Tips 
for 
Meeting 
with 
Your 
Legislators

Making
Policy
Work
for
You

Federal
 policy
 can
 affect
 the
 work
 you
 do,
 whether
 it’s through
school
lunch
regulations,
access
to
locally
grown foods,
or
farm
conservation
that
affects
our
clean
air
and water.
 
 Since
 policy
 can
influence
 you,
it’s
important
 to stay
 informed
 and
 let
 your
 legislators
 know
 how
 you feel.
 Remember
 that
 you
 have
 a
 valuable
 local perspective
 to
 share!
 Policymakers
 need
 to
 hear
 from individuals
and
community
groups
to
better understand the
 way
 federal
 policies
 affect
 real
 people
 and
 their communities.

Before
the
Meeting

• Call
ahead
to
schedule
a
meeting
with
your
Congressperson
or
a
member
of
the legislative
staff.
Don’t
be
disappointed
if
you
get
a
meeting
with
a
staff
person.
They actually
have
a
lot
of
power
in
the
office
as
the
go
to
experts
on
specific
issues.

• For 
information 
on
 scheduling
 a 
meeting 
with
 your 
senators, 
consult www.senate.gov

• For 
information
 on
 scheduling 
a 
meeting 
with 
your 
representative,
consult www.house.gov

• If
scheduling
a
meeting
for
a
group,
make
sure
to
keep
the
group
small,
but representative
–
no
more
than
3‐6
people.

• Read
up
on
your
Congressperson
and
his
or
her
background,
voting
record,
issues
of
focus,
and
Congressional
committee
membership.

• Organize
and
prepare
to
talk
about
your
issue.
This
includes
researching
and
understanding
potential
opposing
views
to
your
request,
so
you
will
be
prepared
to
respond
with
a
factual
counter
argument
if
necessary.

• Again,
if
meeting
as
a
group,
plan
what
each
of
you
will
cover
in
order
to
use
your
time
most
effectively.
Most
meetings
with
legislators
and/or
staff
are
only
15‐30
minutes
long.

• Gather
materials
to
bring
with
you.
In
addition
to
gathering
background
materials
about
your
issue,
you
should
also
bring
information
about
your
organization
or
program
in
the
district
and
your
contact
information.

• Dress
professionally
for
your
meeting

• Give
yourself
plenty
of
time
to
get
to
the
meeting.
Arrive
on
time
or
early,
but
also
be
prepared
to
wait
as
hearings
and
committee
meetings
may
run
longer
than
expected,
delaying
the
availability
of
Senators,
Representatives,
and
staff.

During
the
Meeting


• Introduce 
yourself 
and 
your 
organization. 

Remind 
whomever 
you 
meet 
with 
that
 you
are
a 
constituent.
• Be
succinct,
and
be
clear
about
what
you’re
asking
them
to
do
(i.e.
sponsor
a
bill,
co‐
sponsor
a
bill,
vote
yes
or
no
on
a
bill,
etc.).
• Remember
that
you
are
an
expert
on
how
an
issue
or
program
affects
your
community!
Tell
the
legislator
or
legislative
aid
all
about
the
issue
in
your
state.
The
person
you
meet
with
could
know
a
lot
or
a
little,
so
be
prepared
to
educate.
And,
be
confident!
• Answer
the
staff
person
or
legislator’s
questions
as
thoroughly
as
you
can,
but
don’t
be
afraid
to
say
”I
don’t
know”
and
follow‐up
after
the
meeting
with
the
answer.
• Take
notes
of
follow‐up
items
and
reactions
the
staff
person
or
legislator
has.

If
you
are
meeting
with
a
staff
person
who
cannot
commit
to
your
“ask,”
set
a
deadline
as
to
when
you
will
receive
an
answer
(i.e.
”Can
I
call
you
next
week
to
find
out
if
Sen.
Jones
will
co‐
sponsor
the
bill?”)
• Obtain 
a
 business 
card 
from 
whomever
 you 
meet 
with 
so 
that 
you
 may
 contact 
that
person 
again, 
directly.
• And
 don’t 
forget 
to 
leave 
behind 
your
 materials 
or 
a 
fact 
sheet 
concerning 
your 
issue.

After
The
Meeting


• Debrief… 

Talk
 over
 your 
impressions, 
and 
decide 
if
 any 
next 
steps 
are 
necessary.
• Decide 
who 
will 
write
 a 
thank‐you
 note, E‐mail
 or 
fax
, Thank 
you 
notes .
Include 
in 
your
email
 or 
fax 
an 
overview 
of
 main
 points 
of 
the
meeting, 
and 
answer 
any 
questions
 you
left 
unanswered
• Maintain 
contact 
with 
your 
legislators 
by
adding 
their 
names 
or 
their 
aids’
 names 
to
your 
mailing 
lists
 and 
newsletter 
lists, 
by 
inviting 
them 
to 
visit 
a 
farm 
to 
school
 program
in 
your
 area,
or 
by 
e‐mailing 
updates 
on 
farm 
to 
school
 developments 
in 
your 
area.

How
Can
I
Find
Out
Who
My
Legislators
Are?


• Check
 out 
the 
government 
section
 of
 your 
local 
phone 
book.
• Call 
the 
Capitol 
Switchboard 
at 
(202)
224‐3121.
• Search
 by 
state 
or 
zip
code 
at
 www.house.gov 
and 
www.senate.gov.