tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-191833032024-03-12T21:42:20.829-04:00New Approaches, from Advocacy AssociatesStephanie Vancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18109328404476357019noreply@blogger.comBlogger432125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19183303.post-37620512513439627172018-02-02T17:17:00.001-05:002018-02-02T17:24:00.506-05:00Avoid Groundhog Day and Make your Meeting Stand Out<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
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Today a groundhog
saw its shadow and proclaimed six more weeks of winter. Much like Phil Connors
in the Bill Murray movie, staffers on Capitol Hill are seeing more of the same.
Day in and day out, staff see the same quorum calls, the same dinging bell
alerting them to floor votes, and the same fly-in advocate meetings. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Keep congressional
staffers engaged by focusing on the best ways to provide them the best information.
In a forum earlier this week, a longtime former healthcare policy Hill staffer
and graduate professor said advocates should remember staffers “aren’t
omniscient. I learn things by talking to people. You have to tell me.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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The young
millennials of Capitol Hill have long days with many meetings, covering a lot
of different policy areas. They value meetings which give them valuable
information, teach them something, and make their lives easier. If you know
about a policy area, bring that to your conversation. Explain how an issue is
relevant; but don’t simply memorize numbers.</div>
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If you come to a
meeting prepared and knowledgeable, and engage in a respectful and helpful
manner, you can ensure the staffer remembers your meeting. If you separate
yourself from the pack, and form a relationship, you build yourself into a
go-to source for information.</div>
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- By Jared Payne <o:p></o:p></div>
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Jared Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01878790488422959707noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19183303.post-59055997482642191352018-01-30T14:59:00.003-05:002018-01-30T15:00:07.183-05:00The Rebuttal<div class="MsoNormal">
Tonight, after the
President finishes his State of the Union Address to a joint session of Congress,
Massachusetts Congressman Rep. Joe Kennedy III will give the official English
language Democratic response in front of an assembled crowd at a technical
school in his district. Newly-elected State Delegate Elizabeth Guzman, D- Va.,
will give the official Spanish language Democratic response. <o:p></o:p></div>
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These official
opposition party rebuttal speeches date back to 1966. They’ve taken a variety
of formats, ranging from call-in shows, to press conferences, to focus groups.
Regardless of how they’re delivered, they always aim to give the other party a
chance to offer their two cents. In the modern era, there are typically one or
two official rebuttals, as well as a couple unofficial ones. They are often
short speeches which are written in advance, and thus, don’t directly address
the President’s remarks. While these speeches have next to no policy
importance, they can give a young up-and-coming elected official a chance to
speak to a large audience. Just ask Bill Clinton.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Unfortunately for
those up-and-comers, in recent years there has been something of a “career
curse” on the person chosen to deliver the remarks. Louisiana Governor Bobby
Jindal’s poorly received 2009 speech damaged his career. Florida Senator Marco
Rubio had a case of cottonmouth and was forced to swig water in the middle of
his remarks. The clip went viral on YouTube and became a not-so-complimentary
point in his opponents’ speeches during the campaign. One can imagine the
37-year-old Congressman Kennedy is hoping to break the curse. Stay tuned!<o:p></o:p></div>
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- By Jared Payne</div>
Jared Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01878790488422959707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19183303.post-12525518025905600602018-01-25T11:30:00.002-05:002018-01-25T11:30:37.703-05:00"Mr. Speaker, the President of the United States"<div class="MsoNormal">
On Tuesday, January 30, the House Sergeant at Arms will walk
into the chamber of the House of Representatives and announce the arrival of
the President of the United States to give his “State of the Union” address, as
required under the Constitution. This update hasn’t always been given as a
speech. Thomas Jefferson abandoned the practice in favor of a written address
to be read by the House Clerk, but Woodrow Wilson revived the practice of
in-person delivery in 1913. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The moment is full of imagery, lofty language, and lots of
play-by-play commentary, but it does serve a purpose. The President uses this
opportunity to lay out his domestic priorities for the year, which will then be
reflected in a subsequent official budget request to Congress. The speech can
take on a laundry list nature, and interruptions for applause from the
President’s party can make them seem like they go on forever. That said, they<span style="font-size: 10.6667px;"> </span>serve as an important opportunity for a White House to outline its legislative
priorities for the upcoming year in an informal and easily digestible fashion. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Plus, they’re a time-honored opportunity for DC politicos to
engage in friendly drinking games at bi-partisan viewings<span style="font-size: 10.6667px;">.</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null"><span style="font-size: 10.6667px;"><br /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null">- By Jared Payne</a></div>
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Jared Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01878790488422959707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19183303.post-54095171555287310172018-01-18T15:50:00.001-05:002018-01-18T15:51:47.542-05:00Special Elections<div class="MsoNormal">
When there is a vacancy in a House or Senate seat, a special
election is often called for voters to have an opportunity to cast ballots and
fill the vacancy. Definitionally, these elections occur at a date other than the
prescribed date in November of the appropriate year. Not all Senate vacancies
are filled with an immediate special election. In some states, the Governor
appoints someone to fill the vacancy in the interim, as happened with Sen. Tina
Smith’s appointment in Minnesota following Sen. Franken’s resignation. In this
case, Tina Smith will be running for election in 2018, leaving Minnesota in the
odd place of having two simultaneous Senate election campaigns.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Once a House member resigns, a special election is called
for some date in the future and a campaign begins. While the Representative is
gone, the office still exists to represent citizens of the district. For
example, Jason Chaffetz resigned as the Representative for Utah’s 3<sup>rd</sup>
District on June 30, 2017, but an election was not held until November 7<sup>th</sup>
with Representative John Curtis assuming the office several days later. No
member of Congress was present for floor voters or political statements, but
for over four months, staff from the Office of the Utah 3<sup>rd</sup>
Congressional District existed to help constituents with casework needs. During
this period, we attempted to arrange meetings for one or two clients, but the
office would not take Lobby Day meetings with advocates because they could not
speak to any political position. This is standard protocol, but it never hurts
to ask if you could still provide information.</div>
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House vacancies are never filled with a temporary interim
appointment, which can result in some lengthy gaps between officeholders. Rep.
John Conyers resigned on December 5<sup>th</sup>, 2017, but the election for
his replacement will not be until November 2018, leaving voters in the Michigan
13<sup>th</sup> without a Member of Congress for a long time. <o:p></o:p></div>
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- By Jared Payne</div>
Jared Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01878790488422959707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19183303.post-27093491235859178002018-01-05T16:24:00.001-05:002018-01-05T16:24:01.191-05:00Reliability and Credibility Matter Most<div class="MsoNormal">
Last month, we had the pleasure of listening to Dr. David
Rehr present his Congressional Communications Report, and were left with valuable
insights about the ways staff receive, value, and process information. Staff
members in congressional offices are often young and new to their roles. As a
result, they increasingly value credible and reliable information. Contrary to
public perceptions, staffers place little value in the reputation of the person
or group seeking to meet them, and even less in campaign contributions. They
simply want you to provide reliable and trustworthy information. Regardless of
political party, they are more likely to almost always consult constituents, as
opposed to lobbyists or the national press. <o:p></o:p></div>
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As someone organizing Lobby Days, what does that tell you?
If your advocates are prepared, engaging, and follow-up, they can build
relationships and become the most effective outreach tool in your arsenal. 100%
of Legislative Assistants said they were influenced be reliable information,
and nearly as many said they were influenced by concise arguments and
face-to-face meetings. Only 6% of Legislative Assistants said mass-email
campaigns swayed them. When visiting Capitol Hill, bring informed and
knowledgeable advocates who will follow-up, but make sure that they never
pretend to know something they don’t. Staff members are busy; if you can make
their lives easier, you can influence them.<o:p></o:p></div>
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- By Jared Payne</div>
Jared Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01878790488422959707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19183303.post-3991132939180104562018-01-03T17:18:00.001-05:002018-01-03T17:31:18.795-05:00They're Back!<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s January 3<sup>rd</sup> and Congress has returned to
town for the beginning of the 2<sup>nd</sup> Session of the 115<sup>th</sup> Congress.
With the midterms in November, a packed legislative agenda and two newly sworn-in Senators, 2018 should be full of surprises. The
calendar below shows when they’ll be in DC—and when you can see them at home! <o:p></o:p></div>
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Jared Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01878790488422959707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19183303.post-47760402438822778392018-01-02T21:23:00.001-05:002018-01-02T21:27:03.835-05:00Welcome to 2018!<style>
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As we journey into 2018, a new session of Congress, and a
new Lobby Day season, take a look at some New Year’s resolutions for advocates
from a previous podcast.</div>
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<a href="http://advocacyguru.podbean.com/e/new-year-new-advocacy/">http://advocacyguru.podbean.com/e/new-year-new-advocacy/</a></div>
Jared Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01878790488422959707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19183303.post-39298736836021726152017-12-18T15:44:00.001-05:002017-12-18T15:44:48.781-05:00Consider DC’s Fall Leaves More When Scheduling Lobby Days<div class="MsoNormal">
With the holiday season and year’s end upon us, we cannot
over emphasize just how busy this December has been on the Hill. Traditionally,
associations send their advocates to Washington in the spring to meet with
congressional offices about their legislative and budget priorities, at a time
when Congress is theoretically working through the budget process. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Of course, Washington tends to stick to the script less each
year. This year, Congress has done some of its most consequential work in the
months since returning after Labor Day. Congress has spent December working on
tax reform, health care, and government funding. Legislators will likely be in
the Capitol until the weekend before Christmas- and may be returning before New
Year’s Eve. <o:p></o:p></div>
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According to a recent study by Dr. David Rehr, 66% of
organizations are now hosting a DC Lobby Day. Lobby Days are an incredibly
valuable advocacy tool, but not everyone can visit DC in the middle of March.
If you want to save on hotel costs, make logistics easier, and make your Lobby
Day message stand out, consider Lobby Days in September through December.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In many recent years, the pace of business has increased in
November or December (as opposed to March or April), yet the hallways of the
Capitol remain less crowded. With less competition for the valuable finite time
of congressional offices, you may find your advocates’ words are more likely to
be heard in autumn. <o:p></o:p></div>
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- By Jared Payne</div>
Jared Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01878790488422959707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19183303.post-23431230440265327672017-12-11T13:03:00.001-05:002017-12-11T13:03:18.878-05:00Resources for a busy month on the Hill<div class="MsoNormal">
While the weather is turning colder and snowier, Congress is
still in session and busy with the tax reform conference committee and an
upcoming deadline on government funding. Here are a couple more resources to
help keep you in the know about Capitol Hill:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><i>Represent, by ProPublica:</i></b> Represent is a tool to track upcoming
and recent Congressional votes, as well as information on each member’s votes
and sponsored legislation. This resource also organizes floor statements by
member, and allows you to quickly search the Congressional Record, press
quotes, op-eds, and video, by key term, to see which members are talking about
your issues.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://projects.propublica.org/represent/">https://projects.propublica.org/represent/</a></div>
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<b><i>Town Hall, by Facebook:</i></b> Town Hall is a tool that uses your home
address to provide links to the Facebook pages of each of your elected
representatives, from the local level up to the federal level, all in one page.
Facebook also provides the correct phone number and email address to allow you
to easily contact them. Simply search “Town Hall” in your Facebook search bar
to locate the feature.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Jared Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01878790488422959707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19183303.post-2716330369463375842017-12-07T17:49:00.000-05:002017-12-07T18:13:28.263-05:00Join Us and Have Some Fun with Fly-Ins<div style="background-color: white; color: #666a73; letter-spacing: 0.5px; padding: 0px;">
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A fly-in can be one of the most effective ways to motivate
adovates and get your message across to Capitol Hill. It can also be one of the
most stressful experiences of your career – or possibly even your life. Join
this session on December 8<sup>th</sup> at 12pm to gain some tips and
techniques for reducing stress and increasing effectiveness. Register here: <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/fun-with-fly-ins-tickets-39669504556?aff=ehomecard">https://www.eventbrite.com/e/fun-with-fly-ins-tickets-39669504556?aff=ehomecard</a><br />
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We’ll look at: <o:p></o:p></div>
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<li>·<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Streamlined, efficient structures for
registering advocates and scheduling meetings.</span></li>
<li>·<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">How to craft policy compelling materials that
will influence advocates and legislators alike.</span></li>
<li>·<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">What advocates need to know to be prepared (it’s
not what you think)!</span></li>
<li>·<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">The role social media and electronic
communications can play in marking, or breaking, your event.</span></li>
<li>·<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Best strategies to encourage advocates to
connect with policymakers in district.</span></li>
<li>·<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Different options for small, medium, and large
events and how to choose.</span></li>
<li>·<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Types of events you can include in a fly-in,
including events in district.</span></li>
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The panelists for this session have decades of grassroots
experience in Washington, DC. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from their
successes (and mistakes). You’ll come away with an actionable path for your
next event, as well as exclusive access to our follow-up video course.<o:p></o:p><br />
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Confirmed Panelists:<o:p></o:p></div>
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</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Moderator: Stephanie Vance</span></li>
<li>·<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Monika Geraci, Recreational Vehicle Industry
Association</span></li>
<li>·<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Matt Wright, Children’s Hospital Association</span></li>
<li>·<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Randy Ford, National Write Your Congressman</span></li>
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Jared Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01878790488422959707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19183303.post-87215823167229406782017-11-30T15:14:00.002-05:002017-11-30T15:26:08.298-05:00More Capitol Hill Resources for a Busy December<div class="xmsonormal">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">With
today’s Senate vote on their tax bill, it seems like an ideal time to pass
along a couple additional tools for monitoring legislative movement on Capitol
Hill.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Committee webpages: </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The webpages for congressional committees contain a wealth of
information, including live video links for hearings and mark-ups. In DC,
interested parties used to pay young professionals to line up early in the
morning to reserve spots in the committee hearing room, but the wonders of the
Internet have made it possible for anyone to follow most hearings online. On
these sites, you will also find committee reports, archived hearings,
transcripts, documents, and press releases. Political views on these websites
are going to be reflective of the Republican Party, since they control both
chambers, but each website will also include a link to a page or site for the
Democratic Party.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">List of House Committee Websites: </span><a href="https://www.house.gov/committees" id="LPlnk631566" style="font-family: inherit;">https://www.house.gov/committees</a><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">List of Senate Committee Websites: </span><a href="https://www.senate.gov/committees/committees_home.htm" id="LPlnk648458" style="font-family: inherit;">https://www.senate.gov/committees/committees_home.htm</a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Congress App: </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">We have previously mentioned this App, which was produced by the
Sunlight Foundation until recently. While no longer managed by the Sunlight
Foundation, it's still an excellent pocket resource for all Android phone
users, including information on floor votes, bills, and hearing schedules. All
information for the App is provided by ProPublica, a nonprofit organization
focused on investigative journalism. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Android Link: <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sunlightlabs.android.congress&hl=en" id="LPlnk746760">https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sunlightlabs.android.congress&hl=en</a>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>TrackBill: </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">This is a nationwide tracking tool for iPhone and Android that has
information on legislation, legislators, and hearings for state legislatures,
as well as Congress. This App allows you to search by policy area and save
searches for later. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">IPhone
Link: <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/trackbill-legislation-tracker/id608487340?mt=8">https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/trackbill-legislation-tracker/id608487340?mt=8</a>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Android
Link: <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.trakbill.android&hl=en">https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.trakbill.android&hl=en</a>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Go<span style="font-family: inherit;">vernment Looking Glass: </span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">This relatively new App for iPhone users
provides information about congressional legislation. Using information from a
variety of sources (VoteSmart, ProPublica, Open States, and the Sunlight
Foundation), this tool determines an overall score for members based on your
position on a range of policy issues, while also providing contact links to
tell your representatives how you feel about these i<span style="font-family: inherit;">ssues.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">IPhone Link: <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/government-looking-glass/id1219097541?mt=8">https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/government-looking-glass/id1219097541?mt=8</a></span></div>
</div>
Jared Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01878790488422959707noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19183303.post-57581660244891694132017-11-27T15:10:00.000-05:002017-11-27T15:11:43.798-05:00Master Capitol Hill like an Insider<br />
Now that the Thanksgiving meals are over and the
Black Friday shopping has come to an end, Congress has returned to face one of its busiest
weeks of the year. With debates on taxes, healthcare, appropriations, and the debt
ceiling, there’s a little something for everybody! We thought we would share some tools to help you research
legislation on Capitol Hill.<br />
<br />
<o:p></o:p>
<b>GovTrack</b>: <span style="color: #0563c1;"><a href="https://www.govtrack.us/">https://www.govtrack.us/</a></span>
<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
GovTrack is not a government resource, but it’s an
excellent easy-to-use site that allows users to keep track of bills and votes,
as well as the voting records of your Representatives and Senators.
Additionally, the site provides some excellent educational resources about
Congress, the legislative process, and Committee activities. Users can set up
alerts to keep up-to-date on bills of particular interest to them. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<b>Congress.Gov Appropriations Page: </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<a href="https://www.congress.gov/resources/display/content/Appropriations+for+Fiscal+Year+2018"><span style="color: #0563c1;">https://www.congress.gov/resources/display/content/Appropriations+for+Fiscal+Year+2018</span></a>
<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
As we have discussed before, the Appropriations
process can be complex. Congress.gov’s Appropriations
page is an amazing way to visualize all of the appropriations bills and their
current status in one quick glance. It’s particularly helpful for finding and
comparing Committee reports on a House bill with its companion Senate bill.
This makes it easy to see how funding for one agency differs in the House and
Senate bills. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
- By Jared PayneJared Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01878790488422959707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19183303.post-39522784823303850022017-11-16T16:27:00.000-05:002017-11-16T16:27:12.622-05:00Our Best Recipe.. for a Congressional Meeting<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">
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<span style="font-size: 13.2px;">Thanksgiving is an annual event where families come together, share stories, grow closer and stuff their face. Minus the stuffing their face part, there are a lot of parallels to be drawn between Thanksgiving and Lobby Days. Lobby Days are an annual event where advocates come together, share their stories on Capitol Hill, and build relationships with Members of Congress and their staff. Furthermore, the various components of Thanksgiving dinner can be used as a metaphor for the perfect congressional meeting (yes, these are the things I think about). Here’s a breakdown of how you can use everyone’s favorite holiday meal as a guideline for your upcoming Lobby Day:</span></div>
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<b><i>1)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"> </span></i></b><b><i>The turkey is the “ask”. </i></b>It wouldn’t be Thanksgiving if we didn’t start with the turkey (or tofurky for you vegetarians out there). The turkey is the highlight of the dinner, the centerpiece that makes it Thanksgiving. If you take the turkey out of the equation, the rest of the dinner is almost pointless. This is why the turkey is just like the “ask” in your congressional meeting. You can have the most productive, friendly, informative meeting, but if you leave that office without asking your Member of Congress to do something specific then you have just wasted your time. Legislators and their staff have a lot on their plate, including taking time to meet with constituents like you, so unless you ask them to do something tactile they will likely shake your hand as you leave and then forget all about you.<b><i><o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
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<b><i>2)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"> </span></i></b><b><i>The stuffing is your story.</i></b> The turkey might be the most important part of the meal, but the stuffing is always the fan favorite. At least in my household, the stuffing is the most enjoyed part of the meal and is usually what everyone leaves the table still talking about. That’s why the stuffing is like your personal story. Members of Congress and their staff want to meet with their constituents for one reason—they want to hear your personal story and how you are affected by what they do as a legislator. Leaving out your personal story would be like leaving out the stuffing in Thanksgiving dinner—the staffer will feel underwhelmed and unfulfilled.<b><i><o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
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<b><i>3)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"> </span></i></b><b><i>The green beans are your hard facts.</i></b> Green beans certainly aren’t as popular as stuffing when it comes to Thanksgiving dinner. That said, they are a necessary supplement that help to complete the meal. This is why green beans are like the hard facts of your congressional meeting. Not everyone loves eating their veggies, and not every staffer loves dealing with figures and percentages. Still, they need to be included in your meeting as a way of backing up whatever it is you are asking for. Using numbers effectively to show how a certain policy will affect you, your business or a large number of people in their district will help you to drive home the “ask.”<b><i><o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
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<b><i>4)<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"> </span></i></b><b><i>The pumpkin pie is your follow up.</i></b> Hours have passed, the football game is on, you’ve taken a little tryptophan nap, and you’re almost fully digested. By now you’ve almost forgotten that you ate this huge, delicious dinner—but wait! Suddenly it’s time for pumpkin pie, a reminder that Thanksgiving isn’t over yet. Pumpkin pie is like the follow up in a congressional meeting—you want to make sure the meeting isn’t forgotten without any action taken. It’s important to continue to build your relationship with a congressional office throughout the year, and you can start by following up a day or two after your meeting with a “thank you.” In the weeks ahead, make sure to send over any information you didn’t have in the meeting that you said you would get back to them on and remind them of your “ask.” This is a good foundation for maintaining contact throughout the year and developing that relationship further. Congressional staff always appreciate follow up, and I always appreciate pumpkin pie.<b><i><o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
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Have a happy and safe Thanksgiving/Lobby Day preparation meal. </div>
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- By Kaytee Yakacki</div>
Jared Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01878790488422959707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19183303.post-63549716641561596302017-11-08T14:34:00.003-05:002017-11-08T14:37:17.484-05:00Take a Look at the 2017 Election Results!<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Take a look at some of the highlights of 2017 election
results by clicking through the tabs near the top of this New York Times
webpage:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/elections/results/virginia-governor-election-gillespie-northam">https://www.nytimes.com/elections/results/virginia-governor-election-gillespie-northam</a>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Never say your vote doesn’t count, because it
appears control of the Virginia House of Delegates may hinge on a 12 vote
difference.</span></div>
Jared Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01878790488422959707noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19183303.post-46905331365567758802017-11-07T12:11:00.004-05:002017-11-08T14:37:28.437-05:00It's Election Day! Go Vote!<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s Election Day, America! Or- at least it is for many of
you. While nearly all of the political pundit class is focused on the tight
race for Governor of Virginia, there are also statewide races in New Jersey, a
mayor’s race in New York City, a special House election in Utah, and countless
other local races across the U.S. Other states, like Maine and Ohio, have crucial
ballot measures to consider. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Regardless of where you stand politically, it’s essential you figure out what’s on your ballot, get informed, and go vote. Those
who vote are the ones who have a seat at the table, and a say in decisions. If
you stay home, you give someone else that power instead. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>- By Jared Payne</i></div>
Jared Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01878790488422959707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19183303.post-88887109774380764512017-11-01T11:19:00.000-04:002017-11-01T11:19:19.257-04:00Your Senators Have a Sweet Tooth Too<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s November 1<sup>st</sup>, and you likely have tons of
candy collected by your child last night, or leftover candy intended for
trick-or-treaters. On the Senate floor, every day is like this- because in the
far right side of the chamber sits something known as the Candy Desk. Since the tradition began in the 1960’s, the
16 different Senators assigned to this desk have had the responsibility of keeping
it well stocked with tasty treats. Ethics rules require the candy come from the
home state of the Senator occupying the desk. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWAegiW-bqnxqC8pKEhiN5iWuhgRriVBwUt3lNR6tx49-z6Fq6G9iVut8Tp5vICWkEOSgm4LInH9P97iw1DP7i_2oqHeF9ssYv6GZbDGkVaa_2cX5hARCMLPWkUUJJ8mKiQLqI/s1600/candy_drawer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="537" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWAegiW-bqnxqC8pKEhiN5iWuhgRriVBwUt3lNR6tx49-z6Fq6G9iVut8Tp5vICWkEOSgm4LInH9P97iw1DP7i_2oqHeF9ssYv6GZbDGkVaa_2cX5hARCMLPWkUUJJ8mKiQLqI/s320/candy_drawer.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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</w:wrap></v:imagedata></v:shape>Because the desk is on the right side of the chamber, where the
Republicans sit, providing the candy is always tasked to a Republican. Senator
Pat Toomey from Pennsylvania, where Hershey’s and Just Born are headquartered,
currently occupies the desk. This gives our nation’s Senators steady access to Hershey’s
Kisses, Reese’s, Mounds, as well as Mike and Ike, and Hot Tamales. Toomey was
assigned the desk starting in 2015, but Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA) previously had the job for 10 years from 1997-2007. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
- Jared Payne</div>
Jared Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01878790488422959707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19183303.post-87137344589944995792017-10-30T16:01:00.000-04:002017-10-30T16:01:02.359-04:00Some Background for the Tax Reform DebateSince this week on the Hill is focused on tax reform, we thought we would share this series of short background videos on our tax system:<br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/goog_1967156647"><br /></a>
<a href="https://www.politico.com/interactives/2017/politico-explains-video-tax-reform/">https://www.politico.com/interactives/2017/politico-explains-video-tax-reform/</a>Jared Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01878790488422959707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19183303.post-76652686407273398102017-10-30T11:24:00.000-04:002017-10-30T11:24:09.048-04:00It’s Halloween, Time to Put on Your Best Advocate Costume!<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">
<span style="font-size: 13.2px;">The air is turning crisp and cool, the trench coats and boots have been brought out of storage and dusted off, and it’s almost time to don your best disguises for Halloween. As I started planning out my own costume, it occurred to me that it can also be beneficial to disguise yourself a bit when you’re advocating Congress—but not as a vampire or a pirate wench (and no, I’m not dressing up as either of those).</span></div>
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First, let me mention the characteristics of your inner advocate that you do NOT want to disguise. Don’t try to hide your passion or your persistence, as these qualities make up the foundation of effective advocacy. That said, there is a difference between passion and the need to say absolutely everything that’s on your mind, like “<i>You just want more campaign money!” </i>or<i> “You should agree with everything I say because I’m obviously right.</i>” It’s important to stay true to who you are, but if you find yourself starting to go this route when you’re communicating with your legislators, just know that you’re not going to get very far. Insulting someone is never the best way to get what you want from them. If you’re the type of person that normally tends toward these opinionated outbursts, try to rein it in when you’re advocating. Put on a mental disguise and become someone that, well, doesn’t do that. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Until your next advocacy adventure, have a Happy Halloween! And gentlemen, I know you might think it’s hilarious but please spare us all the former New York Congressman gray boxer-brief costume—no one wants to see that. At the very least, keep it off of Twitter. </div>
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- Kaytee Yakacki, Oct. 24, 2011</div>
Jared Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01878790488422959707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19183303.post-61934229390614062932017-10-23T16:25:00.000-04:002017-10-23T16:25:09.047-04:00Join "Advocacy Guru" Stephanie Vance for a Webinar on How to Keep your Advocates Inspired!<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s not too late to register for tomorrow’s webinar with
“Advocacy Guru” Stephanie Vance. Grassroots advocacy is fundamental to
achieving policy goals. Join Stephanie tomorrow at 2 pm to learn how to keep your advocates
inspired by developing a year-round advocate training and engagement program. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Learn more and register here: <a href="http://www.lobbyists.info/Keep-Your-Advocates-Inspired">http://www.lobbyists.info/Keep-Your-Advocates-Inspired</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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Jared Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01878790488422959707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19183303.post-87041667853156690782017-10-19T17:13:00.001-04:002017-10-19T17:13:57.014-04:00The Appropriations Process<h4>
<i>The Final Part in our Examination of the Budget and Appropriations Process</i></h4>
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With the 302a allocations determined by the budget
resolutions, the process moves to the House and Senate Appropriations
Committees. The Chairperson of each chamber’s Appropriations Committee divides
the allocation from the budget resolution into 12 separate 301b sub-allocations,
one for each of 12 subcommittees. These subcommittees oversee different federal
agencies and programs (e.g. Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and
Related Agencies; or Energy and Water Development). The subcommittees take
those limits and apportion money to the federal programs and agencies under
their authority. The subcommittees will each pass their bill and the
Appropriations Committee will then consider and amend the appropriations bills
from the subcommittees. After that, the full House and Senate vote on the
bills, reconcile differences, and send them to the President by October 1<sup>st</sup>,
which is the start of the new fiscal year.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Or, at least that’s what’s supposed to happen under something
called “regular order.” Of course, nothing about Congress follows regular order
these days. Sometimes, to make the process easier, Congress will combine
different spending bills to create an “Omnibus” bill. Because an Omnibus bill
would be voted on just once (instead of 12 separate votes for 12 separate bills),
these can be easier to pass.<o:p></o:p></div>
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If the work on any or all of the appropriations bills isn’t done
by October 1<sup>st</sup>, Congress must take action to avoid a shutdown of any
programs not yet funded. In this case, Congress can pass a bill maintaining funding
at existing levels for any programs associated with an appropriations bill that
hasn’t yet passed. These continuing resolutions (CRs) almost always have
deadlines by which Congress must either pass a new CR, or finish up with the
appropriations bills.</div>
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For FY 2018, Congress is pursuing both approaches. First,
the House has created an “Omnibus” bill that combines all 12 appropriations
bills. This bill has passed the House but is unlikely to pass the Senate.
Meanwhile, both chambers continue to work on individual bills. But because this
work was not finished by October 1<sup>st</sup>, the Congress had to pass a CR
to keep government funded. This CR expires December 8<sup>th</sup>. So look for
some excitement in the coming months!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>- Jared Payne</i></div>
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Jared Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01878790488422959707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19183303.post-3907240211997045652017-10-18T12:26:00.000-04:002017-10-18T12:26:41.983-04:00"Advocacy Guru" Stephanie Vance Set to Speak at Upcoming PWIA Conference<div class="MsoNormal">
Don’t miss “Advocacy Guru” Stephanie Vance at the PWIA
conference on November 7<sup>th</sup>. She’ll be giving all her “how to”
secrets away at a train the trainer session.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://womeninadvocacy.com/registration-2-2/">http://womeninadvocacy.com/registration-2-2/</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbrb4PirmzGtHQhxtP3XUNFWpIMYhIQRT3Sk-98MfNxrbQgC8atbLvJzH2S9b85z5qzXCLHT7TdVZW2RX4KbizZQ6nxkGXQW7BCI3ZgJENLm0vSqQLNovlHqE48FohiRAkLtKy/s1600/DC_Social-Media-Badges_Speaker_Lg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbrb4PirmzGtHQhxtP3XUNFWpIMYhIQRT3Sk-98MfNxrbQgC8atbLvJzH2S9b85z5qzXCLHT7TdVZW2RX4KbizZQ6nxkGXQW7BCI3ZgJENLm0vSqQLNovlHqE48FohiRAkLtKy/s320/DC_Social-Media-Badges_Speaker_Lg.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Jared Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01878790488422959707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19183303.post-33090135167869989982017-10-16T17:04:00.001-04:002017-10-16T17:04:56.365-04:00Key Terms in the Budget and Appropriations Process<div class="MsoNormal">
<u>Budget Committees</u>: The House and Senate Budget
Committees are each tasked with preparing a “budget resolution”, which sets out
guidelines for the revenue and spending that is expected to occur in the
upcoming fiscal year. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<u>Appropriations Committees</u>: There is also an Appropriations Committee in
each chamber. These Appropriations Committees are comprised of 12
Subcommittees, such as the “Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
Subcommittee” or the “Defense Subcommittee”. Each of the subcommittees produces a bill specifying
how much will be spent on the programs that fall into their policy area. The
level of appropriations in each chamber is constrained by each budget
resolution.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<u>Discretionary Spending</u>: The entire budget and appropriations process covers only discretionary spending, or the “optional”
parts of government spending, such as
national defense, transportation, national parks, etc. “Optional” means that
although the programs may be authorized, their funding levels aren’t guaranteed
and must be reconsidered every year.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<u>Mandatory Spending</u>: Mandatory spending, on the other
hand, is set by a specific formula established under previous laws, such as
Medicare, Social Security, or Medicaid. In other words, these funding levels
are guaranteed unless Congress overhauls the underlying law, a process that is
not controlled by the Appropriations Committees.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<u>Fiscal Year (FY)</u>: The federal government appropriates
funds in fiscal years, which run from October 1<sup>st</sup> to September 30<sup>th</sup>
in the following calendar year. The process of preparing budget requests for a
fiscal year often begins a little over a year and a half before that fiscal
year starts. Planning for FY2019, which will begin on Oct. 1, 2018, began in
the spring of 2017.</div>
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<u>Office of Management and Budget (OMB)</u>: OMB produces
the President’s Budget by considering how agency budget requests align with the
President’s policy and budget priorities. <u><o:p></o:p></u></div>
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- Jared Payne</div>
Jared Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01878790488422959707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19183303.post-62033637092013644252017-10-11T13:30:00.001-04:002017-10-11T13:31:19.650-04:00Grassroots Advocacy Master Class<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Register for the Grassroots Advocacy
Master Class, taught by our very own Advocacy Guru, Stephanie Vance! The course starts October 16th. Learn more here:</span><br />
<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><a href="https://learn.columbiabooks.com/courses/fall-2017-grassroots-advocacy-master-class-personalized-coaching-on-network-development-and-mobilization">https://learn.columbiabooks.com/courses/fall-2017-grassroots-advocacy-master-class-personalized-coaching-on-network-development-and-mobilization </a></span></span>Jared Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01878790488422959707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19183303.post-21084101769518076402017-10-10T15:18:00.000-04:002017-10-10T15:21:53.504-04:00The Congressional Budget Process<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
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<i><span style="font-size: 13.0pt;">“Deadlines. I love the whooshing noise
they make as they go by.” – </span></i><span style="font-size: 13.0pt;">Douglas
Adams, <i>The Salmon of Doubt</i></span><b><u><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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Our story about the budget process continues with a visual
that may be familiar to long-time keen observers of DC. The President’s budget
is legally supposed to be submitted to Congress between the first Monday in
January and the first Monday in February, when pallets of the huge tome are
delivered to office buildings on Capitol Hill (for FY2019, that means the
deadline is Feb 5<sup>th</sup>). This rarely happens on time anymore-
especially in the President’s first year in office- and there are no legal
consequences for failure to perform this on time. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The Congressional Budget Act of 1974 generally governs the budget
process on Capitol Hill, but remember that Congress’ budget and final
appropriations bills do not have to agree with the President’s budget and
almost never do. The President’s budget is a strong suggestion. It can be seen
as a political document, outlining the funding and cuts the Administration will
fight for at the end of the process.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Around February 15<sup>th</sup>, the Congressional Budget
Office submits budget and economic outlook reports to the House and Senate
Budget Committees, and by sometime in mid-March, Committees submit their views
and estimates to the Budget Committees. By April 1<sup>st</sup>, the Senate
Budget Committee is supposed to report a Budget Resolution; and by April 15<sup>th</sup>,
both chambers are supposed to have completed action on their budget resolutions
and passed them on the floor. <o:p></o:p></div>
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These budget resolutions have no legal effect; they do not
raise or spend any money. The budget resolution is a framework for Congress to
consider revenue and spending legislation related to the appropriations process,
which lays out spending limits for the Appropriations Committee, officially
referred to as 302(a) allocations.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Just to give you an idea of how off the rails we can get
with deadlines; the House just passed the FY2018 Budget Resolution last week by
a 219-206 vote. Under regular order, that should have been done by mid-April. <o:p></o:p></div>
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In our next couple of post, we’ll cover the final aspects of
the Congressional budget process, and look at how Congress appropriates
discretionary spending.<o:p></o:p></div>
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- Jared Payne</div>
Jared Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01878790488422959707noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19183303.post-75226345509447540392017-10-06T11:47:00.003-04:002017-10-06T11:59:38.930-04:00Washington, D.C.: America's Most Hopeful Place<div style="line-height: 21.6pt; margin-bottom: 13.5pt;">
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Take a look at
this perspective from the <i>Washington Post</i> about why D.C. is actually America’s most hopeful place: <o:p></o:p><br />
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“What sets D.C. apart isn’t a love of
power. It’s an appreciation for purpose. The defining feature of Washington is
simple: People move here to be part of something bigger than themselves.”</div>
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<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/posteverything/wp/2017/10/05/washington-d-c-is-not-a-cynical-swamp-its-americas-most-hopeful-place/?utm_term=.ec4c1646009c">https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/posteverything/wp/2017/10/05/washington-d-c-is-not-a-cynical-swamp-its-americas-most-hopeful-place/?utm_term=.ec4c1646009c</a></div>
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- Jared Payne</div>
Jared Paynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01878790488422959707noreply@blogger.com0