Federal Lobbying: Federal Lobbying: 101101

Goals

• Why lobby?• Understanding of the legislative process.• Logistics: how, why, when, where, who, what?• Effectively communicating your message.• How to conduct a successful lobby visit.

Why Lobby?

• “The best policy in the world isn’t going anywhere if it’s not supported by human relationships based on repeated interactions.”

Welling Hall, Plowshares Professor of Peace Studies at Earlham College and former fellow at Representative Keith

Ellison’s office.

So, why are Members of Congress so important?

Because they can vote.

What Influences Members of Congress?

Source: Congressional Management Foundation 2010

Understanding the Lobbying Disclosure Act

• Charities, foundations, unions, and 501(c)(4)s that influence federal legislation, regulations, nominations, contracts and permits need to be aware of the Lobbying Disclosure Act (LDA), a federal law that imposes registration and reporting obligations on individuals and entities that lobby various federal officials once certain thresholds have been exceeded.

• For More information: Contact Alliance for Justice at 866-NPLOBBY www.allianceforjustice.org

501(c)(3) vs 501(c)(4) permissible activities

• Under federal tax law, partisan political activity cannot be the primary purpose of a 501(c)(4) organization.

• When engaging in political activity, organizations must comply with federal, state, and local election law.

Some Relevant Agencies

• Environmental Protection Agency

• Department of Interior (NPS, USFWS, USGS)

• Depart of Energy• Department of Commerce

(NOAA)• Department of Agriculture

(USFS, NRCS)• Department of Defense (Army

Corps)• Department of Transportation

Authorizing vs. Appropriating

• Authorization Bill: Creates a program, a law, and “budget authority”.

• Appropriations Bill: Directs expenditure of funds from the Treasury for various purposes “authorized” to be spent.

Authorizes Project

Appropriates Funds

ACOEProject

(Projects listed in

Committee Report)

Water Resources Development Act

Energy & WaterAppropriations Act

AuthorizesAppropriationsBy Lump Sum in Law(Cmte Report shows project level detail)

Projects listed in Law

Authorizing vs. Appropriating

Authorizes Program

Appropriates Funds

Forest LegacyProject

(Projects listed in

Committee Report)

Parameters set in Law

Forest Legacy Program(Forest Title/Farm bill)

Interior & Rel AgenciesAppropriations Act

AuthorizesAppropriationsBy Lump Sum in Law

Authorizing vs. Appropriating

How a bill becomes a law (sort of)…

Legislative Process

Floor vote

options become increasingly limited

What can you do?

Subcommittee mark-up*

Committee mark-up*

Hearing(s)

Bill is introduced

Committee report filed

Legislative Process

Floor vote

Subcommittee mark-up*

Committee mark-up*

Hearing(s)

Bill is introduced

Committee report filed

Both Houses must complete this process

Conference

Timelines

• Appropriations - annual• Defense Authorization - annual• Water Resources Development Act (WRDA)

- every 2 years• Transportation Bill - every 6 years• Farm Bill - every 5-7 years

House Senate

President

=

The Ladder of Engagement

You have a relationship.

Meet Face to face

Meet a staffer

Attend a public event

Engage the media

Message from a group

Send letters, emails, and faxes

How to Make an appointment

• Home district vs. Washington, DC• Phone numbers: www.senate.gov and

www.house.gov• Check legislative calendar• Staff vs. Member• Ask for the staff member who works on your

issue• Be flexible on time and place

Personal Office staffChief of Staff or AA

DC Staff:

• Legislative Director

• Press Sec./Comm. Dir.

• Scheduler

• Legislative Assistants

• Legislative Correspondent (Senate)

• Staff Assistant

• (Interns)

District/State Staff:

• District Director

• Projects Director*

• Caseworker(s)

Committee staffFull Committee - Staff Director

Full Committee:

• Professional Staff

• Communications Director

• Staff Assistant

• (Interns)

Subcommittee:

• Staff Director/Clerk

• Professional Staff

• Fellows

• Staff Assistants

• (Interns)

When?

Prepare For Your Visit• Make an appointment• Do your homework

– Know their voting record and bills they are cosponsoring

• Find a “thank you”• Define your “ask”

– Know status, prognosis, supporters, opposition• Build your coalition (<4)

- Assign jobs (note taker, photographer, leader)- Rehearse message ahead of time

The Successful Lobby Visit

- Eight to thirty minutes long- Deliver anecdotes and specific facts that

reinforce your message- Ask for a commitment- Leave behind 1 page fact sheet and other

supporting material (contact information)- You don’t have to be an expert- Follow up

Homework: make friends with Senator Brown (find a thank you)….

Homework: know how they voted

Decide on your “ask”

• Your ask might be one of the following:– Sponsor your proposal– Co-sponsor a bill– Take a lead in a funding initiative– Vote against something in committee– Speak publicly on a topic– Hold a hearing– Support letter for grant application– Assist in agency coordination

Develop Your Message

To develop a message:

- Consider your strongest themes

- Consider the likely arguments against your position and neutralize them

- Put it all together into a few short, simple lines.

Develop Your MessageMessage Building Blocks

- Be concise (1 or 2 issues)- Identify yourself- Don’t assume the audience has knowledge of your subject- Be truthful and believable

-use facts- Be polite and positive- Make a clear ask

- or is it an informational meeting?- Ask for commitment and reply

Dear Senator Isakson,You people in Congress can’t seem to agree on anything

these days, even on something as important as preventing genocide and mass atrocities in places like Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo. This should be a national priority. Why can’t you provide leadership and work together on something like the Genocide Prevention bill instead of all this partisanship?

Here’s hoping,Suzy McDanielsAnywhere, Georgia

Dear Senator Isakson,I want you to support the bipartisan Genocide Prevention bill. Prevention of

genocide and mass atrocities is a very important because it could save both lives and money.

Now the U.S. is involved in a military conflict in Libya. It concerns me that diplomatic methods of resolving this conflict were not fully exhausted before military actions were taken.

The action in Libya was taken just as important discussions about the budget were happening. I support those in Congress who were trying to cut the budget in ways that would not wreck the economy, lose jobs, or hurt vulnerable people.

As a constituent, I urge you to take action on all these important issues of peace.

Sincerely,Albert Green Someplace, Georgia

Dear Senator Isakson,

I am a voter in the Midtown neighborhood of Atlanta, Georgia. My children attend Spurwood Elementary School, where I am the head of the PTA, and I am a member of the United Methodist Church. I greatly appreciate that you voted in favor of the START Treaty in December.

I am writing to urge you to use your position on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to support practical legislation that will address policy gaps that fail to prevent genocide. For years the US has underinvested in diplomacy, development, and international cooperation, crippling our ability to prevent conflict. This is costing us countless lives and resources. Research demonstrates that every one dollar invested in preventing conflicts from turning deadly would cost sixty dollars in crisis response once violence erupts.

In December 2010, the Senate passed a resolution (S. Con. Res. 71) calling for specific steps to improve US capacities to prevent genocide and atrocities. I want you to support bipartisan legislation that would strengthen key government capacities addressed in this resolution. I look forward to a commitment and a reply from you on this matter.

Sincerely, Debbie Dowd Atlanta, GA

What happens to my message?

• No difference between written and email messages.

• Tallying.• Personalized messages treated differently.• Brief messages with clear asks are the easiest to

deal with.

NGO efforts to influence U.S. Senator Scott Brown to support full funding for LWCF

• Constituent Contacts• Grasstops Contacts • Briefing book• Media• Polling Results • Direct Contact

Senator Brown…The Marathoner

Senator Brown…the trail hiker (with AMC)

Follow up

• Consider an award (frame/photo)• Write a thank you note• Provide additional information (if you said

you would)• Repeat your ask• Follow their actions and thank them if they do what you asked• Consider thanking publically

– (LTE, newsletter, FB, twitter…).

Resources

• House and Senate (Members, Calendar, Schedule, Votes)– www.house.gov and www.senate.gov

• Library of Congress (Research Legislation)– https://www.congress.gov/

• Government Printing Office– http://www.access.gpo.gov

• Environment and Energy Study Inst.– http://www.greenwire.com– http://www.eedaily.com

• Alliance for Justice’s “Bolder Advocacy” http://bolderadvocacy.org/

• www.grants.gov – find and apply for Federal grants• National Journal

– http://nationaljournal.com