Lobbying Close to Home

When FCNL Field Committee Clerk Tom Ewell wanted to let his members of Congress know what he thinks, he didn’t start by looking up plane fares to Washington, DC.

Instead, he made a phone call to his representative's local office. Within a week he was in contact with senior staff at the local office, and within 18 months he had organized a personal meeting with his representative.

Lobbying in Washington, DC is important, but like Tom Ewell you can be an effective lobbyist, and build your relationship with your members of Congress, without crossing state lines.

Meeting in your district or state has other advantages over a trip to Washington.

• Scheduling is easier. Without the pressure of committee hearings and votes, staff members often have more time. When members are home, they are there to hear from their constituents, and so make more time.
• You can include more people. Think about inviting people of different ages, religions, or ethnic or socioeconomic backgrounds to join you in lobbying on an issue you all care about. Even so, because of the limited space in most congressional offices, we recommend you limit the total number of people in your group to six.
• You can invite your members of Congress on a field trip. Members of Congress like to get out in the community and see what their constituents are doing. This is also a chance for you to get some extra time with the member or a staff member.

Unless a vote is just about to happen, your in-district meeting is just as influential as meeting with the member or staff in Washington. District staff members are in regular communication with their counterparts in Washington, and members are usually eager to hear what people at home are thinking about the issues under debate. See FCNL’s Grassroots Toolkit (fcnl.org/toolkit) for the location of your members’ district offices, tips on scheduling your visit, and how to make the most of your time in the office.