Getting in the Capitol Door
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EFFECTIVE ADVOCACY FOR HEALTH CARE Getting in the Capitol Door
description
Getting in the Capitol Door. Effective Advocacy for Health Care. Introduction. Christine Kearsley, CareShare Health Alliance Intern [email protected] Please feel free to ask questions!. Agenda. How to get a meeting What to say A day in the life - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
Transcript of Getting in the Capitol Door
EFFECTIVE ADVOCACY FOR HEALTH CARE
Getting in the Capitol Door
Introduction
Christine Kearsley, CareShare Health Alliance Intern [email protected]
Please feel free to ask questions!
Agenda
• How to get a meeting• What to say• A day in the life• The 7 deadly sins of advocacy
• Focus: neglecting the “how”• Doing it right
• Focus: use their calendar• Biggest surprises• State vs. federal• Rulemaking• Congress and the internet• Additional resources• Q & A
How to get a meeting
The cartoon
view POLL:Have you ever met with an elected official?
How to get a meeting
Be a constituent.Be a constituent.Be a constituent.
Also: Email, then call a week
later Offer a specific time
“I’ll be in town…” Explain your affiliation
Can’t meet every constituent
Remind them they care
What to say
1, 2, or 3 aimsWhy it matters:
Your personal story Data Money, money, money Why this Congressman should care
Lead with the conclusionSpeak slowly and use small words (kidding)
A day in the life of a staffer
Read the Congressional
Dailies Answer scheduling
emails
Attend to Constituent
Compile expenses
report
Meet with advocacy
group
Chase down boss about something Go through
Dear Colleague Requests
Attend hearing
Train interns on computer
system
Get interrupted, put out fire,
return to work
Meet with constituents
Write a memo
The Seven Deadly Sins of Advocacy
1. The 50-page report 2. Someone else’s district3. Senator ≠ Representative4. Making enemies of gatekeepers (junior
staff)5. Assuming they already know6. Too many issues7. Neglecting the “how”
Neglecting the “how”
Two stories: Tuberculosis briefing Wind energy project
“Is there something the Senator can do about this?”
The menu of “How”:
Vote for a bill
Cosponsor a bill
Introduce a bill
Offer an amendment
Request budget levels
Write a letter of support
Send your complaint to
a federal agency
Include your message in a speech
Host a briefing
Invite you to testify
Send a “Dear
Colleague”
Name a post office after you (really.)
Request a CBO
AnalysisJoin a caucus
Attend a meeting
What is something you’d like to change?
Make it concrete.
Doing it Right
1. 1-pager, with email follow-up2. K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple, Stupid.)
1. Put it in terms of bill numbers 2. Draft the letter or the talking points for the speech3. Layman’s terms
3. Find their power1. What committees?
4. Do your homework (duh)5. Use their calendar
Use their calendar
Majorityleader.gov Legislative Calendar Links & Resources Floor Resources Daily Leader (next page)
Committee websites (google Senate Appropriations, etc.)
Biggest surprises
1. Staff are not experts
2. Members of Congress are just people
Biggest surprises, continued
3.They will commit, but not until they have to.
Week 1 of Staff Assistant Training “don’t promise he’ll vote for it”
Pressing for an answer = really awkward meeting
State Federal
1 staffer, 2 internsMuch more
responsive!Individual answers
to constituent letters
NC: Short & long session
10 staffers, 3 interns
More hurdlesForm letters, almost
alwaysUS: In session,
unless in district
State vs. Federal Legislatures
Which of these stories is not true?A) Soccer headgear bill B) Covered provider swap
Federal Rulemaking: What is it, why do we care?
Legislature writes bill, agencies fill in the details3 steps:
1. Notice in Federal Register Official daily publication for rules, proposed rules, and notices of Federal
agencies and organizations, as well as executive orders and other presidential documents
2. **Opportunity for comment** Public generally has at least 30 days to comment on proposed rules Rules occasionally subject to public hearings Agency must consider the comments before issuing the final
regulations Interested parties can also petition for rulemaking
3. Final rule publishedBy golly, someone reads them!
Adapted from Dr. Sue Havala Hobbs, UNC School of Public Health
Regulations.gov
Congress and the Internet
Survey by Congressional Management Foundation:
Almost half of Americans (44%) contacted a U.S. Senator or Representative in the past five years. Much higher contact rate than in 2004
A plurality (43%) of Americans who had contacted Congress used online methods to do so More than twice the percentage that had used postal mail or the telephone.
84% who had contacted Congress had been asked to do so by a third party –largely interest groups
Internet users wanted responses, but they tended not to be satisfied with the responses they received. Only 2/3 who contacted Congress who recalled receiving a reply to their most recent
communication Of those who did, almost half (46%) were dissatisfied with it. The most common reasons for dissatisfaction were that the response did not address their
concerns (64%) and that it was too politically biased (51%). Internet users who contacted Congress were motivated to do so because they cared
deeply about an issue (91%).
Rep’s District =
~700,000
Additional resources
Speaker’s Office, etc. “Current legislation”
http://www.speaker.gov/ Biased but accurate
www.thomas.gov (search by bill number)Kaiser Family Foundation, http://www.kff.org/
National and State Info, health-specific, search “North Carolina” for state info
Congressional Daily Newspapers (The Hill, Politico – others w/subscription)
Politicians’ Press ReleasesProfessional Associations & Advocacy Organizations
But you don’t have to take my word for it…
Questions & Answers
