Before you head out the door for your August vacation, take some time to meet with your congressional representatives during their month-long break. Members of Congress will be in their home state and district offices during the month of August.
While they’re in town, take advantage of the opportunity to share about the issues you care about, your aspirations and concerns about your community and the policy areas that they need to prioritize. You may be intimidated or nervous about meeting with your legislator, but keep in mind that legislators and their staff want to hear from you and the information you provide could help inform their decision making.
Meeting with your Congressional Representatives
- Find out who your Senators and Representatives are, go to www.senate.gov or www.house.gov.
- Contact the district office and ask to speak with the scheduler. Tell the scheduler that you would like to arrange a meeting with your Member of Congress. Send in a meeting request letter via email or fax if necessary.
- Prepare for the meeting. Be prepared to concisely and clearly communicate your position. Whenever possible, bring to the meeting information and materials supporting your position.
During your conversations with your representatives, there are several key messages that we hope you will share. United Way has developed some one-pagers on issues related to education, income and health and other issues critical to our nation’s future. Use these documents or customize your own:
- Education: Ask Your Rep to Reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act
- Income: Ask Your Rep to Protect the Earned Income Tax Credit
- Health: Ask Your Rep to Support Children’s Health
- Basic Needs: Ask Your Rep to Fund the Emergency Food and Shelter Program
- Charitable Deduction: Ask Your Rep to Preserve the Charitable Deduction
- Looming Budget Cuts: Ask Your Rep to Mitigate Funding Cuts to Programs Benefiting Vulnerable Populations
The House and Senate will begin recess on August 4. They will be back in session on September 10. If you have not already, we hope that you will take the opportunity to schedule meetings at home with your Congressional representatives and advocate for the programs and policies that advance the common good.