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.