Congressional stationary, of course) for your cause.

Remember to say thank you: Now is a great time to let your elected officials know that you appreciate their support of our issues over the last Congressional session. Oh, and remember to thank the staff as well. Last time I checked, they really appreciate chocolate.

EFFECTIVE GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATIONAL TIP

CONNECT YOUR MEDIA / MARKETING STRATEGIES TO YOUR GRASSROOTS: This is a great time of year for reaching out to the media and the public by connecting your issues to one of the many holidays occurring in the next few months. While you’re thinking about press releases and membership drives that relate to Halloween, Veteran’s Day, Thanksgiving, Hanukah, Christmas and everything else under the sun, remember that these tactics work in reaching out to elected officials as well. Think about

Send your press release to the Congressional Office. Sure, they’ll probably throw it away. But at least you’ve stayed on their radar screen. And it’s possible they’ll even gain a slightly better understanding of how your issues connect to what’s going on in the world around us.

Ask your elected officials to put a statement in the Congressional Record. If you’ve declared October 31st National “Healthful Treats for Healthful Kids” day, then ask your elected officials to post something in the Congressional Record about the importance of handing out nutritious treats to halloweeners.

Connect your Grassroots Efforts: If you’ve picked a theme that relates to the holiday season for one part of your organization, consider how you can adapt that into a call to action or general outreach to your grassroots. In the above example (National “Healthful Treats for Children” day, talk to your grassroots members about inviting their elected officials to hand out healthful treats at City Hall, a district office, or even a first night celebration. Combine that with some media coverage, and you have a great event.

In coordinating your media, marketing and advocacy messages, you get more bang for the buck.

INTERESTING WEBSITES

Wondering who’s changing the world, especially in terms of the Internet and politics? Well wonder no more. Politics Online, Harvard University and the American Association of Political Consultants have recently announced the 25 who are changing the world (and 5 to watch). Check it out at: http://www.politicsonline.com/pol2000/bestofthebestresults.asp

With the November elections just around the corner, E-The People is now offering a voter guide toolkit, which allows newspapers to collect data on candidates electronically and present that information in an online voter guide or in print. More information at: Voter Guide Toolkit: http://voter.e-thePeople.org

Fans of President Bush should probably stop reading. Critics, read on… The highly successful moveon.org organization has recently launched Misleader.org (www.Misleader.org), a new website and free daily email service for journalists and the general public to track what MoveOn alleges are false statements from George Bush.

INTERESTING EVENTS

October 7th, 2003: Recall election in California. Should be quite a scene.

October 9th, 2003: My birthday. Hey, it’s my newsletter, I can advertise my own birthday if I want!

October 31, 2003: The recently passed “Continuing Resolution” (which covers spending for all the appropriations bills that were not completed before the start of the fiscal year), runs out on October 31st. If Congress does not complete its work by then, you guessed it, they’ll have to pass another CR.

November 4th, 2003: Many communities around the country are holding elections on a range of important issues – everything from transit to taxes to local government. Be sure you’re up to speed on the electoral issues in your neck of the woods.

November 14th and 21st: The Advocacy Classroom is offering “Legislative Procedure and You: Or, How I Learned to Love the Legislative Process and Use it to My Advantage.” This is rescheduled from September. More information at http://www.advocacyguru.com/AdvocacyClassroom.htm

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September 19, 2003

EFFECTIVE ADVOCACY TIP - KEEPING TRACK OF WHAT’S GOING ON

At this time of year in Washington, one can argue that it’s all over except for the yelling. With members of Congress focusing on the final details of “must pass” legislation, such as appropriations bills, citizen activists need to stay alert to day-today changes and potential last-minute votes. Just how crazy is it? Well, none of the 13 appropriations bills have been signed into law yet. This means that Congress will be scrambling to pass as many bills as it can in the coming weeks, and will no doubt have to pass one or several “continuing resolutions” to keep the government running past September 30th. The effective advocate will need to keep track of the Congressional schedule in order to be sure your voice is heard at the right time. Following are three tips for how to do so:

Monitor the web: Turn to the same resources that many Capitol Hill insiders use to keep track of the Congressional schedule. At www.house.gov and www.senate.gov, the House and Senate schedules are posted on a weekly basis. If you’ve discovered that Congress will be considering a piece of legislation you care about on a particular day, monitor the action live at www.c-span.org. If you’re particularly interested in the status of appropriations bills, check out the Library of Congress’ appropriations information chart at http://thomas.loc.gov/home/approp/app04.html. For a paid service that will do all of this for you, check out www.gallerywatch.com

Monitor the interest groups: With over 147,000 Associations operating in the United States (Source: ASAE), I can guarantee that you will find an association working on the issues you care about. These groups are often following legislative activities very closely and can let you know when you need to make your voice heard. Two good ways to track them down: Try a “Google” search at www.google.com, or use ASAE’s database to search over 6,000 associations at: http://info.asaenet.org/gateway/OnlineAssocSlist.html

Monitor the media: If an issue is big enough, most of the major media outlets will cover it. The Washington Post website at www.washingtonpost.com is a tremendous resource for inside-the-beltway shenanigans. To find other news outlets around the country, check out Online Newspapers at http://www.onlinenewspapers.com/ and NewsVoyager at www.newsvoyager.com.

Yeah, keeping track of all this does seem like a lot of work. But please don’t sit back and assume they know how you feel. Members of Congress and their staff need to hear from constituents BEFORE important votes. If you play the game right, you can be effective. So “go forth and advocate” – and good luck!

EFFECTIVE GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATIONAL TIP

ARRANGE A “NATIONWIDE LOBBY DAY” IN DECEMBER: If you’re responsible for advocacy, policy or grassroots coordination for your organization, listen up! I’m encouraging ALL groups out there to set up district lobby weeks in December/January. Why? Because it’s a perfect time to connect local citizens with their elected officials in their Congressional districts. Here’s some ideas to get you started.

Pick a week: Look at the months of December and January and try to find a week that will best suit your needs. Depending on your issue, you’ll probably want to stay away from the holiday week of December 22nd and 29th. Once you’ve decided on a timeframe, announce to your members that this is “National [fill in name of your cause] Advocacy Week”. Let them know that during this particular week, you are asking all members to set up a meeting with their Members of Congress in the district office. Be sure to let them know that the Congressional schedule is uncertain, so some of these meeting may turn into staff meetings if the member is detained in Washington. That’s OK, though, because the point is to create a coordinated presence.

Pick a theme: Can you connect your issues to themes reflective of the holiday season? From “Giving Thanks” to “Happy New Year”, there are a range of ideas to build on – pick something that works for you and your issue.

Coordination/Assistance: Your members will need help setting up meetings, so provide them with everything you can, including:
o Names / contact information for other activists in the area and/or state chapters to coordinate meetings
o Step-by-step process for setting up a meeting (e-mail me at vance@advocacyguru.com for a free article on “How to Set Up an Effective Meeting”)
o Sample letters requesting a meeting
o Draft policy one-pagers
o Template one-pagers the activists can customize for the particular congressional district in question
o Draft press releases to announce the meeting
o Draft thank you notes
o Feedback form

Whatever you do, don’t forget to ask your members to let you know what they’re doing – feedback is absolutely critical to a successful district lobby week.

INTERESTING WEBSITES

MIT (yes, THE MIT) is offering many of the resources from its courses online for free at: http://ocw.mit.edu/index.html. Effective advocates might want to check out Congress and the American Political System and Fundamentals of Public Policy. Effective advocates might also want to check out my not-so-free (but not-so-expensive) effective advocacy course at www.advocacyclassroom.com.

Who ISN’T running for Governor in California? If you’ve been wondering, check out Berkley’s website on the California recall situation at: www.igs.berkeley.edu/library/htRecall2003.html.

Catch it while it’s free – www.citizenspeak.org is a new website offering free resources for grassroots organizations to help them wade through the quagmire of e-mail and e-advocacy. You can use it to set up an online e-mail campaign. However, it’s not clear when / if there will be a charge for this service in the future.

INTERESTING EVENTS

Sept. 30th, 2003: End of the 2003 Fiscal Year. Congress must pass all 13 appropriations bills or a Continuing Resolution by this date to keep the government running.

November, 2003: Stay tuned for the rescheduled Advocacy Classroom

November 4th, 2003: Election Day: Although this is an “off-year” (i.e., no federal elections), that doesn’t mean that you’re off-the-hook in terms of being a responsible citizen! Many local jurisdictions are voting on a range of important local measures. Check in with your local or state board of elections to see what’s on the ballot in your neck of the woods.

November 16th – 18th, 2003: International Conference on Civic Education: Academics and activists alike will join forces at this important conference to discuss how best to enhance civic education (and, hence, civic participation). More information at: http://www.indiana.edu/~civiced/

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February 17, 2003

EFFECTIVE ADVOCACY TIP - HOW TO ADVOCATE WHEN THERE ARE OTHER PRIORITIES

Readers of the tipsheet know that, in my view, attempting to advocate without asking for anything specific is like attempting to cure an illness without telling anyone what’s wrong. It really is one of my pet peeves (well, that and people who refuse to use their turn signal, but that’s a different story).

That said, sometimes it can feel awkward to ask your elected officials for something, especially when there are other important national priorities. At a time when more Americans can name the member countries of the UN Security Council then they can the members of the President’s cabinet, it’s clear that our focus as a nation has wandered to foreign shores. But don’t despair: You can and should still be actively involved in asking for things you care about, and the following tips my help you better achieve your goals.

Try to relate your issue to the issues of the day: Unless you are a manufacturer of duct tape, gas masks or plastic sheeting, it may seem like what you’re doing is unrelated to the issues of terrorism and potential war sweeping the country. But if you think creatively, you might find connections. If you care about alternative fuels, make the connection between alternative energy sources and our nation’s reliance on foreign oil. If you care about the environment, help elected officials understand that having clean air, clean water, and clean soil is ultimately as important to our health as protecting citizens against a terrorist attack. If you care about education, let elected officials know how a well-educated populace will be better able to both understand and maintain America’s role in the world. Now is the time to take a fresh look at your issue and rediscover why it’s timely and important, even in today’s troubled times.

Try to relate your issue to other issues the elected official cares about: Another useful thing to think about is whether the elected official you’re dealing with has an policy priorities. Most elected officials did not come to Washington, DC, the state capitol, or your local city hall to deal with terrorism and war in the middle east. Even though they are required to think about these issues given current circumstances, they still have their own interests that they are eager to pursue. Elected officials would be THRILLED to spend some time working on their issues – you know, the ones they ran for office on? Figure out what those interests are, figure out how your issue connects to those interest, and then work with your elected officials to create a “win-win” situation.

Think about whether you can ask for something different: This may not be the best time to ask for your “wish list” of budget and/or legislative items. You can help your elected officials out and look imminently reasonable at the same time by letting them know that you’re holding off on the whole “wish list” until better economic times. In the meantime, however, you could really use their help with one important priority… You see how it goes.

Don’t feel guilty: I know that some people actually feel guilty about asking for what they think is important. They think that it’s inappropriate or unpatriotic to ask for money for natural resources, health care, or other domestic issues when the country is getting ready to go to war. But look at it this way: you work hard on these issues because they are important to you and the country as a whole, right? It’s up to you to help elected officials understand that as the country shifts to war footing, we have to do all we can to protect and preserve all we have on the home front as well. And believe me, plenty of money will still be spent on domestic issues in the coming budget cycle. It’s your responsibility to relay why your issue is a priority.

In general, as an effective advocate, you must be able to articulate why your issue is timely, relevant and critical to your community, state or nation, especially now when our country needs all the good ideas it can get. If you can’t do that, well, how important was the issue anyway?

INTERESTING WEBSITES

Snopes.com: As disappointed as I was to learn that you can’t believe everything you read on the Internet, I have found the Snopes.com site to be extremely useful (www.snopes.com). This site is a fabulous resources for anyone that wants to debunk myths on any topic, including all those lovely tidbits we hear about government (no, Members of Congress are not felons; no, Congress is not passing legislation to impose fees on e-mails). Check it out BEFORE you send off a hastily worded e-mail to all your friends and your elected officials.

Play the Budget Game: Many thank yous to my husband for pointing me to “The Budget Game”, an entertaining and informative attempt by the Sacramento Bee to help citizens understand better the complexities of balancing California’s budget. If you’ve ever thought to yourself “gee, I could do it better,” go to http://www.sacbee.com/cgi-bin/sacbee/surveys/opinion/budget.cgi and see if you can! Hey, Washington Post, when are you going to do something like this for the US Budget?

Alternet: If you’re looking for an alternative perspective on a range of current issues, check out the Independent Media Project’s Alternet at www.alternet.org. Dedicated to strengthening and supporting alternative and independent journalism, the site offers interesting perspectives on everything from the war with Iraq to Medicare and even offers and “Alternative Movie” award.

Lincoln Cybercast: In honor of President’s Day, check out the Library of Congress Cybercast of a Symposium on President Lincoln at http://www.loc.gov/loc/lincoln/. And was I the only one who didn’t know that the Library of Congress has archives from a whole bunch of cool events available at http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/?

INTERESTING EVENTS

February 25, 2003: AdVanced Consulting and GalleryWatch open the Advocacy Classroom series with “Budget and Appropriations: Making Sense of the Dollars and Cents”. Go to www.advocacyguru.com/advocacyclassroom.htm for more information.

April 14 – 25, 2003: Congressional Spring Break – think now about how you can connect with your elected officials during this time!

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October 2, 2002

EFFECTIVE ADVOCACY TIP - SURVIVING & THRIVING DURING THE END OF SESSION MADNESS

Welcome to the end of the Congressional session and the new fiscal year! It feels vastly different from the last fiscal year, doesn't it? Congress is still arguing over the final disposition of 13 out of 13 appropriation bills (if you do the math, that means they haven't passed anything), and many observers believe that a “lame duck” session is a foregone conclusion.

So what is the effective advocate to do during this time? Highly important decisions are being made and yet, for the majority of us, its hard to know what's going on. Following are my top-five tips for how to deal with the end of the session information vacuum.

Understand the End-of-the-Session Environment: Quite honestly, about five people in one room are making most of the legislative decisions now. For most people, their elected officials aren't anywhere near the room. They don't even have a map to the room's location. The plain and simple truth is that most members of Congress will have very little, if any, say on whether we go to war with Iraq, whether any energy bill is finally completed, or whether a certain program is included in the Labor/HHS appropriations bill. So, while it's entirely appropriate to contact your elected officials for information on what's happening, remember that in many cases, they might not know any more than the average citizen. In fact, you may learn just as much as they do through a review of Capitol Hill's newsletters such as Roll Call (www.rollcall.com) and The Hill (www.thehillnews.com). Another great resource is the Library of Congress’ appropriations information chart at http://thomas.loc.gov/home/approp/app03.html.

Use This Time to Evaluate Options for Next Congress: If your legislative initiative wasn't all that successful this time around, take this time to start developing your strategy for next year. Put together a calendar of all your organization / issue's important dates, and correlate that with congressional/federal policy dates you might be aware of, such as:

* Potential times for district work periods
* Budget dates, such as the traditional time for submittal of the President's budget
* Important “happenings” related to government, such as the state of the union address, convening of the next Congress in January or tax day

Most of the key events for Congress will be listed on the “schedule” page of the House and Senate websites at www.house.gov and www.senate.gov. While the schedule is not yet set for next year, you will get a good sense of the potential dates through these materials. Use the calendar to figure out what activities would be appropriate at what times. For example, if you have a tax-related issue, tax day is always a good time to plan an event / legislative lobby day, etc.

Learn More About the Elections: Did you know that there are already several members who are a foregone conclusion for membership in the US House of Representatives? Use AdVanced Consulting's election guide (www.advocacyguru.com/electionguide.htm) to learn more about the candidates and issues. Another good resource is the new AOL-Politics Online election guide at: www.aol-politicsonline.com.

Develop a Post-Congress / Post-Election Media Strategy: Absolutely every organization/issue/cause out there should be planning to issue a press release shortly after the elections. The subject? “What the November elections mean for [fill in your issue here].” Then, when Congress finally adjourns, every organization/issue/cause out there should be ready with another press release titled “What the 107th Congress did for (or to, depending on your perspective) [fill in your issue here].” THEN, when Congress reconvenes in January, every organization/issue/cause out there should be ready with another press release titled “Outlooks for [fill in your issue here] in the 108th Congress.” Get the point? Good, because that's enough free media advice for today. While most major news outlets will ignore these kinds of releases, the smaller, trade-press oriented publications will likely be much more receptive.

Spend a Few Minutes Thinking About the Administration: Action may be winding down in the Congress, but the Administration is sure thinking about budgets for next fiscal year. Check out the Office of Management and Budget's timeline at www.omb.gov. Now's the time to make sure you're in touch with the right people in the right executive branch offices to ensure that your favorite programs will be included in next year's budget submission.

Overall, the “end-of-the-session” madness is often a measure of how well your grassroots and grasstops lobbying efforts went during the year. If you weren't as successful as you'd like, think now about bolstering those efforts for the next go around: and good luck!

INTERESTING WEBSITES

Who are you voting for in the House race in your area? Is there a Senate race? Governor? City Council? Dog-catcher? It can all get a little confusing, which is why volunteers with Minnesota E-Democracy have built http://www.myballot.net. Myballot.net allows users to generate test ballots and offers help on Google searches to learn more about the candidates and issues. While it's unfortunately only applicable to Minnesota, it's an excellent example of how the Internet can help people be more involved in elections.

Raise your hand if you think there's too much money in politics. OK, everyone put your hands down. I can't see my computer screen. Those of you who are concerned about the role money plays in politics (particularly in the broadcasting arena) should check out www.GREEDYtv.ORG. It's an interesting use of the web for advertising, whether you agree with the message or not.

Another great election-related resource had been put together by the smart folks at Minnesota e-democracy. Check it out at http://www.edemocracy.us

The George Washington University Graduate School of Political Management (GSPM) has put together a useful primer on online campaigning, which can be downloaded from http://www.ipdi.org/primer2002.html. It's useful for political and advocacy campaigns of all sizes and budgets. Best of all it's free (which fits any budget).

INTERESTING EVENTS

Sometime in October: Congress will recess, allowing members the opportunity to head home for their campaigns. Remember to keep track of what's happening in the campaigns and ask your candidates for their view on the issues you care about!

October 4, 2002: The current Continuing Resolution bill runs out, meaning Congress will have to pass another to keep the government functioning

October 9, 2002: My birthday. Just seeing who's paying attention

Nov. 5, 2002: Election Day. Make your plans now to vote in person or via absentee ballot – your vote matters!

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February 25, 2002

Effective Advocacy Tip: Being Effective During the Busy Season

Mid-February to mid-April is the busy season on Capitol Hill. During this time literally thousands of associations have their annual legislative lobby days in Washington, DC – which means that literally thousands of people seek time to meet with their elected officials. Everyone from architects to bicyclists to zoologists will be in Washington, DC over the next few months. If you’re coming to DC during this time (or coordinating a legislative lobby day) follow my tips to ensure that your group’s message rises above the fray.

Coordinate messages: Before meeting with an elected official or staff person, be sure you know what you want and who should ask. It is common during this time of year for advocates to roam in packs on Capitol Hill. While there is safety in numbers, remember that given limited meeting time only one or two people should deliver the message – and the people speaking should always be constituents of the elected official.

A Corollary -- prepare to make your point in five minutes: During this busy time of year, your “15 minute sit-down meeting” can turn into a “five minute stand-up in the hallway chat” in the blink of an eye. Be prepared to deliver your message and make your ask in five minutes.

Do your homework: Know a little about the elected official you’re dealing with and, most important, what he or she cares about. Where possible, tie your message to an issue that is a top priority for the elected official. Although you may have only five minutes to deliver your message, you can make those minutes count by demonstrating that you've thought beyond just what YOU want. This is a sure way to get their attention - and often their support.

Go with the flow: Did your meeting with the elected official get cancelled at the last minute? Did the staff person you talked to seem distracted because they were monitoring the floor during the meeting? Were you supposed to meet in one building but asked at the last minute to go to another? Due to the very uncertain and chaotic nature of Congressional life, these kinds of things happen all the time. Don’t take it personally. Be as gracious and flexible as possible.

Connect throughout the year: One five minute meeting once per year does not an effective advocate make. Effective advocates will connect with their elected officials throughout the year – both in the district and in Washington, DC. Consider attending townhalls and setting up site visits in the district, or communicating on an on-going basis with key legislative staff in the Washington, DC office. (Adapted from "Government by the People: How to Communicate with Congress", by Stephanie Vance)

INTERESTING WEBSITES

If you’re like me, you’d like to volunteer more, but who has the time? Volunteer Match (www.volunteermatch.org) can make it easier for you by helping you connect to volunteering opportunities in your community. Last I checked, though, they can’t change the laws of physics to give you more time during the day…

It may be hard for many of us to believe, but mid-term elections are just around the corner. For a complete list of state filing deadlines and primary dates, check out www.fec.gov under the “Citizen” link. Or, to go directly to a calendar, check out: http://www.fec.gov/pages/primary02.htm

If you have a particularly great example of e-government, submit your story to the Center for Democracy and Technology. CDT, in association with the World Bank's InfoDev Program, is looking for best practices, case studies and papers for inclusion in a toolkit to guide the evolution of electronic government in developing countries. Submit online at http://www.cdt.org/egov/submissions.shtml

INTERESTING EVENTS

February 26th: The Council for Excellence in Government is releasing the second annual Hart/Teeter poll on e-government. This study captures the opinions of the public and includes a separate survey of government officials in federal, state, and local government. The press conference release will be open to the public and all data and findings will be posted on the website at www.excelgov.org. For more information, contact egovpoll@excelgov.org

February 28th: GalleryWatch.com is holding the first of several seminars throughout the year, an “Introduction to the Federal Legislative Process”. To learn more about this seminar and others, go to http://www.gallerywatch.com/seminars.htm.

March 25 – April 5: The Congressional district work period. If you scoff at the term “District work period”, scoff no more. Elected officials spend a great deal of time during these periods meeting with people in their districts. Make your elected official work on your issue by calling the district office today to set up a meeting. You can find district office phone numbers online at www.congress.org. You can learn more about the House schedule at http://www.house.gov/house/2002_House_Calendar.htm, or the Senate schedule at http://www.senate.gov/legislative/legis_2002_sched.html

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January 28, 2002

EFFECTIVE ADVOCACY TIP: A FEW ITEMS TO LOOK OUT FOR IN THE COMING MONTHS

Feburary 10 - 13, 2002 - the Public Affairs Council is holding its annual Grassroots conference in Orlando, FL. For more information, go to www.pac.org

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