Jumping Off the Fiscal Cliff into Federal Advocacy

Jeff Smith

Presented By: Jeffrey SmithPresident, Foundation for Baltimore County (MD) Public Library and Board Member-Elect, United for Libraries

June 2013

Jumping Off the Fiscal Cliff into Federal

Advocacy!

AgendaI. Dynamics of the 113th

Congress

II. Overview of Congress and the Legislative Process

III.Tips for Successful Federal Legislative Advocacy

IV.Review and Open Discussion

Section I

Dynamics of the 113th

Congress

Congressional Gridlock: Legislation Enacted As a Percentage of Legislation Introduced

80th - 112th Congresses

80th

Congres

s(1947-1948)

81st Congres

s(1949-1950)

82nd

Congres

s(1952-1953)

83th

Congres

s(1953-1954)

84th

Congres

s(1955-1956)

85th

Congres

s(1957-1958)

86th

Congres

s(1959-1960)

87th

Congres

s(1961-1962)

88th

Congres

s (1963-1964)

89th

Congres

s(1965-1966)

90th

Congres

s(1967-1969)

91st Congres

s (1969-1970)

92nd

Congres

s(1971-1972)

93rd

Congres

s (1973-1974)

94th

Congres

s(1975-1976)

95th

Congres

s(1977-1978)

96th

Congres

s(1979-1980)

97th

Congres

s(1981-1982)

98th

Congres

s(1983-1984)

99th

Congres

s(1985-1986)

100th

Congres

s(1987-1988)

101st

Congres

s(1989-1990)

102nd

Congres

s(1991-1992)

103rd

Congres

s(1993-1994)

104th

Congres

s(1995-1996)

105th

Congres

s(1997-1998)

106th

Congres

s(1999-200

)

107th

Congres

s (2001-2002)

108th

Congres

s(2003-2004)

109th

Congres

s (2005-2006)

110th

Congres

s(2007-2008)

111th

Congres

s(2009-2010)

112th

Congres

s (2011-2012)

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

35000

-1.00%

0.00%

1.00%

2.00%

3.00%

4.00%

5.00%

6.00%

7.00%

8.00%

9.00%

7.49%

2.20%

4.20%

6.32%

4.31%

3.49%

4.67%

3.28%2.80%

1.95%

House Committee Leadership Ideological Gaps

Senate Committee Leadership Ideological Gaps

House of Representatives is Especially Polarized

What’s Caught in this Gridlock???

Section IIOverview of

Congress and the

Legislative Process

Schoolhouse Rock: I’m Just a Bill

The U.S. Capitol Building

The Chambers of Congress

Powers of the U.S. Congress

Functions of the U.S. Congress• Lawmaking: Most laws originate from the executive branch. Others come

from special interests and parties. Logrolling or offering support for another’s bill in return for support for their bill.

• Constituent service (casework): A great deal of time is spent doing this. The “Ombudsman” role strongly benefits the member of Congress.

• Representing:• as a trustee: trust me• as an instructed delegate: Do what we tell you to do • as a combination of roles

• Oversight: Follow up on laws which Congress has passed.

• Public education: Whenever there are meetings, hearings, debates on issues, agenda setting. Congress decides what the political agenda is going to be.

• Conflict resolution: Solving differences among special interest groups.

Committees of the U.S. CongressThousands of bills are introduced in every session of Congress. The

committee system (“little legislatures”) is a way to provide for specialization, or a division of legislative labor.

Chairpersons wield much power over the committee’s agenda.• Standing committees: (most important) permanent bodies that are

established by the rules of each chamber of Congress and continue from session to session.• There are many Subcommittees.

• Select committees: Created for a limited time for a specific purpose. They disband after they report.

• Joint committees: Formed by the concurrent action of both chambers of Congress and consists of members of both chambers. May be permanent or temporary.

• Conference committees: Formed for the purpose of achieving agreement on the exact wording of a bill when the two chambers pass legislative proposals in different forms (“third house of Congress”). They have much power over changes in the bill.

Lawmaking by the U.S. Congress

•Only a member of the House or Senate may introduce a bill but anyone can write a bill.

•Over 9,000 bills are proposed and fewer than 5 to 10% are enacted.

•Most bills originate in the executive branch.

•A bill must survive three stages to become a law: committees, the floor, and the conference committee. A bill can die at any stage.

The Legislative Process in Congress

I. Dynamics of the 113th Congress

II. Review of the Legislative Process

III.Tips for Successful Federal Legislative Advocacy

IV.Review and Open Discussion

The Federal Budget Process

Decision-making by Members of Congress

•It is rare for a legislator to disregard strong wishes of constituents, particularly on hot button issues or those contentious issues that get a lot of media attention.

•Deciding how the voters feel is not possible.

•The perceptions of the representative are important since he/she cannot really know how all the constituents feel about an issue.

•If constituents have little knowledge or interest in an issue, the legislator often makes an autonomous decision.

Section III

Tips for Successful

Federal Legislative Advocacy

Issues of Interest to Libraries

Advocating to Members of Congress1. You don’t have to be a legislative expert to effect change.

2. Decision-makers do not necessarily have library or education backgrounds and need to hear from people who do.

3. Opportune times to weigh-in:• during committee hearings• before key votes• during the budget process - when budget is being created by

executive branch and when being adopted by legislative branch

4. Decision-makers that need to hear from you include:• your own decision-maker(s)• committee members and conference committee members• the President and other members of the Executive Branch

Influencing Members of Congress1. Decision-makers are influenced by personal

contact and communication.

2. There are many different ways to influence a decision-maker to act on behalf of a library-related issue.

3. When choosing how you want to contact Members of Congress, keep in mind that the more personal you can make your communication, the better.

Influencing Members of Congress

When choosing how you will contact your decision-maker consider:

•The degree to which the activity is personal.•The number of people you have to engage in the activity.

Calling Members of Congress1. Plan: Before you make the call, plan what you are going to say.

Your phone call will be very brief, so keep your message simple and to the point.

2. Message: Be sure to tell your story succinctly, why you care about libraries, and why you need their support. Think about the key point and how your story underscores your point of view.

3. Call: Make the call! Tell the decision-maker that you are a library supporter and a constituent of their legislative district and/or community.

4. Staff or Message: If you are calling a decision-maker, you may not be able to reach them directly. Be prepared to talk to staff or to leave a succinct message instead.

Writing to Members of Congress1. State that you are a library supporter and a constituent: This

matters because leaders are most interested in the opinions of people who live in their area.

2. Personalize your letter: Research shows that personal letters have the most impact on decision-makers. If you are basing your letter on a form letter, rewrite it and consider using your personal stationery. This also gives you the chance to include your story, which is what will have the most impact.

3. Local, local, local: Make a strong connection between libraries and what you and the decision-maker see in your home community.

4. Show restraint: Keep your letter brief—1 to 1 ½ pages at most.

E-Mailing Members of Congress

1. In the subject line of the message, state that you are a library supporter and member of their community: This strategy will increase the likelihood that your message is read. (e.g., Subject: Message from a constituent and library supporter.)

2. If the e-mail is mass-produced, modify it: It doesn’t take much time to insert your personal story and perspective, and it makes a big difference in making your e-mail credible rather than “canned.”

3. Follow up: Because e-mail is a more casual and often a mass-produced mode of communication, be sure that you are using other methods to persuade decision-makers. Follow your e-mail with a phone call, personal letter, or visit.

Meeting with Members of Congress1. Meeting with your elected official gives you the chance to

interact with him or her in a way that is not possible through a letter or e-mail.

2. Before the meeting: Plan out what you are going to share, including why you care about the issue and how it affects other people they represent. Be sure to include a direct “ask”.

3. During the meeting: Allow time for dialogue and invite questions.

4. After the meeting: Thank the decision-makers for their time and let them know how they can reach you should they have questions. Send a thank you note, e-mail, or fax.

Section IV

Review and Open Discussion

Final Thoughts1. Remember … you don’t need to be an expert in all of

the technicalities of your bill(s) or advocacy issue(s).

2. You only need to be an expert in your story—how the problem affects your library and your community and how the solution can bring about meaningful and direct change.

3. Communicating with a decision-maker is not much different from the communication you use every day.

4. Follow-up and repeated contact makes a difference. Send your decision-maker supporting information or work with your chapter to get them what they need.

Questions????