» Meeting in Person

Personal meetings in either Washington, DC or home district offices are a very effective way to communicate your views and establish relationships with your elected representatives and the staff members who work on your issues. To set up a meeting, call the lawmaker’s office, tell them who you are, and that you’d like to set up a meeting with your representative or the staff member who handles the issue you’d like to address. Office personnel are used to taking such calls, and will do their best to accommodate your request. Busy schedules often keep lawmakers from being able to meet with their constituents personally, but members of their staff handle policy issues and will communicate your views to their boss.

To prepare for your meeting, make sure you know what message you want to communicate. Is there a specific bill that you want them to vote for or against? Do they hold a view that you disagree with, and you’d like a chance to explain your perspective as a scientist? Make sure you are prepared to explain the issue in terms that a non-scientist can understand, and tell them clearly and concisely why you are there.

Remember that Capitol Hill is a busy place and appointments are subject to change. Be punctual, but be flexible too because you might have to wait, and you might end up meeting with a different person than you expected.

Keep your meeting short and to the point. Begin by thanking the Member or staffer for his/her time and for their support of biomedical research. Be prepared to explain your concerns in brief, and then ask the Member or staffer whether he/she has any questions. If they are supporting legislation that you oppose, ask them to explain how they see the issue and then do your best to respond to their concerns.

After a meeting, be sure to follow-up by sending a quick email thanking the person for their time, reiterating your main points, and offering to continue the discussion if they have further questions.

The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB) has a training video on organizing a successful Capitol Hill meeting, available from its advocacy tips page. This can give you an idea of what to expect and how to present your point of view effectively.

Before meeting with Members of Congress or their staff, it is helpful to know a few basic facts about the legislator and the district to give you some idea about how to approach your conversation.

If you don’t have the time or opportunity to set up a personal meeting, a phone call to the legislator’s office is another option.

Email is another option.

The definition of lobbying is generally considered to be communications intended to influence specific legislation.