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You can influence Congress by lobbying. Lobbyists saturate Washington, DC and every state capital. Most are paid professionals, but anyone can lobby any legislator.
The media usually portray them as evil creatures, but they’re not all corrupt. A lobbyist is simply someone who works to convince legislators – local, state, or federal – to support or oppose particular issues or legislation. Most of them are honest people, just doing their jobs. It’s usually the dishonest ones who find their names in the news.
We’ve recently heard a lot about town hall meetings. We’ve seen people throwing temper tantrums like 4-year-olds, destroying all efforts to hold an adult debate. Professional lobbyists are organizing these stunts. They’re deliberately spreading lies about President Obama’s health insurance reform proposals. They’re paying people to disrupt the meetings, and most of them have no idea what they’re hollering about. These tactics are unprofessional, unethical, and dishonest. And they’ll backfire in the long run. If I come to your house and scream at you, how likely will you be to give me what I want?
There have been lobbyists as long as there have been legislators. The term arose in the United States in the 1830s when representatives of large companies and organizations gathered in the lobby of the US Capitol Building to try to persuade legislators to vote for or against pending legislation. The business has come a long way. Now there are huge firms of professional lobbyists working for and against every issue under the sun. And there is a host of regulations to control their actions.
While you probably won’t be paid for it, you can be a lobbyist, too. There are two simple steps:
· You know what’s important to you. Be familiar with those issues. You don’t have
to be an expert. Just follow the news. You can also find plenty of information on the
Internet. There are organizations working on every topic, and they’ll be happy to keep
you informed.
· Contact your legislators and let them know how you feel, and how you want them to
vote.
You have every right to contact your legislators as often as you like, about any topic you choose, and it does make a difference. Legislators’ staff people keep track of every communication they receive – letters, phone calls, post cards, faxes, e-mails, and petitions. While your letter may not guarantee that your legislator will vote the way you’d like, every comment counts. More comments on an issue will carry more weight. Legislators know that for every communication they receive, hundreds of other people have the same opinion. While every communication is important, the more personal ones are more effective. A phone call carries more weight than a mass petition, and an individual letter carries more weight than a phone call.
To have even more clout, gather some friends or join an organization and visit your legislators in their district offices. You may not be able to get an appointment with the legislator personally, but meeting with staff people is just as important. Because they can’t be everywhere, legislators rely on their staffs to keep them in touch with the public.
Usually, town hall meetingsare a great opportunity to get acquainted with your legislators and have a good public debate on the issues. When the dust settles, the meetings will get back to normal. I highly recommend that you attend a few.
Sometimes legislative committees hold hearings to give the public an opportunity to comment on particular issues. Since Congress does most of its work through committees, you should know which committees oversee your issues. Committees are very powerful in Congress. Committee chairs decide which bills go to the entire membership for votes. They can push a bill quickly, or kill it on the spot. Committees also employ staff people who specialize in their fields. There are lists of committees on the House and Senate websites.
So, once you decide what issues you care most about, you can spend as much or as little time as you like contacting your representatives. And don’t forget the chairs and other members of the committees that handle your issues. Even if you don’t live in their districts, you can contact them with your concerns, too. There are thousands of books about effective lobbying techniques. Visit your local library or bookstore.
Good luck!
For more information go to
· My article on health insurance reform:
· My article on the legislative process:
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