Avoid Groundhog Day and Make your Meeting Stand Out

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.

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.”

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.

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.

- By Jared Payne 

The Rebuttal

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.

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.

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!

- By Jared Payne

"Mr. Speaker, the President of the United States"

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. 

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 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.

Plus, they’re a time-honored opportunity for DC politicos to engage in friendly drinking games at bi-partisan viewings.

- By Jared Payne

Special Elections

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.

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^rd District on June 30, 2017, but an election was not held until November 7^th 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^rd 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.

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^th, 2017, but the election for his replacement will not be until November 2018, leaving voters in the Michigan 13^th without a Member of Congress for a long time. 

- By Jared Payne

Reliability and Credibility Matter Most

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.

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.

- By Jared Payne

They're Back!

It’s January 3^rd and Congress has returned to town for the beginning of the 2^nd Session of the 115^th 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! 

Welcome to 2018!

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.

http://advocacyguru.podbean.com/e/new-year-new-advocacy/

Consider DC’s Fall Leaves More When Scheduling Lobby Days

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.

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.

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.

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. 

- By Jared Payne

Resources for a busy month on the Hill

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:

Represent, by ProPublica: 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.

 https://projects.propublica.org/represent/

Town Hall, by Facebook: 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.

Join Us and Have Some Fun with Fly-Ins

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^th at 12pm to gain some tips and techniques for reducing stress and increasing effectiveness. Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/fun-with-fly-ins-tickets-39669504556?aff=ehomecard

We’ll look at:

• ·         Streamlined, efficient structures for registering advocates and scheduling meetings.
• ·         How to craft policy compelling materials that will influence advocates and legislators alike.
• ·         What advocates need to know to be prepared (it’s not what you think)!
• ·         The role social media and electronic communications can play in marking, or breaking, your event.
• ·         Best strategies to encourage advocates to connect with policymakers in district.
• ·         Different options for small, medium, and large events and how to choose.
• ·         Types of events you can include in a fly-in, including events in district.

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.

Confirmed Panelists:

• ·         Moderator: Stephanie Vance
• ·         Monika Geraci, Recreational Vehicle Industry Association
• ·         Matt Wright, Children’s Hospital Association
• ·         Randy Ford, National Write Your Congressman

More Capitol Hill Resources for a Busy December

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.

Committee webpages: 

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.

List of House Committee Websites: https://www.house.gov/committees
List of Senate Committee Websites: https://www.senate.gov/committees/committees_home.htm

Congress App: 

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. 

Android Link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sunlightlabs.android.congress&hl=en

TrackBill: 

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.

IPhone Link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/trackbill-legislation-tracker/id608487340?mt=8

Android Link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.trakbill.android&hl=en

Government Looking Glass: 


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 issues.

IPhone Link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/government-looking-glass/id1219097541?mt=8

Master Capitol Hill like an Insider

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.

GovTrack: https://www.govtrack.us/

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.

Congress.Gov Appropriations Page: 

https://www.congress.gov/resources/display/content/Appropriations+for+Fiscal+Year+2018

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. 

- By Jared Payne

Our Best Recipe.. for a Congressional Meeting

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:

1)      The turkey is the “ask”. 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.

2)      The stuffing is your story. 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.

3)      The green beans are your hard facts. 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.”

4)      The pumpkin pie is your follow up. 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.

Have a happy and safe Thanksgiving/Lobby Day preparation meal. 

- By Kaytee Yakacki

Take a Look at the 2017 Election Results!

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:

https://www.nytimes.com/elections/results/virginia-governor-election-gillespie-northam

Never say your vote doesn’t count, because it appears control of the Virginia House of Delegates may hinge on a 12 vote difference.

It's Election Day! Go Vote!

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.

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. 

- By Jared Payne

Your Senators Have a Sweet Tooth Too

It’s November 1^st, 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.

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.  

- Jared Payne

Some Background for the Tax Reform Debate

Since 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:

https://www.politico.com/interactives/2017/politico-explains-video-tax-reform/

It’s Halloween, Time to Put on Your Best Advocate Costume!

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).

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 “You just want more campaign money!” or “You should agree with everything I say because I’m obviously right.” 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.  

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. 

- Kaytee Yakacki, Oct. 24, 2011

Join "Advocacy Guru" Stephanie Vance for a Webinar on How to Keep your Advocates Inspired!

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.

Learn more and register here: http://www.lobbyists.info/Keep-Your-Advocates-Inspired

The Appropriations Process

The Final Part in our Examination of the Budget and Appropriations Process

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^st, which is the start of the new fiscal year.

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.

If the work on any or all of the appropriations bills isn’t done by October 1^st, 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.

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^st, the Congress had to pass a CR to keep government funded. This CR expires December 8^th. So look for some excitement in the coming months!

- Jared Payne