Government
and Public Affairs
THE ASPET GUIDE TO COMMUNICATING EFFECTIVELY WITH
CONGRESS
Taking Your Message to Congress…
The ASPET Guide to Communicating Effectively with Congress
Meeting with Congress
Meeting with a member of congress and congressional staff is the most effective way to communicate your support for increased investment in
biomedical research. As a biomedical researcher, you have instant credibility on the issues you are there to discuss. Your request for a
meeting confers a level of seriousness about the issue and the effort you are making in seeking a meeting with a member of congress will be
respected. Remember to contact ASPET's Government and Public Affairs Director, Jim Bernstein
(telephone: 301.530.7062; e-mail: jbernstein@aspet.org), to let
him know of your planned visit. He can provide you with some up to date information and can answer any questions or concerns you may have
before the meeting.
The strong bipartisan support for healthy increases in basic biomedical research is a result of advocacy from scientists like you. There is no
guarantee this investment will continue at the rate that we have seen this past
several years. That makes your role in educating members of congress especially critical.
Here are some guidelines to remember when planning your meeting, whether in Washington or in the member’s home congressional district.
Be persistent. It may take several tries to schedule your appointment at a mutually convenient time. Try writing a letter requesting a meeting and follow-up with a phone call. Know who will be attending with you and exactly what you want to discuss at the meeting at the time you are scheduling the appointment. Once you have confirmed the appointment, send a letter confirming the date and time. Briefly remind them of your agenda items to discuss and list of attendees.
Know your issues. Get up to speed on the status of the legislation, the member’s party affiliation and committee assignments. Know his or her past history and level of support for the
issue(s) you wish to discuss.
Get in and get out. Arrive on time, expect to wait, and don’t overstay your welcome. Member’s and staff are exceptionally busy and time is very valuable. It is common to wait for them and if you expect a fifteen minute meeting, make the points you came to make, answer any questions they may have as best you can, thank them for their time, and get out.
Congressional staff matters. Your meeting will likely be with staff, not the member. Staff is usually highly knowledgeable about issues and the member relies on their briefings and advice on issues and concerns from constituents. If a staff member appears not well informed, do not be discouraged. View this as an opportunity to educate that individual.
Be positive. Express your appreciation for past support and leave negative attitudes about politics and politicians at home.
Leave a summary. Leave a one-page summary
(and any supporting talking points) that sum up why you wanted to visit and the points you made. Remember to leave your business card. Before your meeting, write the date of the meeting and a quick word or two on the back concerning your issue.
Follow up quickly. Remember before you forget to write a thank you note again outlining the details of your visit. Make certain that you provide any information requested by the member or staff that you were unable to provide at the meeting. If that information is not available, write your thank you note and mention that you will be in touch with the information they requested.
Out of sight, out of mind. On your next visit to Washington, drop by your member’s office and leave your card and a quick note. You don’t need an appointment, just let them know you are still interested and appreciate their support. And do not forget to leave information with the home district office.
De-brief. Remember to let us know what was discussed and your observations and thoughts about your visit.
Communicating to Congress
Writing a letter or calling a member of Congress is an excellent way to communicate your support for biomedical research. Members and staff
cannot meet with everyone and so place great value on letters to keep them informed of constituent concerns. Like a personal visit with a
member, a well thought out letter conveys your seriousness and concern about the subject matter. If the issue is particularly time sensitive, a
phone call may be necessary. State who you are, your affiliation, and make one or two quick points to the person taking your call. Your expertise
in the issue confers credibility and perspective that staff and members rely on.
To address a letter to a U.S. Senator:
The Honorable…
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510
Dear Senator…
To address a letter to a U.S. Representative:
The Honorable…
United States House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Mr./Ms. or Rep…
The U.S. Capitol switchboard, telephone: 202-224-3121 can connect you to your member’s office.
Here are some guidelines when corresponding or talking to congress.
Be brief. Limit your letter to one page if possible, but no more than two pages. Get to the point. Make your case explicitly and avoid scientific jargon. Address one issue if possible but never more than two different issues. You can add an attachment to your letter that contains more detail if you wish.
Make no demands. But give the member of congress and staff a recommended course of action to support. Never condemn, threaten or inject partisan politics into your letter. Doing so can only undermine your credibility. Keep your eye on the ball and stick to the points you want to make.
All politics is local. Remember to make the link to your member’s district or state. Stress the contributions that your institution can make and the benefits the community and country receives from supporting biomedical research.
Timing matters. A letter arriving by mail or fax after the House or Senate has taken action is meaningless. Get your facts right and make certain your letter is considered in time.
Use caution with e-mail. While many offices are increasingly relying on e-mail for constituent contact, surveys show it is not as effective as a typewritten letter. Members receive a great deal of e-mail from non-constituents, which are dismissed. E-mail correspondence also tends to be written in a faster and more informal style than letters, increasing errors in grammar and syntax and making your message
unclear.
De-brief. Remember to send a copy of your letter (this can be e-mailed) to
jbernstein@apset.org.
Be tenacious. Remember that you can’t expect to accomplish your goals and establish a relationship with a member or staff with one meeting. Write more than one letter. Remember to thank him or her if they voted favorably. And write respectfully if they act unfavorably on our issues.
Educate the masses. Consider writing an op-ed piece supportive of biomedical research in your local newspaper. Many papers are looking for well-written opinion pieces on matters affecting their readership. And you certainly have something to say that affects everyone on the papers editorial board and their readership. Contact
Jim Bernstein for any help or assistance.
Grow your grassroots. Join
ASPET’s grassroots e-mail advocacy network. Participation is always voluntary and you will be kept abreast of breaking news affecting your research that you need to act on.
Surf the Web. Check-in frequently with the ASPET
Web site and the Government and Public
Affairs link to read ASPET's Pubic Affairs Bulletins and find other legislative and regulatory information on issues that impact biomedical research.
Expand your network. Consider enlisting others at your institution to become involved. Disseminate information you receive from
the ASPET Legislative Alerts to your colleagues. Alternatively, ask them to join
ASPET’s advocacy e-mail
network.
For additional information, contact:
Jim Bernstein
Government and Public Affairs Director
American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
9650 Rockville Pike
Bethesda, MD 20814
Telephone: 301.634.7062
Fax: 301.624.7061
jbernstein@aspet.org
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