Tips for Meeting Your Congressman in DC
So, you are going to DC. Here are some tips from someone who just returned.
Plan your day
- Have a list of how you plan to see
- If you are doing drop-in visits, review the congressmen’s office locations and map out your route. Be efficient and cover all of Cannon, then Longsworth, then Raeburn.
- Enter the first office through the front door and security check. Once you are in that building, you are free to move about all 3 buildings through the sub-basement (SB) tunnel system. If you stay within that system, you will not need to re-check through security, thus saving you valuable time.
- Eat lunch in the basement along with staffers and congressmen. It’s good and cheap and it is subsidized by your tax dollars.
- Yes, there are restrooms on every floor. You subsidize these too.
Recording Devices
- Bring your recorder and be ready to record
- The hallways are property of the citizens, and you are free to record in the hallways.
- Within the congressmen’s offices, be respectful of their rules. If there is a ‘no recording rule’, then please oblige. If there no rule exists, and the staffers request that you turn off recording device, then please oblige. Visual recordings are best, but audio recordings work too.
Getting into your congressman
- Call in advance to make an appointment (2 days?)
- Do not overlap appointments, stay flexible
- If you have a large group, try to plan a meeting in a meeting room
- When you have a secured appointment, contact all of your friends and conservative groups from the district. Ask them to give you air cover. They should call their congressmen and alerting them to your upcoming appointment. They should state their position on the legislation and they stand behind you in your upcoming appointment.
Who to speak with
- Attempt to meet with the congressman
- Be prepared that he may not be available, and you may need to meet with a legislative aid. If so, try to meet with the healthcare specialist
- Be prepared – the aids or generally 20-30 years old. This may be your only option to get your message to the congressman, so be polite and engage in the discussion.
Speaking with your congressman
- Consider your questions
- Narrow to 3 bullet points
- Be prepared with follow up questions. This is where you need to be smart about questions
- Do not be confrontational
- Check your anger and emotions at the door
- Agree on 1 spokesperson in the group, avoid talking over each other
Other evidence that you were there
- Sign the guest book
- Pre-print a brief letter and sign it, or better yet, have all your friends sign it, and leave with the aid or congressman. It may state your position, your 3 bullet points and ask them to vote accordingly.
Things to bring
- Recorder (i.e. flip camera)
- Pre-written and signed letters
- Paper and pen to take notes
- Bullet points of specific lines in the bill to be discussed. If you have a bill, bring a copy. Too often, a challenger will tell you these line items do not exist, so be prepared.
- List of congressmen to see. Work with your team on a target list.
Leverage our numbers
- If you have an appointment, join forces with your friends, and attend as a larger show of force, regardless if you are all from that district. Let the district constituent be the speaker, while others are there for support.
Make a good day even better
- Watch the halls for congressmen in transit. Often, your best opportunity to meet is in the halls, in the basement or standing in front of an elevator. Be able to identify your targets by face. Remember a hallway is property of the people and recording devices, even audio recording, is not prohibited. They cannot confiscate your recorder.
Hotels
- Stay within walking distance from a Metro Station. With only a few precious hours in DC, you do not want to waste time in traffic, or spend money on cab fare.
- During the week of March 14, 2010, you can get discounted hotel here.
