Working
for
Animals
A Handbook
for the
Citizen Lobbyist
Make Yourself Heard
ajor decisions affecting
the lives of all animals—
companion animals, wildlife,
and animals in laboratories and on
farms—are made on a regular basis in
the U.S. Congress and in state legislatures.
Your federal and state legislators are public
servants elected by the people. To encourage
your legislators to vote in favor of animals,
you must contact them on key animal protection
legislation.
The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS)
is eager to work with you. We have designed this
handbook to help you become a citizen lobbyist
for animals. We regularly distribute information
on animal protection matters pending before
Congress and in state legislatures. You can find
this information on our website at www.hsus.org;
through HumaneLines, our electronic weekly
action alert via e-mail; and in Humane Activist,
our bimonthly newsletter highlighting our
legislative agenda.
Our legislative success depends largely upon
our HSUS members and members of the Humane
Action Network.
M
I The Humane Action Network
Joining the Humane Action Network is an
excellent way to gain hands-on experience as a
citizen lobbyist. The Humane Action Network
is a national grassroots project of The HSUS that
organizes individuals by legislative district to
develop grassroots support for animal protection
legislation at the state and federal levels. When
urgent action is needed on animal protection
legislation, the network is activated and activists
are called to contact their legislators about a
particular piece of legislation.
Through letters and phone calls to legislators,
activists generate a steady and strong voice for the
animals that often cannot be ignored within the
halls of the U.S. Congress
and state legislatures.
The network reflects a diverse group
of individuals who come from
a variety of different backgrounds
with varying knowledge of the
legislative process and animal
1
protection issues. No prior experience with
legislation is necessary.
To join the Humane Action Network,
please contact The HSUS Government Affairs
staff or visit www.hsus.org/joinactionnetwork.
I
If you are interested in receiving updates on issues
affecting animals, sign up for HumaneLines, a free,
weekly electronic alert distributed by The HSUS and
the Humane Society Legislative Fund. You’ll get a
quick summary of what’s happening in the animal
community and what you can do to help.
To subscribe to HumaneLines, visit
www.hsus.org/humanelines.
I Find Out Who Represents You
Almost every U.S. citizen is represented at the
federal level of government by one member of
the U.S. House of Representatives and two members
of the U.S. Senate (residents of Washington, D.C.,
and U.S. territories are represented by a delegate
or resident commissioner). Two senators represent
each state; there are 100 U.S. senators in Congress.
One representative votes on the behalf of each
congressional district; there are 435 congressional
districts and 435 members of the House of Representatives. It is critical to know your
congressional district to make sure
you contact your representative.
At the state level of government, representation varies. Most
states have a bicameral system,
consisting of both a House of
Representatives (or sometimes
a House of Delegates or
Assembly) and a Senate, similar
to the federal government.
However, one state (Nebraska)
and two U.S. territories (Guam
and the Virgin Islands) have a
unicameral system consisting of
only one governing body—each
legislative district is represented by a single legislator
called a senator. In most states, though, each state
legislative district is represented by one senator and
one, two, or three representatives or delegates. Since
state legislators represent fewer constituents than
federal legislators, a constituent’s opinion can receive
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a great degree of attention.
Therefore, it is imperative to know who
represents you at the state level so
you can contact them to express
your opinion on animal issues.
AN IMPORTANT NOTE: Do not confuse
your federal elected officials with your
state elected officials. Remember that
federal legislators deal only with federal
bills, and state legislators deal only
with state bills.
You can find out who your federal, state, and
local legislators are by calling your local board
of elections or the League of Women Voters or
by accessing the Capitol Advantage website at
www.congress.org. If you run into difficulty,
write The HSUS Government Affairs staff at
2100 L Street, NW, Washington, DC 20037;
call 202-452-1100; or e-mail [email protected].
We are happy to assist you.
I
Contacting Your Legislators
and Their Staff
Letters, phone calls, faxes, and e-mails are all good
ways to deliver your message. Arranging individual
or group visits or attending public events, such
as town hall meetings or county fairs, are excellent
opportunities to establish personal relationships
with your legislators and their staff. Whenever
communicating with your legislators, it is important
to identify yourself (your name and your mailing
address) and the organization with which you work
(if any). Although members of Congress maintain
state or district offices, they spend most of their
time in their Washington, D.C., offices, so it is best
to direct your communications there. Most state
legislatures, however, are not in session year-round,
and some are not even in session every year. While
most legislators have offices in their state capitals,
call their state capital offices first, even when the
state legislature is out of session.
LETTERS are a convenient and effective
way to communicate with your elected officials.
Responsible legislators pay attention to each
letter they receive. Writing personal letters (rather
than resorting to preprinted letters, postcards, or
petitions) is more effective. Although each letter is
viewed separately, the greater the volume of letters
on a particular issue, the greater the impact. So
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encourage others to write, too, because
legislative staffs generally keep count
of the mail they receive in order to
monitor constituent opinion on issues.
If possible, use personal or business
stationary (so that your name
and address will be legible).
Otherwise, clearly print your
name and address under
your signature.
At the federal level, address letters
to your senators as follows:
The Honorable ______________________
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510
Address letters to your representative as follows:
The Honorable ______________________
United States House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
Begin your letters with either
“Dear Senator _______________________:” or
“Dear Representative_________________:”
At the state level, letters can be addressed
in a variety of ways, depending on the state.
Check your state legislature’s website or an
individual legislator’s website for the best address
and find out if letters to your state representative
should be addressed
“Dear Representative_________________:” or
“Dear Delegate ______________________:”
Letters to your senator should be addressed
“Dear Senator____________:”
TELEPHONE CALLS are a fast and direct way
to communicate with your legislators, particularly
when a vote is quickly approaching. When the
receptionist answers the phone, first identify yourself
as a constituent and then ask
to speak with the staff member
who handles animal protection
issues. If you do speak with the
staff member, write down that
person’s name and phone
number so you can contact him
or her directly in the future. If that
staff member is unavailable, ask the
receptionist to record your position
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on the legislation. Remember to state your position
clearly and give your name, address, and telephone
number. It doesn’t hurt to ask the receptionist to
repeat your information to make sure
it was jotted down correctly.
You can reach a member of Congress by dialing
the congressional switchboard at 202-224-3121.
It will save time in the future if you ask either the
switchboard operator or the person who answers
the telephone in the legislator’s office for the direct
dial number. Keep that number handy! You can also
find the contact information for your federal and
state legislators by going to www.hsus.org/leglookup.
FAXES are more immediate than mailed letters,
and that immediacy is crucial when a vote is
imminent. All congressional offices have fax lines.
Contact your legislators’ offices or The HSUS for
individual fax numbers for your records.
E-MAIL is one option for many
legislative offices. At the federal level,
communicating via e-mail is not
very effective since U.S. senators and
representatives receive an incredibly
large volume of e-mails, and your
e-mail is less likely to receive much
attention. At the state level, however,
e-mail is still effective. To ensure that
your opinion is read, make sure you
put the subject, bill number, and whether
you support or oppose the bill on the
subject line.
INDIVIDUAL AND GROUP VISITS to members
of Congress can be an effective way to develop a
personal relationship with your federal legislators
and their staff. To arrange for a visit, call and ask
your legislator’s scheduler for an appointment. In
many cases, the scheduler may ask you to put an
appointment request in writing. In your written
request, you should mention some of the issues
you wish to discuss and how much time you will
need. By doing this, you are establishing a sense
of purpose and structure to the meeting.
Even if you request a meeting with your member
of Congress, you will most likely meet with a staff
member and not the legislator personally due to the
legislator’s busy schedule. If you are able to assemble
a group for a meeting, your chances of actually
meeting with the legislator may improve. If the
legislator is not available, ask to meet with the
5
staff member who handles animal protection issues.
If you are planning a meeting in Washington,
D.C., a staff member from The HSUS may be
available to go along with you. Please call The
HSUS Government Affairs staff in advance to
make arrangements. You can also arrange to meet
with your federal legislators or staff members in
your home state. You can ask the scheduler when
the legislator will be in his or her district or state
to schedule a meeting locally.
Since state legislators generally represent a
smaller number of citizens than federal legislators,
it is likely that you will meet directly with them.
To arrange a visit, contact their offices. Before you
make a call, you may want to write down a few
issues that you would like to discuss at the meeting.
Because state legislators have few staff members,
they may even answer their own phones directly,
so be prepared before you call.
PUBLIC EVENTS give the citizen lobbyist an
excellent opportunity to educate legislators as well
as the public on animal protection legislation. Many
legislators schedule town hall meetings or public
appearances several times throughout the year in
order to hear directly from their constituents. You
can call your legislators’ offices to find out when a
town hall meeting or public appearance is scheduled
for your area. During town hall meetings, legislators
take questions and address concerns from the
audience. When raising an issue, make sure your
comments are brief, polite, and clearly stated.
Effective Lobbying Techniques
eep the following suggestions in mind
when communicating with your legislators.
Incorporating these suggestions will add
to your credibility and help you establish lasting
relationships with them.
BE CONCISE. Your message to legislators should
be a short, simple expression of your opinion. In
most cases, it isn’t necessary to justify your position
with excessive documentation or statistics—your
opinion that a certain practice is cruel, unethical,
or immoral can have a major impact.
If you wish to discuss an issue more fully, The
HSUS would be more than happy to provide you
with supplemental material, such as position papers
or fact sheets. Remember, you don’t need to be an
expert, but you do want to appear knowledgeable,
K
6
and you don’t want to undermine your credibility
with faulty information.
PERSONALIZE YOUR APPEAL. Tell your legislators
why you are concerned about an issue and how
it affects you, your family, and your community.
RESEARCH YOUR LEGISLATORS. Find out on
which committees or subcommittees your legislators
serve. There are certain committees that make
most of the decisions concerning animals at the
federal level, such as the Agriculture Committee
and Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee.
At the state level, many animal protection bills
are referred to the judiciary, natural resources,
or environment committees, in addition to the
agriculture committee. Members of those
committees have significant power over animal
protection legislation. The HSUS can help you
find out which legislators serve on which
committees and subcommittees.
Every year, The HSUS creates and distributes
The Humane Scorecard, which lists how every
member of Congress voted on several pieces
of animal protection legislation. For the citizen
activist, The Humane Scorecard serves as an
effective lobbying tool. Knowing how your legislator
relates to our issues is key in developing
a correspondence with his or her office. For
example, if your legislator often votes
in favor of animals, a “thank
you” is in order before you
ask him or her to
sponsor, cosponsor,
or support another
piece of animal
protection legislation.
If your legislator has a poor
voting record, you can mention
his or her poor record in the
scorecard. You will find that
most legislators with low scores
are surprised at their voting
record. Once they understand that
their constituents are actually watching
how they vote on animal welfare issues, they
may be more likely to cast a favorable vote in
the future. To receive a copy of The Humane
Scorecard, contact The HSUS Government Affairs
staff or visit www.hsus.org/scorecard.
7
IDENTIFY A BILL CLEARLY. When asking a
legislator to support or oppose a bill, it is important
to state the bill’s number and title and also to name
the issue to which the bill refers. As a hypothetical
example, if you are asking your U.S. senator to
support the bill which would prevent downed
animals from being slaughtered, you can say, “Please
support S. 123, the Downed Animal Protection
Act.” Then describe briefly what the bill does.
NOTE: All federal and state bills are given
numbers when they are introduced. At the federal
level, bills originating in the House start with the
letters “H.R.” Bills originating in the Senate start
with “S.” To find out what prefix is given to legislation introduced in your state legislature, visit
your state legislature’s website or call The HSUS.
RESEARCH A BILL. Be informed about the contents
and status of bills about which you are concerned.
You can find a copy of a House or Senate bill and its
status by going to http://thomas.loc.gov. For a copy
of a Senate bill, you can also call 202-224-7860 and
for a copy of a House bill, call 202-226-5200. For
status information on any federal bill, call 202-2251772. For information on state bills, you can either
go to your state’s legislative website or to The HSUS
website at www.hsus.org/stateleg and click on your
state. You will find most bills regarding animal
issues on that page and suggested action you can
take, along with a link to each bill’s status and
text. The HSUS Government Affairs staff also
can provide the information.
FOCUS YOUR MESSAGE. Try to limit each communication to a single issue. Focus your message on
the legislation and try not to broaden the scope of the
issue outside the legislation. Be clear about what you
are requesting—cosponsorship, voting for a bill, etc.
GET TO KNOW THE STAFF. Establish a positive
relationship with legislative staff. Keep in mind
that staff members are often more accessible than
legislators. Staff members are responsible for
keeping legislators informed and for conveying
legislator’s views to constituents upon request.
8
STAY IN TOUCH. Communicate with your
legislators throughout the legislative process—when
a bill is introduced, when it is being considered by
committees, and when it reaches the floor of the
legislative body. (However, be mindful not to call
an office too often so as not to overwhelm or
antagonize the staff.)
KEEP THINGS FRIENDLY. Maintain a positive
relationship with your legislators and their staff.
Threats and hostile or sarcastic remarks are never
productive.
SHOW RESPECT. If you persevere and gain your
legislators’ respect, you are likely to get their
support on at least a few issues.
AVOID PARTY POLITICS. Don’t
make an issue of your own or
your legislators’ political party
affiliation. The animals have
friends in both political parties.
BE FLEXIBLE. Sometimes
compromises must be made
in order for a bill to pass
into law. Try to accept
compromises that don’t
significantly change the
text of a bill and still
improve conditions for
some animals. Understand
that in most cases the
legislative process depends
upon compromise.
EXPRESS GRATITUDE. Thank
your legislators for supporting animal protection
legislation and for opposing harmful legislation.
Whenever possible, let the public know how
helpful your legislators have been.
Understanding the
Legislative Process
hen communicating with your legislators,
know what you are asking of them. Make
sure that you understand whether you want
them to support or oppose a piece of legislation
and exactly what action you want them to take.
Knowing the basic process of enacting legislation
will help you to determine what to ask of your
legislators. (Look to the glossary on pages 13–15
for the definitions of unfamiliar terms.)
W
9
I
Federal Legislative Process
Your first step may be to ask your legislators to
introduce (SPONSOR) a bill. When a bill is introduced
in the House of Representatives or the Senate, it is
referred to the committee that handles the general
subject area. That committee may then refer the
bill to a subcommittee within its jurisdiction. If
a bill has already been sponsored and introduced
by a legislator from another state or district,
you may want your legislators to COSPONSOR the
bill—that is, officially add their names to the list
of representatives or senators who are in favor
of it. Typically, the greater number of cosponsors
a bill has, the greater the chance the bill will gain
additional consideration. Remember, not all bills
introduced in Congress are taken up for a vote.
As a bill makes its way through a committee
and perhaps a subcommittee, it can be amended.
During this process, you may want to ask your
legislator to introduce an amendment to a bill
or to support or oppose another legislator’s
amendment to the bill.
A subcommittee—if it has been referred to
one—and then the entire committee must approve
the bill before it goes to the full House or Senate for
a vote. Members of the appropriate subcommittee
and committee play a major role in the passage of
a bill. If members of the subcommittee or committee
do not vote in favor of the bill, it will never reach
the floor for a vote. After the committee reports
the bill to House or Senate leadership, the bill is
brought to the floor and placed on the calendar
for debate by the full
House or Senate.
A bill needs
to pass in both
the House and
the Senate before
it is sent to the
president to sign
or veto. If a bill
of similar content
is passed separately
in the House and
the Senate with slight
differences, that bill
is sent to a conference
committee consisting of members
10
of both the House
and the Senate. The conference
committee works out the
differences between the two
versions. Once the bill leaves
the conference committee,
it is voted on again by the
full House and Senate.
If the bill passes both
chambers, it is sent to
the president to be signed
into law or vetoed.
At times it may be
useful for you to contact
the White House to ask the
president to sign or veto legislation. Send a
letter to the president at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue,
NW, Washington, DC 20500. You can call the
White House comment line at 202-456-1111, fax
the White House at 202-456-2461, or e-mail the
president at [email protected].
I State Legislative Process
Although the legislative process at the state level
is generally similar to the federal process, it does
differ slightly from state to state. Contact The
HSUS or visit your state’s legislative website
to see how your state legislature operates.
One major difference between the federal
and state processes is that in almost all states,
committees hold a public hearing on a bill before
committee members place their votes. This allows
the citizen lobbyist the opportunity to testify for
or against a particular bill and have the testimony
put on the record. Usually, the committee then
votes on the bill; however, at the state level, the
committee chair has a lot of power and may choose
to “hold” the bill and not allow it to advance. If it
passes (as introduced or with amendments), it is sent
to the full floor for consideration. If the bill passes
on the floor, it is sent to the other side of the
legislature to follow the same process (except in
the case of unicameral legislatures). If the second
chamber amends the bill, it goes back to the first
chamber for approval and if there is disagreement,
the bill is sent to a conference committee. If the bill
is not further amended, it is sent to the governor to
be signed into law or vetoed.
11
How a Federal Bill Becomes a Law
A BILL IS INTRODUCED
SENATE
HOUSE
COMMITTEE
COMMITTEE
SUBCOMMITTEE
SUBCOMMITTEE
SENATE FLOOR
HOUSE FLOOR
SENATE
HOUSE
COMMITTEE
COMMITTEE
SUBCOMMITTEE
SUBCOMMITTEE
CONFERENCE COMMITTEE
SENATE FLOOR
PASS
HOUSE FLOOR
PRESIDENT
VETO
SENATE FLOOR
12
HOUSE FLOOR
Glossary*
The following terms will help you to understand
and communicate effectively about the legislative
process.
ACT: A bill once it has been signed into law (that is,
passed by both the House and the Senate and either
signed by the president or passed over his veto).
AMENDMENT: A change to a bill by adding,
substituting, or omitting a portion of it.
APPROPRIATION BILL: Legislation that provides
funds for authorized programs.
AUTHORIZATION BILL: Legislation that defines
or creates a program with distinct funding levels.
BILL: Legislation introduced by a member of
Congress or a state legislature. (At the federal
level, House bills are designated “H.R.” and
Senate bills are designated “S.”)
BUDGET: Congress’s proposal for federal spending
during a given fiscal year.
COMMITTEE: A group of House or Senate members
assigned to give special consideration to certain
bills. Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to
the appropriate committee(s) for consideration.
The committee(s) usually refer the bill to
a subcommittee.
COMPANION BILLS: Identical bills introduced
separately in both the Senate and the House.
CONFERENCE COMMITTEE: A group of Senate and
House members assigned to reconciling differences
between similar bills that have been passed by the
House and the Senate.
CONFERENCE REPORT: The outline of changes to
a bill that have been agreed upon by the conference
committee. The report must be accepted by the
House and the Senate for the bill to be approved.
CONGRESSIONAL HEARING: An official meeting
of a committee or subcommittee held to obtain
information on a bill or an issue.
COSPONSOR: A member who joins in sponsoring
legislation but who is not the principal sponsor,
that is, the one who introduced the legislation.
*Definitions reproduced in part from Congress at Your Fingertips®,
©2002, courtesy of Capitol Advantage.
13
FLOOR: The area where the business of the full
Senate or House is conducted.
LEADERSHIP: The most powerful members of the
majority and minority parties—elected by the other
members of Congress or the state legislature. “The
leadership” usually refers to the majority party
members.
LOBBYING: The practice in which citizens or interest
groups seek to influence the action on proposed
laws through communication with an elected
federal, state, or local legislator or his or her staff.
MAJORITY LEADER: Chief spokesperson and strategist
for the majority party, elected by members of the
majority party. In the Senate, the majority leader
is first in command, although technically the vice
president of the United States is the president of the
Senate. In the House, the majority leader is second
in command behind the Speaker of the House.
They control the schedules and agendas in their
respective chambers.
MARK-UP: The process, usually in the committee or
subcommittee, of analyzing a bill section by section
and making changes.
MOTION TO RECOMMIT: A call to send a bill that
is currently being considered on the floor back
to the committee for further consideration.
ON THE FLOOR: When a bill is being debated
or voted on by the full House or Senate.
RANKING MINORITY MEMBER: The senior member
of the minority party on any given subcommittee
or committee.
RECESS: When Congress temporarily adjourns.
REGULATION: A rule or order issued by the executive
branch of government that has the force of law
and usually is authorized by a law.
REPORT: 1. A document outlining a committee’s
(or subcommittee’s) opinion and actions on a bill.
2. The act of a committee (or subcommittee)
concluding its consideration of a bill and referring
the bill to the full Senate or House to be placed
on the legislative calendar for consideration.
RESOLUTION: Legislative action used to express
the position of the House or the Senate but
without the force of law.
14
RIDER: An amendment that has been attached to
an unrelated bill so that the amendment will slide
easily through passage. Riders are often attached
to appropriation bills.
ROLL CALL VOTE: In the House, an oral vote for
which a record is kept.
RULES: Regulations governing the conduct and
processes of the Senate and the House. For instance,
the Rules Committees in the Senate and the House
are responsible for determining if a bill complies
with the conditions for consideration and what
amendments will be allowed to be offered.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: The presiding officer in
the House elected by members of the House. The
Speaker is second in line (after the vice president)
to succeed to the U.S. presidency.
SUBCOMMITTEE: A division of a committee having
a more specific area of jurisdiction.
SUSPENSION OF THE RULES: A procedure in the House
whereby a two-thirds majority can vote to bring
a bill to a vote after 40 minutes of debate.
TABLE: A move to kill an amendment or bill by
cutting off consideration of it.
UNANIMOUS CONSENT: A procedure whereby a bill
or amendment is considered agreed to if no member
on the floor objects.
VETO: The act by which the president or governor
rejects a bill, returning it to Congress or the
legislature along with a message stating his or
her objections. Congress and state legislatures
can override a veto with a two-thirds majority
in both the House and the Senate.
WHIP: The assistant to the party leader in the House
or Senate who is responsible for rounding up votes
on bills.
15
Contacting The HSUS
Government Affairs Staff
or assistance, contact The HSUS Government
Affairs staff at The HSUS, 2100 L Street, NW,
Washington, DC 20037. You can speak directly
to a staff member during working hours by calling
202-452-1100. You can also e-mail us at
[email protected].
F
Humane Society Legislative Fund (HSLF)
Launched in 2005 with the historic union of The HSUS
and The Fund for Animals, the HSLF is a 501(c)(4)
lobbying organization that will enhance our legislative
work for animal protection at the federal and state
levels. Visit www.fund.org for more information.
Reference Websites
I
The HSUS: www.hsus.org
I
Federal Legislation Homepage: www.hsus.org/fedleg
I
State Legislation Homepage: www.hsus.org/stateleg
I
Action Alert Homepage: www.hsus.org/actionalerts
I
Citizen Lobbyist Center: www.hsus.org/citizenlobbyist
I
Humane Society Legislative Fund: www.fund.org
I
Legislator Identification Homepage:
www.hsus.org/leglookup
I
Humane USA PAC: www.humaneusa.org
I
The U.S. Senate: www.senate.gov
I
The U.S. House of Representatives: www.house.gov
I
State Legislature Contact Information:
www.hsus.org/statelegcontact
I
Capitol Advantage: www.congress.org
(Use this website to identify who represents
you at the federal, state, and local level.)
I
Federal Legislative Information: http://thomas.loc.gov
(This website is useful for looking up specific
bills that are pending before Congress.)
I
Voter Information: www.fec.gov
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Promoting
the protection
of all animals
©2006 The HSUS. All rights reserved.
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