CARE - Meeting Elected Officials

A constituent meeting with a Member of Congress or congressional staffer is, without a doubt, one of the most effective ways to influence the legislative process. The fact that you are a constituent, the time that you take to prepare for that meeting, and the concern that you show for your issue all convey a very important message to the Member of Congress. That message is that this is an important issue, which is mostly likely going to affect a significant group of fellow constituents whose support your Member may need to get re-elected.

IEEE-USA strongly encourages IEEE members to meet with their Members of Congress using an IEEE-USA legislative priority or an issue of personal concern as the subject matter for the meeting.

Just as important as the issue itself is the opportunity provided by a visit to establish a relationship with the Member of Congress. Your visit shows you're a concerned, involved citizen. You may want to use your visit to thank the Congressman for a particular vote, show your support in general, offer your help, and/or provide information.

Meeting with a Member of Congress or congressional staffer is not difficult if you know where to start. The following are some tips and suggestions on how to have a successful congressional visit.

Plan Your Visit Carefully

Before you even pick up the phone, develop a plan for your visit. Some of the steps you should consider in your plan:

·        Know something about who you want to visit (not only their name and how to contact them, but who they are and what their background is);

·        Select the issue you want to address in your visit;

·        Educate yourself on the issue and collect background information;

·        Educate yourself on any pertinent legislation, its provisions, its sponsors, and its status in the legislative process;

·        Determine what materials you plan to bring with you to the meeting; and

·        Decide when and where you'd like to try to schedule the visit.

Don't forget to call on IEEE-USA for advice and assistance. Contact Russ Harrison at 202-785-0017 or by email to r.t.harrison@ieee.org

Researching Your Member(s) of Congress

If you are not sure who your Member of Congress is, you can look him or her up by using IEEE-USA's Congressional Directory and your zip code. You can also contact Russ Harrison in the IEEE-USA office at 202-785-0017 for assistance. A call or visit to the reference librarian at your local library should also produce the desired information.

To learn more about your Member, visit their House or Senate webpage and look for any biographical information, highlights of issues that they are concerned about, and/or links to legislation they are currently sponsoring.

Where to Visit -- Washington Office vs. District Office

While Congress is in session, Members spend most of their time in Washington, DC. Many commute home to their districts on Friday and return to Washington on Monday, so most Congressional work (e.g. votes, hearings, etc.) is scheduled for Tuesday-Thursday. During District Work Periods, Members spend most of their time in their districts. Check the House and Senate calendars (on their websites) to see when Congress is in session and when Members are likely to be in their states or districts.

The Washington office can be a very hectic place to arrange a visit. Appointments are scheduled to be very brief and are subject to interruption or rescheduling with little or no notice due to voting and other priorities that may arise. Meetings that last longer than 10-15 minutes are rare, and visitors are expected to get immediately to the point. Some Members prefer not to have one-on-one constituent appointments in their Washington office, but set aside a certain time period each week for a "Town-Hall"-style meeting with groups of constituents who are in Washington.

Because there is no congressional business or Washington lobbyists to distract them, Members tend to be more relaxed and accessible when in their District Offices. Time is still at a premium, but you are less likely to be interrupted.

IEEE-USA encourages you to schedule your visit in the District Office. Not only does it promise better access, it means less travel for you, and it reinforces your "constituent" status.

Another option is to meet the Member outside of the District Office. Consider inviting him or her to speak at a Section/Chapter meeting, to tour your facility or laboratory, meet with a student group, etc. Members of Congress will normally show interest in any event that is likely to attract press coverage or create a good photo opportunity.  IEEE-USA can help you arrange these meetigns.

Making an Appointment

Once you are ready to schedule your visit and know where you'd like it to occur, the next step is to make an appointment.  To do this, call your Member's Washington or District office and asking to speak to the scheduler or appointments secretary. Call at least three or four weeks in advance of your target date(s). (Note: some Members of Congress schedule district office visits through their district staff, while others coordinate the Member's schedule through the Washington appointments secretary. The only way to know for sure is to call and ask.)

When you call, let them know who you are (noting if you are a constituent), why you want to meet with the Member (i.e. the subject matter of the visit), and where you'd like to meet. Offer some possible dates and times, but be flexible. The scheduler may ask you to follow-up the call by faxing a letter outlining the request and the purpose of the meeting. Be sure to get the fax number and to follow-up by phone in a day or two to check on the status of your request.

As a general rule of thumb, it is easier to get an appointment with your Representative than with your Senators (whose constituencies include everyone residing in the state). 

If the scheduler is not able to confirm a meeting on the dates you are requesting, ask if there are any alternative dates when the Member would be available. If the Member is not available, ask for an appointment with the relevant Legislative Assistant. Legislative Assistants are often the most knowledgeable about legislation and can be very influential.

Once you have an appointment scheduled, contact the Member's staffer who is responsible for the issue(s) you are going to raise in the meeting. This staffer will help prepare the Member for your meeting, so the more information you provide to the staffer, the better prepared and more responsive the Member will be during your visit.

Remember that staffers are very influential. It is important to understand their roles (see: http://capwiz.com/ieeeusa/issues/basics/?style=staff) and be aware of how they can help you.

Be Prompt and Patient

Be sure to arrive for your meeting a few minutes early and check in with the staffer at the front desk to let them know you have arrived. Be prepared to wait.

It is not uncommon for a Member, particularly in their Washington office, to be late, because an earlier visit ran long or because they were detained by some other business such as unanticipated committee or floor action. Committee members can no longer vote by proxy, which means they must be present when bills are being marked-up. If is also not uncommon for a meeting to be postponed or interrupted.

If the meeting is cancelled at the last moment, check with the scheduler before you leave to try to reschedule your meeting. If interruptions occur, be patient. If the Member has to leave your meeting, try to continue the meeting with the member's staff.

You may consider postponements, interruptions, and early departures to be rude or disrespectful. Please understand that this is the way Congress must operate because of the tremendous and often conflicting demands on their time. Members and their staff will generally be very polite and apologetic about these interruptions, particularly with constituents. If you are patient and cooperative, they will appreciate that and try to accommodate you later.

Ask For What You Want

Members of Congress are very pragmatic and will want you to get right to the point. They want to know what you want them to do and why they should do it. After introducing yourself, make this your first statement.

If you want them to vote a certain way on a particular bill, be sure to name the bill, the bill number, and key sponsors.

Be Prepared

Plan on completing your visit in 5-10 minutes, and focus your presentation to allow plenty of time for dialogue and questions.

It is not enough to tell your Member of Congress what you want them to do; you need to be able to explain why they should do it.

Be ready to provide a brief non-technical explanation of your topic as appropriate, avoiding abbreviations, acronyms and jargon.

If you are asking them to vote a certain way on a bill (or a provision of a bill) be sure you are as familiar as possible with that bill or provision.

If appropriate, bring a "hands-on" visual aid. If you have been working on a new product and if it is easily handled, bring it along.

It is highly recommended that you summarize your key points and arguments on one type-written page to leave with the Member and/or staffer at the end of your meeting. Make sure your name and contact information is on the one-pager or attach your business card.

A few well-selected hand-outs may also be useful, but resist the temptation to bring along stacks of materials. In all probability, they will never be read.

If you are coming as a group, decide who will handle each part of the presentation.  Try to have as many people speak as possible.   Make sure everyone understands their roles before you arrive.

Be Political

The first priority of any Member of Congress is to represent the best interests of their state or district. That's what gets them re-elected. So whenever possible, demonstrate the connection between what you are requesting and the interests of the Member's constituency. For example, if you are advocating strong federal investments in research, talk about the federally-funded research that is going on currently in universities, laboratories and corporations in the district. Then emphasize how innovations flowing from federal research are benefiting individuals and society whether it be the Internet, medical devices such as magnetic resonance imaging, or advanced computing technologies, or high-tech weapons that ensure our national security.

The key is to do whatever you can to convince the member not only that what you're asking for makes sense technically, economically, socially, etc., but that it also is good for the Member's district or state in particular. By being sensitive to the "political" needs of the Member, you can make it easier for them to support your request.

Be Personal

Scientists and Engineers tend to be more comfortable with data and analysis. For politicians, personal anecdotes, like pictures, are often worth a million words. A personal anecdote (supported by credible data) helps to frame the issue and give it a human dimension.

When you make your case, try to put it in a personal context. If you are talking about retirement security, for example, emphasis your own experience trying to save for the future when you are changing jobs too frequently to vest in a pension plan, or the difficulty you encountered in rolling over retirement benefits to a new account. If you are talking about a technical matter, be sure to explain how it affects not only you, but other constituents in the Member's District.

When you do this, don't forget to remind your Member that there are a lot of other individuals (engineers or otherwise) out there who are experiencing similar problems.

Be Responsive

During the meeting, the Member of Congress is likely to ask pointed (and often very perceptive) questions. Try to anticipate questions in your preparation and be as responsive as possible during your meeting.

Use your best judgment when offering an opinion, but be very careful not to offer "factual" information unless you are certain that is the case. You want to make sure that you establish a reputation as a credible source of information.

If you are asked a question for which you have no answer, don't hesitate to say so. You can offer to do some additional research and provide that information later.

Members of Congress may ask questions that are designed to reveal any particular bias you may have on the issue or any organizational interests that are behind your visit. They want to know not only how knowledgeable you are about the issues, but also "whose water you are carrying." The key is to be yourself, speak for yourself, and don't become defensive or apologetic if asked probing questions. To establish your credibility, it is also useful to briefly mention any opposing points of view.

Members of Congress and their staff are typically very bright and articulate, but because they are responsible for so many issues, they have to function as "quick-study generalists." As a result, they may not always be that knowledgeable about your issue. There is an expression that describes this: Members of Congress and their staff have knowledge that is "a mile wide and an inch deep." This lack of knowledge can be reflected in their questions. Be patient and frame your answers to the level of the Member's understanding.

By the same token, some Members (and particularly their staffs) may have significant experience and expertise on specific issues (this includes staffers and/or Fellows who have a scientific or engineering background). You may get very specific queries designed to test your own depth of knowledge. The best strategy is to just be honest and forthcoming.

What Role IEEE-USA?

When you pay a visit on your Member of Congress, you are there as a concerned constituent, and not as a representative of IEEE-USA. That is an important distinction because you will be more influential speaking as a constituent than as a representative.

The fact is, however, that you are an IEEE member and may be making the visit in order to communicate issues that concern both you and IEEE-USA. How then do you address IEEE-USA in your meeting?

The first key is not to say you are speaking on behalf of IEEE-USA. At the same time, you should feel free to offer IEEE-USA information, such as position statements, as background material. And when you "personalize" the issue, you may wish to mention that fact that you are a member of IEEE and that there are lots of other IEEE members with similar concerns and problems who live in the state or district.

Plan Your The Exit

Once you've made your points and answered any questions, wrap up the meeting by thanking the Member for taking the time to visit. If the Member hasn't made clear his or her position, then this is also a good time to ask again for support. Also, use this time to present your "leave-behind" materials -- your one page summary of key points and any supporting materials.

Most Members of Congress will not cut you off if the meeting is running long and/or the subject matter has been covered. Instead, their staffers will interrupt to end the meeting by reminding the Member of their next appointment. Your goal should be to try to avoid being interrupted in this way, and to end the meeting in a crisp, timely manner. Wasting or abusing the Member's time is a sure way to create a negative impression that may affect their action on your issue and their willingness to interact with you in the future.

As you leave the office, make sure to say thank you to the legislative assistant who supported the meeting, especially if he or she is the staffer responsible for your issue. Offer to provide any follow-up support or information and ask for their business card. This individual will most likely serve as your primary source of contact for subsequent telephone calls and informal correspondence.

Follow-up Your Meeting

Follow-up your visit with a thank you letter to the elected official reiterating your main points, and offer your assistance as needed. Enclose any additional information or materials that were requested or promised to the Member and/or staff.  Also send thank you notes to each staffer you met with or who helped you with the meeting.

After your visit, be sure to let IEEE-USA how it went, what issues you discussed, how your Member responded, and what follow-up is planned (and how IEEE-USA can assist). You can use the Care Report Form for this purpose (see: www.ieeeusa.org/forum/care/reportform.html).

You can also help the cause by sharing your experience with fellow IEEE members, perhaps by reporting on your visit at a local section meeting/event or writing an article for the section newsletter. If anyone else shows interest in making a visit, offer to assist them.

Conclusion

Meeting with a Member of Congress, like interviewing for a job or speaking at a public gathering, can be an intimidating thing if you've never done it. But the key is to make that initial commitment to give it a try. If you follow these guidelines and prepare yourself, you'll find that it is an easy, and potentially rewarding experience, not only for you, but for the entire engineering profession.

Don't forget, most Members participate in hundreds (perhaps even thousands) of these appointments each year. As politicians, they are very adept at making people feel comfortable and welcomed. Moreover, you are a constituent (and a voter), which means they will be interested in helping you if they possibly can.

If your visit goes well, consider next steps and follow-ups. Explore how you can create a long-term relationship with your Member. Perhaps they have a volunteer S&T advisory committee that you could serve on. You might consider volunteering some time to help out on the next campaign.

In closing, remember that your involvement is important and that you can make a difference. IEEE-USA encourages you to take the CARE Challenge and to heed the advice of Norm Augustine, retired CEO of Lockheed-Martin and engineer:

"Engineers must become as adept in dealing with societal and political forces as they are with gravitational and electromagnetic forces. We must equip engineers of the future to present their cases in almost every forum imaginable -- from town meeting to state legislature, from the "New York Times" to "60 Minutes," from Congress to the Oval Office."

Updated:  15 May 2007
Contact: Russ Harrison, r.t.harrison@ieee.org