Resources

Below are some resources to prepare you for your meetings with members of Congress on Capitol Hill.

How to Schedule Your Meetings

To schedule your meetings with members of Congress, contact your local Chapter President. He/she will set up your meetings for you and provide you with the details so that your time spent on the Hill during the 2012 Legislative Conference will be as productive and effective as possible.

How a Bill Becomes a Law

10 Steps to an Effective Lobbying Visit

1. As the meeting starts, introduce yourself and tell your elected official or the staff person about your business, how many people you employ and where you are located in their state or district. You also should mention that you are in town as a member of Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC), which represents more than 25,000 construction and construction-related firms nationally.
2. Thank the member for a stand he or she recently took on an issue, and for taking the time to meet with you.
3. State clearly and concisely what issues you would like to discuss, what your position is on each issue and what action you would like the member to take. Follow this with facts about why he or she should take your position.
4. Stress how the issue will affect the member’s district or state. If possible, tell a personal story that highlights your experience with the issue and how it will impact your business and the local economy.
5. Mention other organizations and business groups that share your position. If you are a part of a coalition, mention the number of members or firms the coalition represents.
6. Answer any questions to the best of your ability, but if you do not know an answer, let the member know that someone from ABC will promptly follow up with the requested information.
7. Ask a direct question to which the legislator can respond “yes,” such as: “Can we count on you to co-sponsor or support the bill?” Press politely for a commitment unless the member is clearly opposed to your position or to making a commitment.
8. Always thank the member for his or her time, even if he or she did not agree with your position.
9. Immediately following the meeting, write down any information you have learned about the member’s position so you can share it with your chapter and ABC National for use in the development of legislative strategy. Meeting feedback forms are included in your registration packet.
10. Follow up with a prompt thank-you letter that reiterates your key points and any commitment the member made to you. Include all follow-up information you promised to provide. A sample follow-up letter is included on the next page.

Sample Follow-Up Letter

[Date]
The Honorable [Full Name]
United States [Senate/House of Representatives]
Washington, DC [20510/20515] 

Dear [Senator/Representative Name]:

I am writing to thank you for taking the time to meet with me during Associated Builders and Contractors’ (ABC) Legislative Conference, July 10-11. I enjoyed our discussion.

As I mentioned, [issue(s)] is (are) very important to the future of my business. I appreciate you listening to my opinions on the matter, and I hope I can count on your support.

During the meeting, you asked about [question]. Here is some additional information on that matter. [include information]

Thanks again for your time.

Sincerely,
[signature]
[Name]
[Title]

Questions? Contact the ABC meetings department at meetings@abc.org.

 

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