Grassroots Toolkit: How to Schedule a Meeting with Your Congressional Office
In-person lobby visits are the single most effective way for you to communicate with your member of Congress and to build a relationship that's beneficial for all involved. You can also ask to meet with your member, but at the very least you want to be sure to meet with the foreign policy aide. This is the key contact for you to be in touch with in advocating for an end to war and for investment in humanitarian relief, reconstruction, and comprehensive diplomacy that would transform the U.S. approach to Iraq and the region.
- Call the Capitol Switchboard at: (202) 224-3121 and ask to speak to your member's office.
- Use the following talking points:
RECEPTIONIST: Hello? YOU: Hi, my name is [ ] and I'm a constituent from [City, State]. I will be in DC on April [ ] for the Christian Peace Witness on Iraq lobby day and I would like to meet with the legislative assistant on foreign policy.
RECEPTIONIST: Sure, I'll transfer you to [LA—helpful to remember this name]
LEGISLATIVE ASSSISTANT: Hello?
YOU: Hi, my name is [ ] and I'm a constituent from [City, State]. I will be in DC on April [ ] for the Christian Peace Witness on Iraq lobby day and I was hoping to meet with you and if possible Rep.[Name]/Senator [Name] to discuss bringing about an end to the war in Iraq and the urgency for humanitarian aid, refugee assistance, and support for our troops. Could you meet on April [ ] anytime from [ ] to [ ]?
LEGISLATIVE ASSISTANT: Sure, I'll see you then!
Now more likely, you will get an answering machine instead, but there you can make the same request. Make it brief and clearly give your contact info.
- Wait a couple days, then follow up with a phone call. Wait a couple more days, then if you still haven't heard back, call the office, say you haven't heard back from the staffer, and ask for their email address
- Here's a Hill secret—all staffers have the same format for their email addresses. For the House its: firstname.lastname [at] mail [dot] house [dot] gov and for the Senate its firstname_lastname [at] senatorsname [dot] senate [dot] gov
You can find out the staffer's name for your rep here: http://capwiz.com/fconl/directory/congdir.tt This database is continually being updated.
Still, it is best to go through steps 1-4 first to get the most up to date information on which staffer is handling the foreign policy portfolio. But if steps 1-4 don't get you anywhere, you can usually find the staffer you are looking for in the list and email them directly. Be sure to be courteous and very concise when trying to set up a time.
- Educate yourself about your member of Congress and how their positions relate to the CPW positions.
Tip: Check FCNL's online congressional directory for your members' contact information, as well as background information, committee assignments, and voting records. You will also find their declared religious affiliations, which can be useful for an interfaith delegation.