1. Talking about FIRST to Legislators The Nuts & Bolts of Lobbying or Lobbying 101 Jim Burger

2. How Do We Lobby?

3. Introduction Meeting Preparation What do Members think and what is their life like? Significant players: the staffers After the meeting

4. Quick Takes You can leverage face-to-face meetings with Members and their staff to communicate our positions and build enduring relationships with your representatives However, meetings are brief and Members are busy; you should keep the tips below in mind to get the most of their meetings Preparing for Face-to-Face Meetings with Members of Congress Source: Congressional Management Foundation and the Society for Human Resource Management, “Face-to-Face with Congress: Before, During, and After Meetings with Legislators,” 2014. Be flexible Prepare to meet with either the Member or the Member’s staff; treat both with equal respect If the Member arrives in the middle of your meeting, continue as usual; and the Member will ask questions if needed 2 Be on time Arrive no more than 5 minutes before the meeting; Members rarely available to meet earlier; Hill offices too small to accommodate lingering constituents Inform Scheduler if you are going to be late in case another meeting time must be arranged 1 What to Keep in Mind When Conducting a Meeting with a Member of Congress Keep Politics Out of It Do not discuss elections or campaign support in your meeting; it intimates that the Member is “for sale” Respect the Member’s political views and relationships outside of the issue at hand 4 Leave Behind Brief Information Leave behind a 1-2 page briefing with data points on the issue discussed with the Member’s office; the document should serve as a helpful resource for staff as the issue moves through Congress XYZ ISSUE REPORT 5 Stay on Topic Raise only the issue you scheduled to discuss with the Member and the Member’s staff to keep the meeting focused and persuasive Know your facts as they relate to the Representative and the District/State 3

5. Members Feel Misunderstood by Constituents Analysis Many Americans possess a limited, and somewhat distorted, view of what it’s like to be a Member of Congress; most entertainment industry portrayals of Members reinforce the stereotype that they are lazy, self-interested, and corrupt Members themselves add to the criticism by decrying their colleagues and Congress, claiming nothing is getting done Reality is somewhat different: For most Members, being a lawmaker is not luxurious or carefree; it’s rather chaotic, more like being the CEO of a small start-up company or an emergency room physician Member Response to the Statement: “Most of my constituents understand the day-to-day activities I engage in:” Source: Congressional Management Foundation and the Society for Human Resource Management, “Life in Congress: The Member Perspective,” 2013. Neutral Disagree Agree Understanding Your Member of Congress

6. Constituent Service Work Important to Members Analysis Members prioritize serving and staying in touch with constituents; constituent conversations guide policymaking, and every Member realizes reelection hinges on their ability to serve the constituents who vote them into office Nonetheless, Members face constraints in their ability to meet constituent demands, and advocates should be sensitive to Members’ limited time and resources when making specific asks of their Member of Congress Importance to Members’ job satisfaction of staying in touch with constituents Very important “Our government doesn’t work without constituent conversations and feedback. Knowing the issues important to constituents, and knowing what they think Washington needs to do, is the only way I can succeed at my job.” Five Term House Member Source: Congressional Management Foundation and the Society for Human Resource Management, “Life in Congress: The Member Perspective,” 2013. Somewhat important Member response to the statement: “I have the time and resources I need to accomplish my goals in Congress.” Disagree Neutral Agree However… But Members May Lack Resources to Meet Demands Understanding Your Member of Congress

7. Schedules Leave Little Time for Focusing on Constituents Source: Congressional Management Foundation and the Society for Human Resource Management, “Life in Congress: The Member Perspective,” 2013. Analysis Because Members must pivot from one obligation to another with very little time between meetings, they may not be fully prepared to discuss an advocate’s issue in meetings; this is more often a function of the Members’ schedules, not ambivalence to their constituents Member schedules vary depending on the fluctuating congressional schedule and on current events; as a result, Members may need to cut meetings short in order to keep pace with their changing daily agenda Sample House Member Schedule* 9:30 AM – 9:30 AMSpeak to National Women, Infants, and Children’s Association Leadership Conference attendees 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM Attend appropriations hearing for FDA regulatory programs 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM Attend bipartisan classified briefing on Iran 12:00 PM – 1:00 PMAttend caucus meeting on jobs and the economy 12:45 PM – 1:15 PMMeet with WIC program manager to discuss issues and funding 1:15 PM – 1:45 PMMeet with representatives from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee to discuss U.S.- Israel aid 1:30 PM – 2:00 PMMeet with local county supervisor to discuss national parks bill 2:00 PM – 2:30 PMMeet with nonprofit representative to discuss food stamp initiative in state 2:30 PM – 3:00 PMMeet with local U.S. Army officers to discuss land transfer issues 3:00 PM – 4:00 PMListen in on fundraising call at party HQ 3:00 PM – 3:30 PM(FYI: regional Army Corp of Engineers discussing current projects) 3:30 PM – 4:00 PMMeet with organic farming research foundation to discuss farming programs 4:30 PM – 5:00 PMMeet with local supervisor to discuss health issues 5:00 PM – 6:00 PMMeet with local county representatives to discuss flood control efforts 6:30 PM – 9:30 PM(FYI: American Council for Capital Formation Dinner Discussion) Scheduled events often overlap Members may be late to meetings due to competing constituent demands for Member time *From one day in a House Member’s Washington, D.C., office in March 2012. Only identifying details have been altered.

8. My staff provides sufficient support to help me effectively do my job My staff is good at keeping focused on my goals and priorities My staff clearly understands and is motivated by what I’m trying to accomplish Members Trust Staff to Help Them Serve Constituents Analysis To help them keep up with their many professional obligations, Members depend on staff, who support them with their day-to-day work and keep them focused on legislative goals Members trust their staff to help them carry out their responsibilities in office, to include listening to constituents; for this reason, advocates should not be surprised if they meet with staff in lieu of a Member Member Opinions About Their Work in Congress Agree Neutral Agree Source: Congressional Management Foundation and the Society for Human Resource Management, “Life in Congress: The Member Perspective,” 2013. Understanding Your Member of Congress

9. Staffers Significantly Outnumber Members of Congress Analysis The 535 members of Congress are supported by a larger infrastructure of over 13,000 staffers While most staffers are far less powerful than any member, the most trusted and effective aides of the most senior members may be extremely influential in their own right, and as a conduit to their member Source: Norm Ornstein and Thomas Mann, “Vital Statistics on Congress,” AEI/Brookings, Chapter 5. Welcome to the Hill: Understanding Hill Staff

10. Hill Staff Come in Two Forms 10 Personal Office StaffCommittee Staff Analysis Personal staffer’s job is to support the work of one member, while a committee staffer’s role is to assist a committee Overview of Personal and Committee Congressional Staff Sources: Ida Burdnick, “Congressional Salaries and Allowances,” Congressional Research Service, January 4, 2012; Congressional Management Foundation. Line of Reporting Hired by one member of Congress and only responsible to that member Hired by chairman or ranking member of committee; nominally work for all Democratic or Republican committee members Job Overview Work on combination of policy and constituent-service matters, depending on needs of district Work exclusively on policy, within area of committee IssuesPractice over range of issues Specialize in committee-related issues Background More likely to be from district or state of hiring member; tend to have Member’s trust Less likely to be from district or state of chairman or ranking member; tend to be expert in issue area Number The average Representative has 14 staffers working for them, average Senator has 30 House committees averaged 68 staff and Senate committees average 46 Sample Titles Chief of Staff, Legislative Director, Legislative Assistant Staff Director, Policy Analyst, Committee Counsel

11. Despite Variable Titles, Most Staffers Have Similar Jobs Sample Job Titles for Committee and Personal Office Staffers 11 Sources: R. Eric Petersen, “Congressional Staff: Duties and Functions of Selected Positions” Congressional Research Service, November 4, 2010; Congressional Management Foundation. More Senior Staff More Junior Staff Analysis While a committee’s structure is different than that of a personal office, most Congressional staffers exist in a relatively similar hierarchy, whether they work for a committee or a single member Title for Personal Office Staffers FunctionTitle for Committee Staffers Chief of Staff, Administrative Assistant Serve as chief advisor and administrator for member or committee Staff Director Legislative Director, Deputy Chief of Staff, Chief Policy Advisor Act as chief policy advisor, especially in area of committee jurisdiction Deputy Staff Director, Chief Policy Advisor, Senior Policy Advisor Counsel, Legislative Counsel Provide legal advice to member or committee Counsel, Chief Counsel, General Counsel Legislative Assistant Offer guidance on specific policy issue Legislative Assistant, Policy Advisor, Professional Staff Member Communications Director, Press Secretary Speak to media on behalf of member or committee Communications Director, Press Secretary Office Manager, Systems Administrator [No equivalent] Legislative Correspondent Staff Assistant Office Manager, Systems Administrator Conduct oversight of government programs within jurisdiction of committee Respond to constituent contacts on behalf of member Answer phones, greet visitors, perform administrative tasks Staff Assistant [No equivalent] Investigator, Chief Investigator Office Manager, Systems Administrator

12. Congressional Reporting Structures Are Hierarchical 12 Member of Congress Chief of Staff Legislative Director/Counsel Legislative Aide Communications Director District Director District Caseworkers Legislative Correspondent Staff Assistant Personal Assistant/ Scheduler Policy StaffCommunications StaffOffice StaffDistrict Staff Source: “Hit the Ground Running: 112 th Congress Edition,” Office of Rep. Eric Cantor. Sample Organization of a Congressional Office Analysis Members of Congress are advised to structure their office into discrete areas, depending on their staffers’ functions Nonetheless, almost every office will have a unique structure and series of staff duties The vast Congressional workload means that the day-to-day reporting structure of a Congressional staffer may look very different in practice than on paper

13. Committee Staff Can Report to Multiple Bosses 13 Committee Chair Subcommittee Chair Committee Member Investigations Subcommittee Chair Staff Director Subcommittee Staff Director Chief CounselChief InvestigatorPress Secretary Deputy Staff Director Issue ExpertsPolicy Analysts Investigative Staff Committee Staff Sample De-Facto Organization of a Congressional Committee Policy Advisors Committee Members Analysis Although Congressional committee staff are officially hired by the committee chair or ranking member, some committees (especially Appropriations) will allow subcommittee chairs or even ordinary members to designate staff as their own Sources: R. Eric Petersen, “Congressional Staff: Duties and Functions of Selected Positions” Congressional Research Service, November 4, 2010; Congressional Management Foundation.

14. Expect to Meet with Staffers During Hill Visits Sources: “2010 House Compensation Study,” Chief Administrative Officer of the U.S. House of Representatives; “Communicating With Congress,” Congressional Management Foundation, 2011. 14 Member of Congress Visitors may not realize how highly overscheduled Members are; they average 70-hour weeks when in D.C., often achieved by double-booking meetings Chief of Staff Visitors may not expect how often chiefs are in communication with a Member; the tight bond means that chiefs are often delegated to speak for Member to constituents Legislative Director Visitors may not expect that LDs tend to be specialists in the policies of the committees on which Member serves; they may focus less on other areas Legislative Assistant Visitors may not expect that LAs are very young; their average age is under 29 Legislative Correspondent/Staff Assistant Visitors may not expect that LCs and SAs tend to be even younger than LAs, often recent college grads It is not uncommon for Members to show up halfway through a meeting or leave part of the way through Meetings are most often scheduled with and run through one or more of these staffers LCs and SAs may join in meetings as a junior staffer or note-taker Analysis Because members of Congress are often running from meeting to meeting to vote, staffers will often have more time to devote to a meeting, and be more capable of affecting any constituent “ask”

15. Send a Thank You Message Send a follow-up e-mail several days after meeting with a Member Keep the message brief, thank the office for their time, and remind the office of the issue at hand Leave a link to a reliable source of information on the issue for the office to reference Quick Takes Advocates can become trusted resources for lawmakers by following up and keeping in touch with Members of Congress after face-to-face meetings Advocates should consider the following actions to position themselves as effective and trustworthy advocates for their issue Stay in Touch Do not over-communicate with Members of Congress, but pass along new information about your issue as released Communicate with your Representative in a respectful and informative manner to gain the Representative’s respect— for you and your points of view Use Meeting Follow Up to Build Trust, Serve as Resource Source: Congressional Management Foundation and the Society for Human Resource Management, “Face-to-Face with Congress: Before, During, and After Meetings with Legislators,” 2014. Tips for Following Up a Meeting with a Member of Congress Attend Events in the District Attend town hall meetings or other public events in district to build a stronger relationship with your representative Find opportunities to engage in policy matters in the district to serve as trustworthy resource to earn visibility for your issue

16. Personalize Message to Increase Probability of Impact Advocacy strategies directed to the Washington office having a “lot of influence” on Member decision-making Analysis Some constituents believe that sending large volumes of identical form messages will influence Members, but a survey of senior managers and mail staffers showed that individual letters and e-mails have a far great influence on Member decision-making than form letters Advocates should therefore focus favor sending fewer but more personal messages to their Member of Congress over sending many messages that lack any individual voice or perspective One hundred form letters have less direct value than a single thoughtful letter generated by a constituent of the Member’s district. - House Correspondence Staffer “ ” Source: Congressional Management Foundation and the Society for Human Resource Management, “Communicating with Congress: How Capitol Hill Is Coping with the Surge in Citizen Advocacy,” 2011.

17. Points for Meetings What is FIRST What FIRST means to us Our Request to Your Representative – Ben to discuss Monday