Meet your own government representative: things to prepare for

From Advocacy Associates article Conventioneers Everywhere!

The Washington Post had a fun and "tongue in cheek" article recently about conventioneers in Washington, DC. ...

It's important to remember that many of those groups are coming to DC to talk to their elected officials and their staff. ...

Advocates can get ready by: 

• Learning a little about the legislators you'll be meeting with (try the House and Senate sites at www.house.gov and www.senate.gov).  Review their positions on your issues (if applicable) as well as their overall political perspective. In addition, it's always good to know what bills they've introduced, which you can find at www.congress.gov.  

• Developing your personal story, with an understanding particularly of how it connects to the policy issues that will be discussed. For example, patient advocacy group advocates should understand how to connect requests for more funding and/or better coverage to their own personal experience.  

• Reviewing some of the logistics before coming to Washington, DC (see metro maps at www.wmata.com and Capitol Campus maps at www.aoc.gov). Having these facts down will reduce the stress associated with navigating an unfamiliar city and allow advocates to focus more on their messages.

The personal meeting is one of the most successful ways you can engage with your government representative.  Take every opportunity to advocate your issue as your representatives make themselves available.