Working With Congress

You can meet with a Representative or an office aide either in Washington DC or in a local office. These tips should be helpful.

1. Make a list of what you want to say to the Scheduler and have it with you when you make the call. It may sound silly, and you may never even look at it, but it will definitely boost your confidence. They will ask for the date, of course, what you would like to speak to the Representative about, and possibly who will be attending the meeting
   
   
2. Call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121, or your local office and ask to be connected to your Member of Congress’s office or dial the number directly if you have it. If you don’t know who your representative is, or to make an appointment at a local office, visit www.congress.org to find all pertinent information. All you need is your zip code. Ask to speak to the Scheduler. If he or she is unavailable leave a message with your name and phone number requesting a meeting. Most likely they will return your phone call; however, if you do not hear back from the Scheduler by the next day, call again the following day. Remember that these people are very busy, but ultimately they work for you, and it is fully within your rights to ask to see and speak to your Member of Congress.
   
   Keep making follow up calls until you speak to the Scheduler directly. This could take eight or ten calls, so don’t get discouraged. If you end up with a no, ask to meet with an aide, that would be working on such an issue. Each office has their own assignments so this could be anyone. Also ask for a meeting in the district when you are home and the MOC will be as well. This will require equal persistence. Ask the DC scheduler who to talk to in the local office. They will also have the number if you don’t.
   
   
3. Be ready to tell the Scheduler what the meeting will pertain to. Inform the Scheduler you will be faxing a request for the meeting with all of the pertinent information they required. You may want to ask if they would like it emailed as well.Congratulations, the hard part is over and you have the meeting secured. Last, but certainly not least, make a note in your planner to reconfirm your meeting the Friday before your appointment is scheduled. It is always better to be safe than sorry. There is nothing worse than traveling all the way to DC to find that they have bumped your meeting.

Good luck and have a great time! Click here for tips on what to do while you are in the meeting.

"I still believe that one day mankind will bow before the altars of God and be crowned triumphant over war and bloodshed, and nonviolent redemptive goodwill will proclaim the rule of the land. Most of these people will never make the headlines and their names will not appear in Who's Who. Yet when years have rolled past and when the blazing light of truth is focused on this marvelous age in which we live--men and women will know and children will be taught that we have a finer land, a better people, a more noble civilization--beacuse these humble children of God were willing to suffer for righteousness' sake."

- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech - Dec. 1964

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