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| Image: Cynthia smiling in front of the U.S. Capitol building |
Start the 2023 session with a positive attitude of partnership and cooperation!
Did you know we have 82 new lawmakers in U.S. Congress this year? According to the Washington Post, 12 of them have no government experience at all. With 75 new members in the House and seven new senators, we have no time to lose in bringing them up to speed on all the important issues they'll be voting on this term.
But how do we do this when they aren't quite ready to talk to us? I was lucky to get through the U.S. Capitol Switchboard (1-800-826-3688) to discover my own new Senator Eric Schmitt from Missouri is still in a temporary office and hasn't yet hired a tax aide nor a foreign policy aide. Even if they haven’t fully staffed their offices, we can still begin building relationships with them by using local media to urge them to focus on your issues. The quickest way to do this is to write letters to the editor (LTEs). If you get them published, you can send them links to your letters over social media, mail your published pieces to their office later when they settle in, and hopefully bring a nice stack of media to your first meeting to show you mean business.
Tips for a "Welcome to Congress" LTE
- Reference something in their resume that might show common ground with your issue. For instance, Senator Schmitt founded Habitat for Humanity chapter in college, so I could tie that to our American housing crisis.
- Concentrate on educating them on your general issue(s). Since Congress must re-introduce all bills, you won’t have specific bill numbers to reference.
- Acknowledge their new role has many expanded responsibilities. No new member of Congress can know everything about all issues. Make this letter a reminder that you are a resource for them as well.
- Don't come out swinging. You have very little to gain by starting a relationship with insults. Even if you don't agree with their campaign positions, set yourself apart from the crowd by modelling the positive, mature tone of respect you would like to see from them. Even if your relationship sours later, it shouldn't be because of you!
Sample Text for LTEs
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| Image: RESULTS.org Action Alert website |
Not sure what to say about your issue? You can use a template from an organization like RESULTS and just alter the language to use the member's new job as a "hook" for the beginning of your letter. You can also refer to my "Advocacy Made Easy: Writing a Letter to the Editor" blog about writing letters to the editor for general instructions.
Here’s a sample of one I submitted last week that used an article about Senator Schmitt's replacement getting sworn into Schmitt's old state position:
Schmitt Should Support Tuberculosis Policy
Even as Andrew Bailey takes over as our new attorney general (“Andrew Bailey sworn in as Missouri’s third attorney general in five years,” January 3), Senator Eric Schmitt is setting up his office in Washington D.C. Like many state officials who move to the federal level, Schmitt will need help from constituents to become familiar with many life-or-death global issues he may never have considered before.
One of those issues is the spread of tuberculosis (TB), the pandemic that already existed before COVID-19. Despite headway in reducing global TB cases over the last decade, COVID-19 diverted TB resources. Now, TB cases and deaths are rising. 1.6 million people worldwide died of TB in 2021.
The End TB Now Act would help regain progress. It requires the U.S. to target TB resources to countries and populations who need it most. It would foster more public-private partnerships in the TB fight and increase accountability.
Congress had the opportunity to easily pass this bipartisan legislation but did not get it done. That cannot happen again.
I urge Senators Hawley and Schmitt to make the End TB Now Act a top priority in 2023. Lives literally depend on it.
Be Patient, But Don't Stop
Arriving as a new member of Congress is a bit like drinking from a fire hose. Be patient with our newbies, but don't let precious time go by without reaching out to them. Instead, focus on standing out as an advocate by building a reputation of being a persistent advocate, a cooperative ally, and a prolific media writer. Good luck!
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| Image: Meme of a person holding a running fire hose to their face. |
Update: Published Letter in Joplin Globe
I wish to congratulate U.S. Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Missouri, and U.S. Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Missouri, as they formally take their new positions in Washington D.C. (Globe, Jan. 6).
Like many state officials who move to the federal level, they will need help from constituents to become familiar with many life-or-death global issues they may never have considered before.
Two of those issues are the tuberculosis pandemic and immunizations against childhood diseases such as measles. The world lost headway with vaccines and TB control when COVID-19 caused disruption in health resources around the world.
Now, TB cases and deaths from the disease are rising, and 1.6 million people worldwide died of TB in 2021. Approximately 25 million children (about the population of Texas) missed routine immunizations in 2021, per WHO and UNICEF.
Catching up is going to take an enormous effort.
I urge our new members of Congress and those previously in office, such as U.S. Josh Hawley, R-Missouri, to meet with constituents and act decisively to support global health in 2023.
Lives literally depend on it.
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