Lobbying your Congressperson is one of the most influential things you can do as a constituent.  Most legislators are eager to hear from their constituents, and when your congressperson sees that you care enough about an issue to meet face-to-face, your message is likely to be even more influential.  Lobbying is easy, you just need to be prepared.

Before the Meeting

During the Meeting

After the Meeting

What if...

Before the meeting:

• Do you homework if you can. Know how your Congressperson stands on the issue and know his/her past voting record on similar bills. You should also    look to see if he/she sits on any committees, and if he/she serves in a leadership position.  You just want to know enough about the Congressperson to not make a silly mistake, like asking him/her to vote yes on a bill they wrote.      

• Plan your strategy based on the legislator’s positions on related issues and the information you obtained through ‘doing your homework.’

• Make a list of taking points you want to go over, making sure they all relate to your basic message.  Include questions you want to ask.

• If lobbying with a group, decide who is going to say what and in what order. Pick a leader to direct the visit. If possible, assign a particular area of knowledge to each team member who can answer questions on that topic.

During the meeting:   

• Dress nicely. Don’t let you appearance detract from your message or impair your credibility.        

• Introduce yourself and tell your member or staff person what organization you represent, where the group is located and the size of its membership. If you are lobbying as an individual, make sure to mention that you’re a constituent. If you have any family, social, business or political ties to the legislator, mention them as well.   

• Start with a compliment. If possible, thank the member for a good stand he or she recently took on an issue or mention if you voted for the member. At a minimum, thank them for taking the time to meet with you.

• Ask how much time you have for the meeting.

• Take the initiative by stating clearly and concisely what issue you want to discuss, what your position is on it and what action you wan want the member to take. Follow this with facts about why he or she should take your position.

• If your Senator agrees with you, it still makes sense to briefly discuss the issue.  Let him know why the issue is important to you and thank him for his support.

• Personalize.  Why does it matter to you?  Share how your faith motivates you. It’s appropriate to share your faith, i.e., why you care. If possible, tell a personal story which highlights your experience with the issue and why you care about it.  However, it’s inappropriate to impose your beliefs.  Let your emotions be known in an appropriate manner, but don’t be overly dramatic.

• Utilize quotations of Scripture or paraphrase them.  For example, “Pollution hurts people.  Therefore, it violates the Great Commandments to love God and love what God loves.”

• Localize.  Stress how the issue will affect the member’s district or state.  This could include health impacts, economic impacts, and environmental impacts. 

• Give the lawmaker a brief fact sheet (1-2 pages max) which outlines your position, explains what the bill does (if there is one) and why he or she should support your viewpoint.   However, don’t give them the printed material until near the end of your meeting- they will read, not listen.

• Be a good listener.  After you make your pitch, allow the member to respond.  However, bring the conversation back to the issue at hand if the member goes off on a tangent or tries to evade it.

• Answer any questions to the best of your ability, but if you don’t know the answer, admit it.  Try to provide the information promptly in a follow-up letter.

• Ask a direct question to which the lawmaker can respond “yes,” such as, “Can we count on you to cosponsor the bill?” Press politely for a commitment, unless the member is clearly opposed to your position or to making a commitment.

• Always thank the member for his or her time at the end of the meeting, even if he or she did not agree with your position.

After the meeting

• Immediately after the meeting, write down any information you learned about the member’s position or concerns so you can share it with others and use it to develop your legislative strategy.

• Always follow up with a prompt thank you letter.  In the letter, reiterate your key points and any commitments the member made to you.  Include all follow-up information you promised to provide. 

What if…

• What if you encounter strong disagreement?  This happens on a few occasions, usually with staff who wants to test your arguments.  Agree to disagree if necessary.  As long as the positions you’ve taken are reasonable, don’t back away from them.  They need to understand your resolve.  Remember: you are there to share your faith-based stance.

• What if you meet with a legislative aid instead?  Don’t be disappointed if you do not get to speak to the Senator.  Speaking to a legislative aid is just as important.  The aid will let him or her know your opinions and may very well be better informed about the issues you wish to discuss.  The legislative aides are the ears of the Senators; treat them with the respect you would your elected official. 

back to top