Resources

Tips on Visiting Your Legislator

A personal visit with your representative or senator, either at home or in the state or federal capitol, can be anxiety-creating but also exciting and rewarding.The following are some steps and tips to make such a visit most effective.

Before your visit

• Make the appointment by letter or phone for a meeting at the home district or capitol office.

• Confirm the appointment by phone or mail. • Don’t overlook the possibility of meeting with legislative aides—these are also valuable.

• Brief yourself about your legislator (i.e. district; committee assignments; number of terms served; professional background; voting record on issues related to your interest; publicly stated views on issues related to your interest)

• Define the objectives of your visit • Decide if your objective is to get acquainted, express general views, or discuss specific issues. • Limit the number of issues to be discussed.

• Brief yourself on the facts surrounding the issue, and clarify your views on it. • Briefly outline your comments or prepare a written summary. • Plan ahead. Realize that the appointment may start late, or the legislator may be in session and unavailable.

• Plan to wait, meet with other staff, or make a new appointment.

• The meeting may range from 10 minutes to an hour.

• Consider going as part of a group, especially if a broad base of people and organizations is being represented.

• If you are going in a group, assign specific roles to each participant: determine who will be the spokesperson, introduce the group, guide the conversation, and provide the summary.

While you’re there

• Introduce yourself, including this information: Your place and length of residence; Church membership; Occupation, student status, volunteer and political involvement, and so on; The group you are representing (if any); Your experience and expertise relevant to the issue • Create a positive climate for the visit

• Be on time.

• Be positive and friendly, not argumentative.

• Acknowledge areas of agreement.

• Express appreciation.

• State the reason for your visit

• Be concise and specific.

• State your position and recommendation on the issue.

• Leave a written summary of your position (if available), reference material, and a calling card.

• Ask for related legislative materials, such as a copy of the bill and an analysis of the bill.

• During the conversation

• Meet and record the name of the staff member assigned to the issue.

• Don’t let questions or comments derail your purpose.

• Admit that you need to think more about a new point raised; ask if the person will consider a written response submitted later.

• Ask specific questions; request specific responses.

• Explore options of attending committee meetings or hearings, being admitted to congressional observation galleries, and so on.

After your visit

• Debrief

• Talk with members of your group or another person about the experience. • Determine possible next steps. • Inform others about what you learned.

• Write a follow-up letter to the legislator

• Thank the legislator for the visit.

• Summarize the visit; comment on what was said by all parties present.

• Identify follow-up steps that the legislator and group members committed to taking.

• Respond to any new points raised during the visit.

• Restate the issue, your position, and your recommendations.

• Express your intention to continue the dialogue.

• List names, addresses, phone numbers, and so on for all who participated in the visit.

Source: "Equipping Advocates to Empower Others" (Pittsburgh, Pa.:
Church in Society Program of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, 2001).