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How to Change the World: A Woman's Guide to Grassroots Lobbying By Rebecca Tillet Director of Political Programs, National Women's Political Caucus July 1991 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This guide was made possible by funding from the following, and we are grateful for their support: AFL-CIO American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers International Brotherhood of Teamsters Union International Ladies' Garments Workers Union National Association of Letter Carriers of the USA United Automobile Workers United Food and Commercial Workers United Steelworkers of America Special thanks to Jane Rissler, who spearheaded this project in its early stages and created an initial draft of the chapter on special events; Mary Leah Traeger for her editing skills; Julia Rivellino, who spent many hours at the computer formatting this guide, and who is responsible for its title; Carole Finneran; and Heather O'Neill. July 1991 Dear Citizen Lobbyist: The National Women's Political Caucus works vigorously to elect officials who will be leaders on issues of concern to women and families. But only you, the constituent, can let your representative know how they should vote after they are elected. You as an individual can help sway your representatives' votes on choice, child care, family leave and many other issues important to women and families through lobbying at the grassroots level. The founders of our nation constructed a legislative branch that would reflect the will of the people. Representatives and Senators rely on your vote for re-election. You hire them. You fire them. You are the boss, so you must tell your "employee" what to do! This booklet will show you just how easy it is to use your power, the power of the constituent. Communication is the key. Your representatives cannot help you if you do not communicate your demands. Lobbying on the grassroots level can be an effective and powerful tool for getting important legislation passed or for defeating a bill that is harmful to women. So what are you waiting for? Write a letter, make a phone call, attend a meeting....Most importantly, make yourself heard! Sincerely, Sharon Rodine President TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter One: How To Lobby Chapter Two: How To Develop a Congressional District Network Chapter Three: How To Conduct Special Events Chapter Four: Press and Public Relations Chapter Five: Working in Coalition Appendix: How Laws Are Made CHAPTER ONE: HOW TO LOBBY Caucus members are busy people, but we all want to have a voice in the governance of our nation. In particular, we want to help pass legislation that will improve the lives of women and their families. Unfortunately, citizens often believe that their voices go unheeded in the halls of Congress. In fact, the opposite is true. Legislators pay attention to what constituents want; they know only you can vote them in and out of office. Although the volume of mail in Congressional offices often requires form answers, all letters are read and answered by aides. Communication from constituents -- whether by mail or phone -- is usually reported in weekly "logs" that keep representatives updated on the amount of correspondence arriving on each side of current issues. These logs are crucial indicators to legislators of the atmosphere in their home districts, and even a few letters on one bill can make a legislator pay attention to it rather than the over 10,000 other bills and resolutions introduced each Congress. So don't worry about receiving form answers -- be assured that your opinion has been noted. There are a number of ways to let your representatives know your thoughts: calls, letters, telegrams, personal visits and attendance at town meetings are just a few of the possibilities. This chapter will cover activities that you can do alone, with family and friends, or with members of your state and local Caucus. Later chapters will discuss ways in which you can organize more concerted effort on behalf of a particular bill by reaching out to other constituents. Even if you don't have much time to spend, simply expressing your views to your representatives will make a difference. A basic knowledge of the legislative system is helpful to citizen lobbyists. See the Appendix, How Laws Are Made, for more information about how laws are made. Letters Letters are the most common form of communication with legislators. The following tips will give your letters the most impact: * Form letters signed by individual constituents or postcards are perfectly appropriate, especially since they allow people who might not otherwise write to communicate their views. They can also generate large amounts of mail, even from an individual district. But if you have even ten minutes to spend, a personal letter written in your own words is the best possible communication. * Mention the name of the legislation and the number if available. (For example, S.1234 for a Senate bill; HR.5678 for a House bill). * Keep your letter to one page. Type it if possible, or write it neatly. * Clearly identify yourself as a constituent and a member of the National and/or State Women's Political Caucus. * Cover only one issue per letter. This will enable aides to give your letter the proper attention. * Indicate specific action you want from your representative: co-sponsorship, a vote, or explanation of a past vote, for example. * Be helpful, not threatening. Remember that no one appreciates being lambasted. * Give a reason for your opinion, preferably one tied to the particular needs of your district. * Remember to write not only to ask for action or register complaints but also to thank your legislator for doing the right thing. This lets them know that you recognize their accomplishments and are monitoring their actions. Letters to members of the House of Representatives should be sent to: The Honorable __________ U.S. House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515 Dear Representative __________: Letters to Senators should be sent to: The Honorable __________ U.S. Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator __________: Telegrams In the fast-moving world of Capitol Hill, bills can come up on the House or Senate floor with very little advance notice. Last-minute communications from constituents show legislators that their districts are watching and can be crucial to a representative's decision on a vote. Western Union provides a "Public Opinion Message" service, allowing you to send Representatives, Senators, the President, and the Vice-President a message of twenty words or less that will be sent directly over teletype to that official's desk. The first 1-20 words cost $9.95, and an additional 1-20 words $3.50, and no address is necessary. "Mailgrams," also available through Western Union, cost slightly more but permit a 50 word message, including addresses, with overnight delivery. Charges for either service are included on your telephone bill. Telephone Calls You can also call the local or Washington office of your representative. This is especially useful when you are calling on the morning of an important vote in committee or on the floor, since a call tells your representative that constituents are aware of the upcoming vote. The following tips will help make your conversation smoother and more meaningful: * To call the Washington office of all Senators and Representatives, call the Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121 (Senate) or 202-225-3121 (House). Local offices will be listed in your phone book. * When you reach the office, ask to speak to the person dealing with the issues about which you are calling. Remember the name of the person to whom you speak -- you may want to reach them again sometime. * Tell the congressional aide your concern and ask what your legislator plans to do about the bill (for example, if you are calling to urge co-sponsorship, ask if the legislator will cosponsor or when that decision will be made.) * If you cannot reach the appropriate staff member, leave a clear message with the receptionist, explaining that you are a constituent and that you want the representative to take specific action on a particular bill. Know the name and number of the bill about which you are calling. Town Meetings Legislators often visit their home states or districts on weekends or during congressional recesses. Most hold at least one open forum or town meeting during that time. Such meetings, drawing together concerned citizens from around the district, are perfect opportunities to raise issues of concern to women and their families. Your representative will more fully understand the importance of an issue after being asked to publicly state a position on it. Tips for public meetings: * Call your legislator's local office for a schedule of meetings. If no town meetings are planned, find out when the representative will be speaking to a local community group at an open meeting. * At the meeting itself, the legislator will usually give some short comments and then open the floor to questions. It is often helpful to put a personal or local "spin" on your comments and questions. For example, if you want your legislator to support child care legislation, mention that you are a parent who has had difficulty finding quality care near your home or that your community only has a certain number of daycare slots to fill a much greater need. * Ask your legislator specifically whether she or he plans to co-sponsor or vote for the legislation you support (or actively oppose legislation you don't support). You should never be hostile, but don't accept a vague answer--"Child care is a difficult problem and we need to find a solution for the families of this district"-- instead, explain why the specific legislation you want passed will best remedy the problem and why the legislator should support it. Personal Meetings A personal meeting with your legislator is a very effective form of lobbying. In a face-to-face meeting, your representative must deal with your concerns more directly, and you have the opportunity to counter misconceptions she or he might have. Here are some suggestions for a productive appointment: * You will be more likely to succeed in setting up a meeting if you arrange for your local or state Caucus leaders to go as a group, since then your legislator will know that you represent a larger Caucus membership. However, individual concerned citizens are sometimes able to arrange an appointment with their elected representatives. If you can't meet with your representative, ask to meet with his or her staff. * You can meet with elected federal representatives in their District offices when they are home for weekends or recesses or in their Washington offices. * Determine a goal for your appointment. Do you want to ask for co-sponsorship; for a vote; for your representative to take leadership in encouraging others to support the bill? Often you will not get what you ask for, but it is always useful to be clear about what you want. * When you call to schedule a meeting, ask to speak to the legislator's scheduler. Explain who you are, who will be with you, and what you wish to discuss. Don't be discouraged if you aren't able to arrange a meeting as soon as you would like; keep calling back until a meeting time is set. * Prepare for your meeting by becoming familiar with the basics of the issue you want to discuss. In addition, contact citizen or Washington, D.C.-based lobbyists to determine your representative's already-expressed views on the issue. That way you can avoid repeating the same conversations, ask your representative for the appropriate action, and come with background material specifically addressing the representative's concern. * At the meeting, start by establishing common ground -- thank the legislator for a past vote or for the opportunity to meet. If you are meeting in a group, decide ahead of time who will make a brief presentation on the topic you're discussing. Remember, as constituents you are in the unique position of being able to express the views of the district to the legislator, so local stories and angles are particularly useful. * Make your position clear and then ask for your legislator's position. Don't accept evasions, although, as always, remain polite. * Don't worry if you can't answer a question; you're not expected to be an expert, just a constituent. However, do offer to send information on any questions you cannot answer. * If your representative immediately expresses agreement with your position, ask her or him to take leadership in convincing other, less supportive, members of your state's delegation. In addition, your representative can help convince congressional leadership (the Speaker of the House or Senate Majority Leader), those serving on committees to which the bill has been referred, and other colleagues to support your position. * Send thank-you letters as soon as possible to the representative and to the staff members who arranged or were present at the meeting. Include a brief summary of your position and answers to any questions you could not answer during the meeting. * Although it is best to meet directly with your representative, when that is not possible you may consider meeting with staff members who assist the legislator on the issue area of special interest to you. Legislative assistants do not cast votes, but they can give you excellent information and will report your concerns to the legislator. Furthermore, a good relationship with congressional staff will help you when you want information later on. It can take many years to pass a bill, and the slow pace of the Congressional process can be frustrating to citizen lobbyists and professionals alike. But remember, without constituent pressure most legislation aimed at aiding women and families would never pass. It can be lonely lobbying a bill when it is first introduced and has little chance of passage that Congress, but later, when the bill is law, you can look back with satisfaction and the knowledge that your efforts were influential in keeping the bill alive. If you want to multiply your influence, involve friends, associates, and Caucus members in your campaign for your representative's support. The chapters on Developing a Congressional District Network (Chapter Two) and Working in Coalition (Chapter Five) will assist you in your efforts. Contacting Other Elected Officials It is sometimes useful to contact elected officials who are not from your own district. Leaders of the House (Speaker, Majority Leader, and Majority Whip) and Senate (Majority Leader and Majority Whip) should be responsive to the requests of citizens from across the country. In addition, members of Congress from your state but not your district sometimes aspire to statewide office and are interested in the opinions of all the state's citizens. CHAPTER TWO: HOW TO DEVELOP A CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT NETWORK Concerted grassroots effort on behalf of a particular bill has enormous impact on the prospects of any legislation. Too often, opponents of pro-women, pro-family legislation are much better funded than are supporters. But even extensive funding cannot overcome the collective voice of constituents. We need only look at the defeat of Supreme Court nominee Robert Bork to realize the power of numbers. Although one person acting alone can have great impact on the future of legislation, acting in concert with other concerned citizens will give you even more influence on issues of concern to women and their families. This chapter describes simple mechanisms for organizing Caucus members and friends in your "CD" -- federal congressional district -- to gain your representatives' votes on crucial issues. You can organize a "CD Network" to lobby for one bill of particular interest or you can plan an ongoing network to deal with important bills as they arise. Your network can work alone or in conjunction with other CD Networks set up around the state, giving you greater power in dealing with Senators. However you decide to organize your network, you can be assured that it will have significant impact on legislative issues. Each CD Network has a Coordinator responsible for organizing and managing the Network. The CD Coordinator should be formally appointed by the state or local Caucus(es). If there is no Coordinator and you are interested in the position, talk to your state or local Caucus Chair(s); she will no doubt be delighted by your interest and very willing to accept your assistance. Step One: Determining Your District Many local caucuses have membership entirely in one federal congressional district; others cross district lines. Call your state elections office to determine the area of your CD. Step Two: Recruiting Members and Making Initial Plans Members for your Network should be recruited from Caucus members and friends. Place an article in your local Caucus newsletter describing important bills facing the current Congress and explaining how constituent pressure can have significant effect on the prospects of legislation. Invite all interested to attend a short meeting to plan action on behalf of a particular bill or a number of bills of interest. This legislative meeting should also be announced at your regular Caucus meeting. In addition, invite friends and acquaintances who have expressed an interest in the topic. A few days before the meeting, call all Caucus members to remind them of the upcoming gathering. Keep your first meeting short and to the point. Have all participants introduce themselves. Go over your agenda at the beginning and set a time for adjournment approximately 1-1 1/2 hours after you begin. The meeting facilitator should ensure that discussion doesn't get mired on one point and that there is sufficient time to cover the entire agenda. Invite a speaker -- the Caucus Chair or state Legislative Chair, perhaps -- to discuss the bill or bills in which you are interested. Have written information available on the legislation. Provide some detail about your representatives' views on these issues. Go over a list of ways in which constituent pressure can make a difference in the future of legislation. Your group should select a few activities you can take to influence your representatives' votes. Develop a schedule for your plans, keeping in mind the likely times for committee and floor votes and scheduled Congressional recesses, during which your representatives should be at home. But remember, legislative schedules change constantly, and you can never be sure when your bills will come up for a vote. Ask each attendee to agree to spearhead a particular event or action. Make your initial forays relatively simple: letters to the editor or attendance at a legislator's Town Meeting are easy ways to start and will capture the attention of representatives and constituents alike. Step Four below discusses a variety of methods for influencing your legislator. Don't be discouraged if you only have a few people at your initial meeting. Even three or four people can have a strong impact on the "atmosphere" of the district regarding a particular legislative initiative. Keep your goals in line with the number of participants so that you make the most effective use of the resources available, including yourself. Sometimes citizens feel that their legislator is "hopeless" on women's issues and will never take our side. While it is true that long-held positions often prevent a representative from voting in line with constituent demands, there are very few legislators who cannot be influenced on any issue by voter pressure. If your legislator is avidly anti-choice, concentrate on obtaining her or his co-sponsorship on child care legislation or pay equity; if he or she has promised the Chamber of Commerce to vote against parental leave, focus your activity on gaining a vote on family planning funding. And remember, a massive outcry from your district can change even long-held views. The 1989 House vote to permit abortion funding in the District of Columbia was the first time the pro-choice side won that battle. Our victory was due to the strong pro-choice sentiment expressed across the country after the Supreme Court's decision in Webster v. Reproductive Health Services, which severely endangered abortion rights and prompted a pro-choice outcry across the nation. Step Three: Developing Your Phone Tree The backbone of a CD Network is an active, efficient phone tree. This phone tree alerts constituents of upcoming action on target bills and asks them to contact the appropriate legislators. The phone tree goes into action at crucial junctures in the legislative process: for example, when a floor vote is planned or an amendment must be defeated. (See Appendix on How Laws are Made). All CD Networks should have a phone tree, even if it is the Network's sole activity. Your CD Network members are the leaders of the phone tree and should take the most responsible positions. But your tree will be most effective if you call all Caucus members, friends, and acquaintances who have expressed their support and interest, since you will then be able to generate the volume of mail and phone calls to your legislators' offices that ensures attention to your issue. The CD Coordinator activates her phone tree to generate mail and calls to the appropriate representatives. Unlike letters written at an individual's own initiative, these letters should not mention membership in the Caucus or the phone tree, as this will suggest to the representative an orchestrated campaign rather than heartfelt expressions from the district. There are two models for phone trees. They are outlined below. Model One: The "Tried but True" Tree In order to start this phone tree, you will need a CD Coordinator who administers and begins the tree, Activators who phone telephoners, and Telephoners who call a number of Caucus Members and friends (see diagram 1). The size of your phone list will determine the number of positions you actually use. If you have a small list, you can eliminate some or all of the activator positions; if you have a large list you can expand the number of activators and telephoners. With only five activators, each coordinating a team of five telephoners who each call five members, a phone tree will reach a total of 156 people. Without activators, that tree would reach a total of 31 people. The CD Coordinator recruits the Activators and Telephoners from the CD Network members. It is advisable to hold an initial meeting with the Activators, Telephoners, and the Coordinator to discuss the organization of the tree. At that meeting, all Activators and Telephoners should receive a confirmation packet that describes their responsibilities, explains how to write or call their representatives in Congress, and provides them with a complete copy of the phone tree, including those calls they are expected to make. It is crucial that one of the Activators be assigned as back-up Coordinator in case the Coordinator cannot be reached. In addition, each Activator should have as a back-up one of her Telephoners. The names of back-up Activators should be reported to the Coordinator and back-up Coordinator. The Coordinator and Activators are all crucial, so these positions must have back-up contingency plans. Activators are responsible for ensuring that their "branches" are operating properly. Any changes in phone numbers should be reported to the Coordinator. Upon deciding to activate the phone tree, the Coordinator calls each Activator with the appropriate information. Each Activator then calls her Telephoners, who call Members. All calls should be made promptly. All members of the phone tree, including the Coordinator, Activators, and Telephoners, should also do the suggested activity, which is usually writing a letter or making a phone call to the target legislator(s). If a phone tree participant cannot complete lobbying, she should at least make those phone tree calls for which she is responsible. Some CD Networks choose to limit participation to members with telephone answering machines. Such machines usually ensure that only one phone call will have to be made to each participant and eliminate the frustration that sometimes accompanies phone trees. Model Two: "High-Tech Networking" Model Two is a "high tech" phone tree! In Model Two, the branches of the tree are long, as each participant need only call two people (see diagram 2). Here's how it works: The CD Coordinator calls three to five Activators. Each Activator, rather than calling a number of Telephoners, calls only two participants. Each of those participants calls only two others, and this continues until the numbers are exhausted. Normally such a system would break down into chaos, since only one missed connection would mean dozens of people did not receive the alert and since the message would get garbled as it moved further and further from the source. But this system works because of two innovations: * All members are required to have telephone answering machines. * Participants do not personally pass along the message. Instead, they simply inform those they call that "This is an alert." Each participant then makes their two calls to other phone tree participants and calls a special phone number connected to a tape that explains the issue and the recommended action. The Coordinator is responsible for placing the appropriate message on the tape. Thus, the message cannot be garbled. As in Model One, back-up Activators should be reported to the Coordinator and her back-up, but should only be used when the Activator is out of town since she will have an answering machine. In Model One, changes in phone numbers can be noted and corrections made by Activators and Telephoners, each of whom is responsible for some tree branches. In Model Two, you should not count on your participants to inform the Coordinator of changes in telephone numbers. Instead, the Coordinator, with assistance from Activators, should call the entire list every six months or so to purge bad numbers. Diagram One: Model One: The "Tried But True" Tree ________________CD Coordinator______________ / / | \ \ / / | \ \ / / | \ \ / / | \ \ / / | \ \ Activator Activator _Activator_ Actlivator Activator / / | \ \ / / | \ \ / / | \ \ / / | \ \ / / | \ \ Telephoner Telephoner _Telephoner_ Telephoner Telephoner / / | \ \ / / | \ \ / / | \ \ / / | \ \ / / | \ \ Members Members Members Members Members Each branch looks like branch #2 on this diagram. Diagram Two: Model Two: "High-Tech Networking" __________CD Coordinator__________ / \ / \ Activator Activator / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ Participant Participant Participant Participant / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ Participant Participant Participant Participant Continued in same pattern. Model One works best if you have five to ten committed citizen activists (your Activators and Telephoners) and a number of others who are willing to communicate with their representatives (Members). Model Two is most useful if you can afford to put in a special phone line for your messages and if Caucus members who might not be members of the CD Network are willing to make two short calls to move the tree along. Tips for Either Model It is a good idea to test the Phone Tree once everyone is in place. This test alert is a good way to explain how the Phone Tree will work and for participants to introduce themselves. The Coordinator should check all "end points" after the alert to make sure they received the message in proper form. If they did not receive the message or if the message was not clear, the problem point should be identified and corrected. During quiet times, when the phone tree is not in use, it is important to maintain the system and determine what, if any, areas are weak. But don't overuse your tree; use it only for timely and urgent messages or you may lose your volunteers. Step Four: Taking Other Action Your CD Network can also initiate other creative action to reach your goals. A few ideas are outlined below: * Host a letter writing session at a Caucus meeting (see How to Lobby, Chapter Two on how to write to your legislators). Give a short briefing on the legislation and hand out a one-page fact sheet. Bring pens and paper and collect small donations to cover postage. Don't ask people to send their own letters, since even the best intentions often don't get the stamp licked and the letter in the mail. Unlike letter writing from individuals, letters written at the same time should not mention that the writer is a member of the Caucus. * Host a letter writing table at a local supermarket, fair, movie theater, family planning clinic, day care center, or wherever you think you will find interest in your target bills. Limit your table to one bill in order to avoid confusion. Make sure all those who will work at the public information table are adequately briefed on the legislation and have fact sheets available to hand out. Have paper, blank postcards and pens at the table and a place for writers to sit down, even if it's the end of your table or a lapboard. Collect donations for postage and send the letters yourself. * Plan a postcard campaign. Print postcards with a message asking your legislator for particular action. Distribute these postcards at Caucus meetings, through other organizations, and at tables (see above). * Spearhead a petition signature drive. While individual letters or cards are better, you may be able to significantly increase your numbers and strength by asking only for a signature and address on a petition. Send the completed petition to your legislators. Remember that a particularly high number of signatures may be pressworthy, especially outside of major media markets. In those cases, make an event of presenting or mailing your petitions and invite press to be there, or simply send out a press release (see Chapter Four on Press and Public Relations). * Members of your CD Network should attend each Town Meeting planned by your legislator(s) and request information on the legislator's activity or position on a particular bill (see How to Lobby, Chapter One for information on Town Meetings). Actually hearing his or her constituents' concern expressed time after time will have a real impact on your representative's analysis of district opinion. Network members should not identify themselves as such at these meetings. * Visit your legislator as a group (see How to Lobby, Chapter One) for information on such meetings. Be sure to coordinate such visits with your state and local Caucus leadership. * Develop a speakers bureau to address community groups. Often, the program chairs for local community associations have a difficult time finding interesting speakers and topics for meetings; you can provide ready-made programs. Think broadly about the types of groups who would be interested in your legislation -- there may be a larger potential audience than you first realize. Remember to bring a fact sheet and postcards to have filled out immediately. Collect names and addresses of those interested for future grassroots lobbying. * Generate "good press" on target legislation through letters to the editor, op-ed pieces, editorials, and even press conferences. Legislators follow local press avidly for signs of district "atmosphere" on particular bills, and constituents will be motivated to action. Press activities in the name of the Caucus should be cleared with your local or state Caucus leadership. Detailed suggestions for press relations can be found in Press and Public Relations, Chapter Four. You will be able to generate more creative ideas for pressure on your legislators. Local "children's lobby days," during which children visit their representatives and write letters to Congress, can generate significant mail and media attention on child care bills or family issues. "Speak-outs" and rallies for abortion rights can draw crowds. You best understand your community, region, or state and the best ways to "win friends and influence people." Step Five: Saying Thanks Remember to thank all your volunteers and phone tree participants. Lobbying can be a thankless job, especially since your efforts may not pay off for a long time. An annual "thank you" dinner, or even just a letter listing victories and personally thanking each person who has helped in the last year, will go far toward maintaining a happy corps of citizen lobbyists. Finally, don't be discouraged if you do not immediately garner your legislator's support, as the road can be long and the intervening roadmarks or victories not very visible at first. Constituent pressure builds slowly. Just remember, the seeds of interest you plant in your district will blossom some day, perhaps in a way you do not expect. CHAPTER THREE: HOW TO CONDUCT SPECIAL EVENTS Special events are used to: a) influence a legislator's action on a particular issue by showing strong public support or opposition; or b) motivate new groups of people to get involved in action on particular issues. Special events, especially those organized to influence members of Congress, should be attention getting carefully focused with specific objectives, and well-Planned. The following is a brief outline of ideas for some special programs. Rallies, Marches, Demonstrations (and Buggy Brigades) * These special events generally attempt to focus media attention, and hence legislator attention, on public support or opposition to an issue. A major goal is to get enough people to participate to entice the media to cover the event. In order to reach that goal, focus the event on a particular attention-getting issue. For example, a demonstration might involve a buggy brigade to Capitol Hill to highlight issues concerning infants and children. * In order to successfully organize a demonstration, carefully plan the publicity preceding the event as well as the event itself. Rent the hall, map out the area, or arrange to use streets where the event will be held. Choose an area or hall that you can fill or overfill--not one that will be too large -- and be sure to get all necessary permits. * Send out a press release before the event (See Press and Public Relations, Chapter Four). Include the reason for the event and the identities of the participating groups and leaders. Give one person the responsibility of being the press secretary for the day of the event. * Participants should identify themselves in some special way; for example, everyone might wear pins or buttons calling for passage of your bill. Try to get "celebrities" to participate. Plan a keynote speaker for the rally or end of the march or demonstration. Have maps and banners available for participants as well as information regarding membership in the NWPC so that those interested have the chance to sign up. * Take pictures for your own use. * Following the event, you should evaluate its effect. Did it accomplish its desired effect? Determine what to do differently next time. Write up the event in local or state caucus communications. Finally, get in touch with prospective members who attended the event. Holding a Symposium, Conference, Seminar, or Forum These events can be used for a variety of purposes: to inform and to engage in discussions with new and old activists; to recruit new activists; to urge participants to lobby members of Congress on particular issues. First, you must define the audience to reach and motivate. Next, decide how to reach that audience. Then take care of the administrative details of the event. Select a location that is convenient to the most people and has adequate restroom, food service, conference, and public address facilities. Select speakers or panel members who are articulate, engaging, expert, and within the budget. Discuss the organization's objectives with the speakers prior to the event. Invite the participants either by formal invitations or through publicity that targets the audience that you want to reach. Carefully plan for the day of the event -- including registration procedures, advance preparation of nametags, procedures for separating participants into workgroups, room directions and signs, and packets to distribute including an agenda, rooms, times, speaker biographies, evaluation forms. Follow up by sending thank you notes to the speakers. Analyze the evaluations you received; prepare a conference report using the evaluations. Home Meetings Home meetings provide opportunities to educate potential new activists, keep old activists informed and motivated, and plan lobbying activities. Prepare for the meeting by reaching out to potential members. Either identify a Caucus member who will consent to a meeting of 20-25 people in her home or, if you want to reach a special interest group, ask two or three representatives of the group to consent to sponsoring a meeting. Prepare information to distribute at the meeting, including membership brochures and forms, newsletters, and fact sheets. Conduct a well-organized, friendly meeting. Meet in a comfortable, relaxed environment. Personalize the meeting through greetings, introductions and nametags, and scrapbooks of activities of your CD Network. Follow a planned agenda and remain focused during the meeting. Have one or two Caucus members present parts of the program. Give all participants an action to take on your target issue; perhaps all attendees can take five minutes to write to their representatives during the meeting. Close the meeting with refreshments and a socializing period. Tabling Days Set up a table at any community event or public place. Have interested people sign a petition or send in postcards or letters regarding the issue you are lobbying. Make sure you have somewhere for people to sit and write, even if it's at the end of the table or on a lapboard. It's best to collect the postcards or letters along with donations for postage and send them yourself. Distribute literature about the issue and about the NWPC. Have someone on hand that can discuss the issue in question with passers-by. Make sure whoever is staffing the table has enough experience with the Caucus' work and positions to be able to answer questions knowledgeably Petition/Signature Drives Circulating petitions is a good way to reach new audiences, generate interest in NWPC issues, and influence legislators. Solicit signatures at community events or in shopping areas (remember that you may need permits for these activities). CHAPTER FOUR: PRESS AND PUBLIC RELATIONS You have organized your CD Network to lobby for pro-women legislation. You have written and visited your legislators; attended town meetings; perhaps even gathered signatures for a petition. Now you want to broaden your base of support and encourage even more citizens to take action. To do this, you must get your message out through the mass media. Of course, many other individuals and organizations are also seeking public attention through coverage in the media. That is why media attention is so hard to get and so coveted. If you are to win the competition for coverage, you must follow some tried and true rules. Your Own Words in Print -- Or On the Air The best coverage is your own coverage -- your opportunity to have your say in the most persuasive way possible. Newspapers, magazines, and radio and television stations provide opportunities for citizens to make their voices heard through letters to the editor, op-ed pieces, guest editorials, and occasional personal opinion spots. Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper. Legislators read their home newspapers with great care to determine the issues that are gaining local attention. Letters to the editor also raise the consciousness of other constituents and generate calls and letters to the targeted representative. Remember to follow the rules of your particular newspaper in writing letters (some require triple spacing, wide margins, etc.) Include your address and home and work numbers so the newspaper can confirm authorship. Be informative; keep your tone reasonable; try to give your letter a local slant; and, most important of all, keen it short. Edit and proofread carefully for typos, errors in grammar or spelling, and run-on sentences. Op-ed pieces are opinion/editorial essays written by experts outside of the newspaper with something to say about a particular issue. Requirements for op-eds differ depending upon the size of the city and newspaper. In smaller towns and newspapers, a local day care provider may be able to place an op-ed about a child care bill; a doctor may be able to write about family and medical leave. In larger cities and papers, op-eds are generally written by renowned experts in their fields. Television and radio stations allow time for community response to their editorials or coverage. You don't have to be an expert -- just an interested citizen. Find out the rules for guest editorial comments on your local broadcast media, and take advantage of this free air time! In addition, try to get placed as a local expert on television and radio talk shows. Send a letter of introduction containing background information and a clipping or two and suggesting a good news angle for the show in question. Mark the envelope to the attention of the person who screens guests. Follow with a telephone call. Alerting the Media There are many ways to bring your concerns to the attention of local reporters. You can hold a press conference releasing information or statistics; plan a citizens speak-out on a pressing issue; hold a children's lobby day or a write-in campaign. First and foremost, make sure you have a newsworthy event that can be reported. Let's say, for example, that you're trying to get your Congressman to support the Family and Medical Leave Act. Thus far, he has refused to do so. No reporter will be interested in covering this non-event; after all, what will the headline say? "Congressman continues his past position"? Instead, you must create some event that calls attention to his refusal to support legislation important to the women and families of the district. For example, you might hold a Children's Lobby Day in your district, with a "buggy brigade" to the Congressman's office and a children's letter writing session. Or, you may hold a press conference to announce that 10,000 citizens have signed your petition asking the Congressman to support the FMLA. Either of these or any number of other events provide a "hook" for news reports. See How to Conduct Special Events, Chapter Three, for further discussion of newsworthy projects. In addition, it is possible to gain coverage by reacting to events created by others. For example, if the President vetoed the Civil Rights Act, you might want to let reporters know the reaction of the local Women's Political Caucus. Reporters will know about your upcoming event through the press release you send out. The press release is the tried, true and only basic method for informing media about newsworthy events. The following is a basic guide to writing a press release. * Neatness counts. Thousands of releases cross the desks of editors and assignment editors, and a simple method of elimination is to discard those that do not look professional. No typos, misspellings or cross-outs. * Form: The first paragraph must single out the answer to at least two of the five W's: Who, What, Where, Why, and When. The second paragraph should answer all the others. The first paragraph needs an interesting "hook" to get editors to read the release. Include the names of all noteworthy participants. Always use quotation marks and attributions for statements of opinion. Write "-30-" or "-end-" at the end -- it is a standard convention to show press that there is no more text. See the sample releases included in this chapter. * Getting it out: The key to good media coverage is a good mailing list. It should include all media and relevant reporters in the area and should be kept up-to-date. To determine the proper reporters to receive your information, follow the local papers, radio and TV stations to find the most logical contact. In addition, you can call the various media to find out who should be receiving your releases. NEVER send a release to more than one person at the same newspaper. Nothing makes enemies faster than having two editors plan to use the same story in different sections of one day's paper. * The Daybook: In many major cities, Associated Press (AP) and United Press International (UPI) put out a complete teletype list of upcoming events which all TV, radio and print media receive and USE. If you have a solid story, you can telephone it in to the Daybook at least 12 hours before the event without mailing a release, although it is preferable to send a written notice. * Timing: Mailing a press release too early is worse than mailing it too late. If it comes too much in advance, it will be shunted aside and forgotten. On the other hand, if you have a hot last-minute story you can always fax or phone in a release. Mail releases to arrive three to five days before an event. Weekly newspapers may have earlier deadlines, so check with them on proper timing. * Follow-up: Always follow a press release with a reminder phone call. When you call reporters, it is your job to let them know what is going on and their job to decide whether to cover it -- don't badger. Be as succinct and fast as possible. Add any last-minute facts not in the release. When to call: event 10 a.m. to noon -- call from noon to 4:30 p.m. the previous day; event from noon to 2 p.m. -- call from 8 - 9 a.m. same day, or 3:30 - 5:30 previous day; event from 3 - 5 p.m. -- call from 8 - 10 a.m. same day. Press Conferences and Other Special Events Press conferences are used when you have a hot news item, an important announcement, or a special guest or expert. The following tips also apply to special events that have press coverage as at least one of their goals. * Try to hold your press conference/event at an interesting site. Imagine the following lead on your story: "Supporters of the Family and Medical Leave Act gathered today in front of the offices of Bad Guy Corporation, which recently fired Innocencia Goodmother when she needed time off to be with her seriously ill child." But make sure you hold the press conference at an easily-accessible place. * It's best to have your press conference in the morning (approximately 10 A.M. is good), as that will allow most reporters to meet deadline. * Make sure to arrive early and bring plenty of press kits. Press kits should include a copy of your press release, a fact sheet with background data, a list of speakers with their bios, and speaker statements. * When press arrive, ask them to sign-in with their name, affiliation and phone number. * Start on time and keep press conferences short and sweet. Unless you're announcing that war has broken out, never go longer than 45 minutes; it's best to keep it at 30 minutes or less. Open by having your press conference moderator introduce herself and the subject of the press conference. The moderator may be, for example, the local Caucus President, who makes a statement on behalf of the Caucus and then moderates the press conference. The moderator introduces each speaker before he or she speaks. Ask press to hold questions until all speakers have spoken. * If you have a "name," you don't need more than one or two speakers. If you don't have a "name," you need a package -- a grassroots cross-section, specialists you have identified, people who can give the local "spin." For instance, if you want to draw attention to the need for civil rights legislation, you might bring together a local victim of discrimination, a supportive local politician, a supportive local businessperson, and the head of a local civil rights group. * Your room should have facilities for accommodating lighting and sound equipment, including a "mult box" for microphones. Have a podium in front of the room and chairs for reporters set audience style. Try to place a Caucus or issue-oriented sign on the podium. Make sure you set up so that cameras get good angles but print reporters aren't blocked. Media attention to your issue helps you create a supportive "atmosphere" in your district -- an atmosphere that your legislator cares about. Through coverage in newspapers and on radio and television, you can create more citizen lobbyists -- people you won't ever meet who will help you move closer to your legislative goals. SAMPLE PRESS RELEASE--- ANNOUNCING EVENT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Wanda Woman June 7, 1991 Phone: 555-1221 Fax: XXX/ 555-2121 10,000 LOCAL CITIZENS URGE SUPPORT FOR FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE ACT The Small Town Women's Political Caucus will deliver a petition in support of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to Congressman Mushy Middle on Wednesday, June 10. A news conference will be held immediately prior to the delivery of the petition at 10 A.M. outside the offices of Congressman Middle at 10 Main Street, Small Town. Speakers at the press conference will be Innocencia Goodmother, who recently was fired from Bad Guy Corporation when she needed time off to care for a seriously ill child; Sally Strong, who represents a coalition of parents of handicapped children; Fiona Fighter, with the Coalition of Cancer Survivors; and Irma Incharge, President of the Small Town Women's Political Caucus. 10,000 local citizens signed the petition, which asks Congressman Middle to support the Family and Medical Leave Act currently being considered by Congress. Middle has not stated a position on the bill. The FMLA would allow employees of large businesses to take limited unpaid leave to care for newborn or newly adopted children and seriously ill children or parents. -30- OR-end SAMPLE PRESS RELEASE--- MAKING A STATEMENT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Wanda Woman June 14, 1991 Phone: 555-1221 Fax: XXX/555-1212 SMALL TOWN WOMEN'S POLITICAL CAUCUS APPLAUDS MIDDLE VOTE The Small Town Women's Political Caucus (STWPC) today praised Congressman Mushy Middle for his vote in the U.S. House yesterday on the Family and Medical Leave Act. "Congressman Middle proved yesterday that he cares about the working families of the district," said Irma Incharge, President of the STWPC. "His vote puts him on record supporting the thousands of parents in the district who are struggling to be good employees and good parents." Incharge pointed to the 10,000-signature petition the STWPC recently delivered to Congressman Middle as influential to his vote. "We made sure Congressman Middle knew the feelings of his constituents, and we're glad he listened," she said. The Family and Medical Leave Act, ensuring unpaid leave for employers who must take time off to leave for a newborn or newly-adopted child or seriously ill child or parent, passed the House yesterday by a vote of 320-115. -30- OR-end CHAPTER FIVE: WORKING IN COALITION State and local Caucuses and CD Networks motivate their own members to take action on important legislative initiatives. But many times, Caucuses will be interested in legislation significant not only to women but also to other groups. For example, passage of the Civil Rights Restoration Act was a priority for women's organizations and for civil rights groups and religious associations; the Family and Medical Leave Act is of major interest to labor unions as well as women. Drawing together representatives of interested organizations into a coalition to work for a common goal is one way to expand your base of support and increase the pressure on your legislator. Many Caucuses already participate in statewide networks of women's or progressive organizations that lobby the state legislature. For federal issues, however, coalitions tend to be organized around particular bills. This chapter will provide suggestions for forming and working in a coalition. Step One: Determine Your Issue Pick one bill around which to form your coalition. Organizations often differ on issues and priorities; concentrating on one bill on which you all agree will help you avoid conflict. If your Coalition later chooses to continue working together after achieving your initial goals, you can reorganize and reset priorities at that time. Step Two: Forming Your Coalition Identify organizations whose members will have an interest in your issue. Think broadly and make sure to include not only women's organizations but also groups representing other interests. For instance, imagine you are planning to form a coalition to support the Family and Medical Leave Act, a bill to provide unpaid leave for employees who need time off to care for a new baby or deal with a family medical crisis. You should consider inviting a wide range of organizations to join you: women's groups, labor unions, churches and synagogues, parent's organizations, groups for elderly people and associations dedicated to relieving the distress associated with medical problems (cancer patients organizations, groups for parents of the mentally handicapped, etc.). Very often lobbying on federal legislation is spearheaded by a national coalition. Get a list of the coalition's national member organizations; many of the national organizations will have state or local chapters who are natural targets for recruitment into your coalition. Do not assume that local groups whose nationals have not taken a stand will not be interested; often local chapters are autonomous and can determine their own positions on national legislation. Send a mailing to each targeted organization identifying and outlining your desired legislative outcome, the positions of your legislators, and your goals for the coalition. Ask the organization to join the coalition and to send a representative to a planning meeting. A week before your first meeting, call all letter recipients to talk to them, answer questions personally and request their participation. Step Three: Taking Action At your first meeting, after a description of the bill and its current status, outline a list of activities the coalition can take to garner your legislators' support. Ask each organization to take on a specific responsibility and report back at the next meeting. Remember, a bill that is top priority for the Caucus may not be as important to other coalition members, so include duties that are easy to complete as well as those that are more burdensome. A list of possible activities follows. * Announce the formation of your coalition at a press conference (see Press and Public Relations, Chapter Four, for the "how-to's"). A press conference will generate media coverage that will gain the attention of your legislator as well as educate other constituents. If you are properly organized, it can be useful to immediately follow your first coalition meeting with the press conference announcing your formation. This will draw more people to your meeting and will encourage organizations to send their presidents or other high-level representatives. * If you do not hold a press conference, send out a press release announcing the coalition's formation (see Press and Public Relations, Chapter Four, on how to do a press release). * Visit your representatives as a coalition. The broad representation evident during such a visit will impress your legislators. Ask an organization that has a particularly good relationship with a target legislator to plan that meeting and coordinate coalition representation at it. * Ask each organization to inform its members about the legislation and encourage them to contact their legislators. Provide a sample article for a newsletter and make sure to include the names and addresses of target-representatives. Offer speakers for program meetings. * Ask particularly influential community leaders to write op-ed pieces for local newspapers, appear in guest editorials on local news shows, or represent the coalition on a local talk show. If you have these leaders in your coalition, this will be easy; if not, ask coalition members to identify their friends and associates who might fit the bill. See Press and Public Relations, Chapter Four, for hints on Media Relations. * Ask influential community leaders to speak directly with your target legislators about your bill. Again, these can be members of the coalition or others identified by them. Step Four: Saying Thank You Too often we forget to appreciate the hard work done by citizen lobbyists. Remember to thank your coalition representatives and the heads of member organizations. This is especially important the first time you work with a particular organization. Make sure they have good memories so you can continue your association on other issues. Points to Watch Out For Coalitions can be delicate beasts, so handle them with care. Remember that each member organization has its own interests and priorities and respect them. The following tips should help keep your coalition running smoothly. * Make sure to clearly define your coalition goals. No one should speak for the coalition on issues not previously agreed upon. For example, if your coalition is opposed to abortion funding restrictions, do not assume you can speak for the coalition about parental consent laws. * If you do decide to expand your focus, remember to discuss this at a meeting and obtain clearance from all member groups. Even with this procedure, you may find organizations that cannot follow you into new territory or must go through quite time-consuming internal procedures to do so. * Some organizations are prevented by their bylaws from joining coalitions. Many may, however, join "alliances" or "networks", essentially the same thing as a coalition. * For some organizations, the coalition's target legislation will be top priority. These organizations will provide leadership for the coalition. The coalition should enable other organizations to participate to the extent they are able even if those organizations have other top-priority issues and cannot devote much time to your issue. * While a coalition spokesperson should be empowered to speak for the entire group, it is best to recognize individual member organizations as much as possible. As you know, volunteers who put years of time and energy into an organization have a great deal vested in the reputation of that group. If you have stationery, list every member organization. When you divide tasks, allow various groups to spearhead specific events that can be identified with their group. For instance, one group can run the letter writing campaign, another can set up the press conference, a third can develop the speakers bureau, etc. APPENDIX: HOW LAWS ARE MADE In order to affect legislation, you need a basic understanding of Congress' system for introducing, considering, and passing legislation. Only then can you decide who has the most power over a bill, when the bill will be considered, and how you can be most effective in your lobbying efforts. Introduction of the Bill Any Representative or Senator can introduce a bill. Occasionally, the same bill is introduced in the House and the Senate. More often, similar but not identical bills are introduced in the two bodies. In many cases, a bill introduced in one body is not introduced into the other in any form. When a Senator or Representative introduces a bill, she often asks her colleagues to support the bill by signing on as "original co-sponsors" of the measure. These co-sponsors are noted on the draft of the bill. After a bill has been introduced, its sponsor and interested organizations often try to build support by asking other Members of the House or Senate to co-sponsor the legislation. These requests for support usually are made in the form of a "Dear Colleague" letter that is sent to the entire legislative body. Consideration of the Bill All bills are referred for consideration to a committee. Each committee has jurisdiction over all measures affecting a particular area of law. At the beginning of each Congress (every two years), assignments of Representatives and Senators to the committee are made by the leadership of the respective bodies. Committee chairs can "move" a bill (push it along its path toward becoming law) or stall it forever by refusing to schedule it for consideration. Committee chairs, therefore, have a great deal of power. The party holding the majority of seats in each legislative body assigns the committee and subcommittee chairs and holds the majority of seats on all committees, giving that party control over the legislation that is considered by Congress. Bills are referred by their committee chairs to a subcommittee. The subcommittee may hold hearings on the bill, if it is of sufficient importance, and may meet to "mark it up." A "mark up" is the subcommittee's discussion of the measure. Amendments are introduced and argued. Finally, the subcommittee will "pass out" the measure, sending it back to the full committee for final consideration, or vote not to pass it out, thus essentially preventing it from consideration by the full committee. After subcommittee consideration, the full committee will consider a bill. Again, if the bill is sufficiently important the committee may hold public hearings on it, calling in experts and affected citizens to testify on the impact of the legislation under consideration. Women's groups often testify before Congress on bills regarding child care, women's reproductive health, equal opportunity in employment, and a host of other issues. Finally, the committee "marks up" the bill. Afterwards, the committee creates a report on the legislation that can be extremely important; judges charged with interpreting the law, for example, may refer to the committee's understanding of the measure as reflected in its report. Floor Action A bill that has been referred back to the entire body by a committee is considered ready for "floor action." In the House, all bills must go before the Rules Committee before they may be scheduled for floor consideration. The Committee grants the bill a "rule" outlining the terms for its consideration on the House floor. The Committee specifies the length of time for consideration of the bill and whether the rule will be "open" -- allowing amendments from the floor -- or "closed" -- allowing only amendments approved by the relevant committee. In addition to rules limiting the time for debate of a bill, the House also has a general rule prohibiting attempts to place "non-germane" amendments on a bill. Amendments found not relevant to the subject of the legislation under consideration are ruled out of order. In the Senate, rules for consideration are much more lenient because they are designed to give each Senator maximum personal power. Bills can be raised at any time on the floor and debated endlessly. In practice, scheduling and time limits are generally agreed to by the leadership of the Senate, although time limits on debate must be approved by unanimous consent. In the Senate, therefore, a determined minority can kill a bill by "filibuster" -- refusing to yield the floor for a vote. In addition, Senate amendments need not be germane, so any issue can be raised on the floor at any time. To pass, a bill must receive a majority of votes in each house of Congress. Conference Before a bill can become a law, it must be passed in the exact same form by the House and Senate. Often one house will pass a bill and send it for consideration to the other body, where the bill goes through the entire legislative process. Occasionally, both the House and Senate work on similar legislation simultaneously. When both bodies have passed similar but not identical legislation, a conference committee, including members of the House and Senate, is appointed to work out the differences in the bills. The conference committee produces a report, which is sent to each chamber for approval. Presidential Consideration A bill is not law until it is signed by the President. The President has three choices when a bill is presented to him or her, sign the bill into law; take no action, in which case the bill becomes law after ten days unless Congress adjourns during that time; or veto the measure. Congress can then override a veto with a two-thirds vote in each chamber, passing the bill into law without the President's signature. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-==-=-=- National Women's Political Caucus 1275 K Street, NW #750 Washington, D.C. 20005-4051 (202)898-1100 (202)898-0458 fax