EFFECTIVE ADVOCACY FOR HEALTH CARE Getting in the Capitol
Door
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Introduction Christine Kearsley, CareShare Health Alliance
Intern [email protected] Please feel free to ask
questions!
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Agenda How to get a meeting What to say A day in the life The 7
deadly sins of advocacy Focus: neglecting the how Doing it right
Focus: use their calendar Biggest surprises State vs. federal
Rulemaking Congress and the internet Additional resources Q &
A
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How to get a meeting The cartoon view POLL: Have you ever met
with an elected official?
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How to get a meeting Be a constituent. Also: Email, then call a
week later Offer a specific time Ill be in town Explain your
affiliation Cant meet every constituent Remind them they care
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What to say 1, 2, or 3 aims Why it matters: Your personal story
Data Money, money, money Why this Congressman should care Lead with
the conclusion Speak slowly and use small words (kidding)
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A day in the life of a staffer Read the Congressional Dailies
Answer scheduling emails Attend to Constituent mail Compile
expenses report Meet with advocacy group Chase down boss about
something Go through Dear Colleague Requests Attend hearing Train
interns on computer system Get interrupted, put out fire, return to
work Meet with constituents Write a memo
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The Seven Deadly Sins of Advocacy 1. The 50-page report 2.
Someone elses district 3. Senator Representative 4. Making enemies
of gatekeepers (junior staff) 5. Assuming they already know 6. Too
many issues 7. Neglecting the how
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Neglecting the how Two stories: Tuberculosis briefing Wind
energy project Is there something the Senator can do about
this?
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The menu of How: Vote for a bill Cosponsor a bill Introduce a
bill Offer an amendment Request budget levels Write a letter of
support Send your complaint to a federal agency Include your
message in a speech Host a briefing Invite you to testify Send a
Dear Colleague Name a post office after you (really.) Request a CBO
Analysis Join a caucus Attend a meeting
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What is something youd like to change? Make it concrete.
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Doing it Right 1. 1-pager, with email follow-up 2. K.I.S.S.
(Keep It Simple, Stupid.) 1. Put it in terms of bill numbers 2.
Draft the letter or the talking points for the speech 3. Laymans
terms 3. Find their power 1. What committees? 4. Do your homework
(duh) 5. Use their calendar
Biggest surprises 1. Staff are not experts 2. Members of
Congress are just people
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Biggest surprises, continued 3.They will commit, but not until
they have to. Week 1 of Staff Assistant Training dont promise hell
vote for it Pressing for an answer = really awkward meeting
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State Federal 1 staffer, 2 interns Much more responsive!
Individual answers to constituent letters NC: Short & long
session 10 staffers, 3 interns More hurdles Form letters, almost
always US: In session, unless in district State vs. Federal
Legislatures Which of these stories is not true? A) Soccer headgear
bill B) Covered provider swap
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Federal Rulemaking: What is it, why do we care? Legislature
writes bill, agencies fill in the details 3 steps: 1. Notice in
Federal Register Official daily publication for rules, proposed
rules, and notices of Federal agencies and organizations, as well
as executive orders and other presidential documents 2.
**Opportunity for comment** Public generally has at least 30 days
to comment on proposed rules Rules occasionally subject to public
hearings Agency must consider the comments before issuing the final
regulations Interested parties can also petition for rulemaking 3.
Final rule published By golly, someone reads them! Adapted from Dr.
Sue Havala Hobbs, UNC School of Public Health
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Regulations.gov
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Congress and the Internet Survey by Congressional Management
Foundation: Almost half of Americans (44%) contacted a U.S. Senator
or Representative in the past five years. Much higher contact rate
than in 2004 A plurality (43%) of Americans who had contacted
Congress used online methods to do so More than twice the
percentage that had used postal mail or the telephone. 84% who had
contacted Congress had been asked to do so by a third party largely
interest groups Internet users wanted responses, but they tended
not to be satisfied with the responses they received. Only 2/3 who
contacted Congress who recalled receiving a reply to their most
recent communication Of those who did, almost half (46%) were
dissatisfied with it. The most common reasons for dissatisfaction
were that the response did not address their concerns (64%) and
that it was too politically biased (51%). Internet users who
contacted Congress were motivated to do so because they cared
deeply about an issue (91%). Reps District = ~700,000
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Additional resources Speakers Office, etc. Current legislation
http://www.speaker.gov/ http://www.speaker.gov/ Biased but accurate
www.thomas.gov (search by bill number) www.thomas.gov Kaiser Family
Foundation, http://www.kff.org/http://www.kff.org/ National and
State Info, health-specific, search North Carolina for state info
Congressional Daily Newspapers (The Hill, Politico others
w/subscription) Politicians Press Releases Professional
Associations & Advocacy Organizations