Advocacy Guide
Becoming More Involved
At the Local Level
Los Angeles
Patient Education, Services and Support
8800 Venice Boulevard, Suite 207
Los Angeles, CA 90034
(310) 204-7040
(310) 204-7043 fax
Helpline:(800) 500-997
Website: www.lymphoma.org
New York
Research Grants, Professional Education,
Public Policy, Finance and Development
115 Broadway, 13th Floor
New York, NY 10006
(212) 349-2910
(212) 349-2886 fax
Email: L
[email protected]
[email protected]
© 2008 Lymphoma Research Foundation
Table of Contents
Introduction
Why Is Advocacy Important? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
The LRF Public Policy & Advocacy Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Getting Started
Familiarize Yourself With the Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Familiarize Yourself With the Players . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Familiarize Yourself With the Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Working With Policymakers
Communicating With Elected Officials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Meeting with Members of Congress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Advocating Through the Media
Letters to the Editor and Op-Ed Articles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Media Coverage of LRF Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Appendix A:
Website Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Appendix B:
Glossary of Legislative Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
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Introduction to Advocacy
o
ur representative system of government places a special responsibility on
each of us to make ourselves heard among our elected representatives.
In fact, no more important source of information is available to Members of
Congress than the people who live and work in their state or Congressional
District. As a constituent, you represent more than a statistic: you offer personal
experiences that make you uniquely qualified to talk about the issues that matter
most to you.
The information in this guide and the coordinating resources located on the
Lymphoma Research Foundation (LRF) website have been created to assist LRF
Chapter members and volunteers become more involved in advocacy at the
local level. Also known as grassroots advocacy, activities related to educating
and influencing policymakers can affect positive change for the entire lymphoma
community. Federal and state policies affect everything from our nation’s
investment in cancer research to the quality of care that lymphoma patients
receive. Using the resources created especially for LRF volunteers, you will be
able to make the most of your time as an advocate. Whether you are interested
in taking a leadership role in local advocacy efforts or just have a few extra
minutes each month to dedicate to advocacy activity, LRF will make certain
that you have the tools you need to be an effective advocate.
It is through the voice of patients,
survivors, family members and
medical professionals that we can
directly affect how current and future
laws and policies impact Americans
with lymphoma.
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Why Is Advocacy Important?
There are many public policies and programs that influence the healthcare
and treatment options of people with lymphoma. The individuals who
develop these policies (elected officials, policymakers and regulators) all
directly influence the medical treatments we have access to, the type of cancer
research supported by the government, and even the way in which health
insurers pay for cancer care. However, the majority of these decision makers
know little about lymphoma. That is why it is critical for those affected by
lymphoma to become advocates. It is through the voice of patients, survivors,
family members and medical professionals that we can directly affect how
current and future laws and policies impact Americans with lymphoma.
The LRF Public Policy & Advocacy Program
There are a variety of ways in which LRF Chapter members and volunteers
can advocate on behalf of polices that positively affect the lymphoma and
greater cancer communities. These activities are effective, educational and do
not require a major time commitment on your part! The first step is to register
as an advocate on the LRF website. In order to receive regular information
about LRF advocacy activities, you must register at www.lymphoma.org and
indicate that you would like to be involved in LRF’s Public Policy & Advocacy
Program. (If you are already a registered user, you can update your profile by
visiting the LRF website.) Once you are registered, you will be considered a
“LymphomADVOCATE,” and part of the collective voice of the LRF advocacy
network. You will receive action e-mail alerts, or e-alerts, that prompt you to
go to the LRF website whenever there is updated policy news or activities that
require participation from LRF advocates.
It is important to remember that you can be involved as much as you would
like in LRF advocacy activity, and that every contribution of your time brings
us closer to our goals.
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Getting Started
o
nce you have registered as a LymphomADVOCATE, we invite you to
explore the many resources located on the Public Policy & Advocacy
section of the LRF website. There, you will find numerous educational and
training materials that you can use to familiarize yourself with the issues that
are most important to LRF and its members. LRF advocacy focuses on three
national priorities in an effort to achieve our mission:
•To support increased federal spending on lymphoma research;
•To support increased attention to education and awareness about
lymphoma; and
•To support access to high quality cancer care.
At the local level, advocacy helps make these policy initiatives successful.
People often think that there is little they can do to affect the laws made by
policymakers in Washington, DC; but it is constituents - those people who
are represented by and who elect Members of Congress - who have the most
control in influencing and educating policymakers though various forms of
outreach and advocacy.
Familiarize Yourself With the Issues
To be a successful advocate, it is important to understand the best ways to
become involved. The first step in this process is to learn about the policies
and legislation you wish to support. By visiting the LRF website, you will be
able to review LRF’s policy priorities for the year. The majority of the time,
these issues will be very familiar to you: cancer care and funding for lymphoma
research are top priorities for LRF. There may be specific initiatives that LRF
is supporting that may be new to you, but do not worry: LRF will always
provide background information so that you not only understand the issue
at hand, but how it affects lymphoma patients and survivors as well.
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Guide to Legislation
One key to deciphering the legislative process is in understanding that
legislation is grouped into three main categories:
Authorizing legislation
A bill that creates a new federal
program, extends the life of an existing
program, or repeals existing law.
Authorizing bills usually set a limit
on the amount of funds that can be
spent annually by a program over a
period of 3 to 5 years. But it’s important to remember that an authorizing
bill only establishes the framework
for a federal program; it does not
provide funds to operate the program.
Appropriations legislation
A bill that allocates funding for
specific federal programs. Unlike
authorizing legislation, which
remains in effect for 3 or more years,
appropriations bills must be enacted
into law every year.
Entitlement legislation
A measure that guarantees a certain
level of benefits to persons who
meet eligibility requirements set by
law, such as Medicare and Medicaid.
Familiarize Yourself With the Players
Communicating with elected officials and policymakers can have a profound
effect on public policy. As a constituent and LRF advocate, you are in a unique
position to provide elected officials with your expertise and knowledge of
lymphoma; a connection to the lymphoma community; and most importantly,
your vote. Before you can begin communicating with legislators, you must
identify who represents you in Congress and learn more about their areas of
interest, often an effective way to find a link between their priorities and issues
of importance to the lymphoma community.
By visiting the websites of the U.S. Senate (www.senate.gov) and House of
Representatives (www.house.gov) you can link directly to the official websites
of the three Members of Congress who represent you. Take time to read their
biographies, learn about their committee assignments and their legislative
areas of interest. Look for specific links to healthcare and cancer-specific policy
issues, such as membership in the bi-partisan Congressional Cancer Caucus.
Such common links are often a good way to build a rapport with elected
officials. It is also helpful to learn what you can about their staff.
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A Closer Look:
Congressional Staff
Members of Congress (MOC) have one office in Washington, DC and several
offices located in the state or Congressional District they represent. Most
staff members, who you may meet or work with in your role as an advocate,
work in the Washington, DC office unless noted below.
Chief of Staff
The most senior staff member in
a congressional office, the Chief of
Staff oversees the operation of all
the Congressional offices and staff
activity. This person is usually the
MOC’s closest advisor.
Legislative Director (LD)
The LD monitors the legislative
schedule and makes specific
recommendations to the MOC
regarding which polices and
legislation to support.
Legislative Assistant (LA)
LAs are assigned to work on specific
legislative issue areas (health care,
financial services, transportation,
etc.). Each Congressional office will
have several LAs on staff to conduct
research in their specified issue
area(s) and advise the MOC on key
policy decisions.
Press Secretary
Press Secretaries (also called
Communications Directors) work
to gain media exposure for the MOC
and for the policy issues of greatest
importance to them.
Scheduler
Schedulers maintain an MOC’s
calendar and schedule, for official
duties like attending hearings and
for constituent requests, such as
those to attend meetings and speak
at public events.
District Director
A District Director is usually the
most senior staff member located in
an MOC’s district office and will often
represent the MOC when he or she is
in Washington and unable to attend
local events.
Caseworker/ Staff Assistant
Caseworkers, usually located in the
district office, help constituents with
personal issues such as problems
with Social Security or Medicare.
Staff Assistants work in both the
Washington and district offices and
assist with general constituent
requests and clerical duties.
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Congressional staffers are responsible for much of the activity on Capitol Hill.
Not only that, but due to the demands made on the schedule of a Member of
Congress, it is often staff members who meet with constituents. They in turn
relay concerns and information on to their boss. For these reasons it is crucial
to build quality relationships with staff members.
Familiarize Yourself With the Process
To the average person, the process of getting a bill through Congress may seem
highly complex and technical. Actually, the process itself is fairly simple: what
can be confusing is the volume of legislation pending before Congress and the
system Congress has for distributing its work. It is true that Congress handles
a great deal of legislation each year, but only a handful of bills will be of
particular interest to LRF advocates. Once you familiarize yourself with the
issues of greatest importance to LRF and with your elected officials, following
the progress of legislation will become much easier.
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The Legislative Process:
How a Bill Becomes a Law
1.A bill is proposed legislation that
is introduced in the House of
Representatives or the Senate
by a Member of Congress. Any
member of the House or Senate
can sponsor a bill. Once they
submit the legislation, the bill is
assigned a number. (i.e., HR 100
or S 100) and labeled with the
sponsor’s name.
2.After its introduction, the
legislation is assigned to the
appropriate committee. Bills are
then placed on the committee’s
calendar. During this time
commentary about the bill’s merit
are requested by government
agencies and the legislation may
be assigned to a subcommittee
for further consideration.
3.Subcommittees review the bill,
hold hearings to investigate the
bill and report the findings to the
full committee, recommending
approval of the legislation.
4.The full committee then considers the bill. The committee may
“mark up” or make changes
to the legislation at this time.
The committee will vote on the
legislation and if the committee
votes in favor, then the bill
“reports,” with any additional
amendments, to the floor of the
House or Senate for debate and
final vote. After the bill is reported,
committee staff will prepare a
report detailing the committee’s
support for the bill and rational
for any amendments that were
adopted. This report is sent to the
entire chamber and the bill is
placed on the legislative calendar.
5.The bill is voted on. The House
and Senate must approve the bill
in identical form before it can go
to the President for signature.
(If the bill is not identical, a
conference committee, comprised
of members of both the House of
Representatives and the Senate,
will reconcile the two versions of
the legislation and return a
single, final version of the bill to
both chambers for approval.)
6.After the House and Senate pass
the same bill it is sent to the
President. The President can then
sign the bill or veto it.
7.Once signed, the bill becomes
a law.
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Working With Policymakers
c
ommunicating directly with your elected representatives is the most
effective way to keep them informed about the issues that are important
to you. That is why many of the action alerts you will receive from the LRF
national office will ask you to reach out to your federal elected officials. As an
LRF advocate, you have several options when it comes time to communicate
with your elected officials in support of a policy initiative or piece of legislation.
The vast majority of the time, you will be alerted by LRF staff regarding such
issues as they arise. This message will prompt you to visit the LRF website for
additional information, and specifically tell you what action will be most
helpful in garnering support for the policy or legislation under consideration.
Communicating With Elected Officials
Very often, the LRF website will direct you to send letters to federal policymakers or elected officials when a timely or urgent policy issue is being
considered. The website provides advocates with a letter-writing tool that
will allow you to send letters that have already been drafted directly to your
Members of Congress. This user-friendly service will allow you to simply enter
your name and address and deliver your message to Capitol Hill with a click
of the mouse. You can also print your letters, and send them via fax or regular
U.S. mail. (Note that due to heightened security measures at the U.S. Capitol
complex, delivery of mail to federal legislators is often delayed. For this reason,
and the timely nature of most legislation, LRF recommends that you e-mail or
fax letters being sent to Members of Congress.) Either way, you can contribute
to policy change on behalf of the entire lymphoma community in just minutes.
If you have a few extra minutes to spare, you are encouraged to personalize
your letter, to make an even more compelling argument.
In addition to assisting you write and send letters, the LRF website will often
also give you talking points, should you prefer to phone the offices of your
elected officials. While you may not have the opportunity to speak to the
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Member of Congress him- or herself, you will always be given the opportunity
to either leave a message or speak with a staff member. The talking points
scripted for you by LRF will be concise and to the point, but just like a letter,
your message will be improved any time you can personalize the issue to your
own experience with lymphoma. Make certain to leave your name and address
when leaving a message, to ensure that you receive a response and so that the
staff members receiving the message know you are a constituent.
Meeting With Members of Congress
On a limited basis, LRF may offer opportunities for advocates to travel to
Washington, DC to participate in hearings, legislative visits or meetings. While
these opportunities help to raise the organization’s profile, they are certainly
not the only way to meet with Members of Congress. In fact, many legislators
are interested in meeting with constituents when they are in their district
offices, during the time when Congress is not in session. Such meetings provide
a unique opportunity to share information about lymphoma and the policy
measures supported by LRF.
Attending Public Meetings: The Power of Presence
When Members of Congress return to their home states while Congress is not
in session (also known as recess or district work periods) they will often hold
a number of town hall-style meetings around their district. These meetings
are open to the public and provide an opportunity for legislators to share an
update on the work they are doing in Washington, and for constituents to share
issues of concern or importance. You can look for a schedule of these meetings
by calling the offices of your elected officials or consulting their websites. In
addition, many legislators will announce a meeting schedule in local newspapers.
These meetings provide a good opportunity to discuss important lymphomaspecific policy initiatives, and to show legislators that they have many constituents
who care about these issues. That means it is up to LRF advocates and Chapter
leaders to ensure good attendance from local advocates and volunteers. Even if
only one person from the group gets the opportunity to speak, it will make an
impact when he or she lets the legislator know that there are 25, 50, even 100
LRF advocates in the audience!
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Advocacy Do’s…
And Don’ts…
Do be clear and concise when
meeting with your elected representatives. For some legislators, this
will be the first time they have
heard about lymphoma.
Don’t overwhelm your legislators
with too much information or jargon.
Do be specific and personal: relate
your experience directly to the
legislator’s district; tell a personal
story, if you have one, about the
benefits of research or the importance of quality cancer care.
Do think of yourself as a consultant
to the legislator: you have expertise
and insights that can help them
learn more about issues of importance to the lymphoma community.
Do ask the legislator to be supportive of specific policy initiatives.
Do leave behind relevant LRF
materials and any local Chapter
materials you have produced.
Include your business card or
contact information so you can be
reached if there are questions later.
Do follow-up: Send a thank you
note after your visit to both your
legislators and their staff.
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Don’t be afraid to say you don’t
know. Find out and get back to them!
Don’t assume that meetings with
a staff person, rather than the
Member of Congress, aren’t useful:
staff members often prepare
research and background materials
for legislators and advise them on
key votes.
Don’t be intimidated by meeting with
a Members of Congress. Their job
is to assist constituents and work on
their behalf! They will be pleased to
learn more about issues of importance to you.
District work periods also are a good time to invite legislators to attend meetings,
roundtable discussions, or Chapter-sponsored events, like Lymphomathons.
Such events allow legislators to get to know your local LRF Chapter members,
and hear first-hand why they should support policies affecting the lymphoma
community. If you are interested in coordinating such an event or meeting,
contact your local LRF Chapter President or Advocacy Chair.
Legislative Visits
If the opportunity to be a part of a public meeting does not present itself or allow
for serious consideration of LRF policy matters, advocates may wish to arrange
a meeting with legislators in their district offices. Legislative visits are the most
effective method of building a relationship with legislators and provide an opportunity to help educate them on lymphoma. These meetings also help to put a face
on the issue and position you as a credible resource for legislators and their staff.
Being prepared is key to a successful visit. The schedule of a Member of Congress
is always very busy during district work periods, so it is important to request a
meeting early. If you and other LRF advocates wish to schedule a meeting with
your Senators or Representative, please contact your local Advocacy Chair or
National LRF Policy and Advocacy staff.
Cultivate a Legislative Champion
Once you have met with key legislators in your state, whether in a public venue or
a private meeting, write them a thank you letter. Be sure to also send letters to any
staff members you may have met with. These letters provide an opportunity to
thank them for taking the time to meet with you and to supply legislators with any
additional information that they may have requested from you during the meeting.
By meeting with legislators and members of their staff, you are establishing
very important contacts. Regularly sending information on local LRF Chapter
events (i.e. positive news clippings, newsletters, etc.) to the legislators you have
met with can help build and nurture this relationship. Be sure to share with
LRF national staff any feedback you receive from your legislators. This
information will be useful as LRF continues to build a strong coalition of
legislative champions around the country. If you require additional background documents or information on lymphoma for use in follow-up meetings
or correspondence with your legislators, please contact national LRF staff at
[email protected].
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AFTER YOUR MEETING: SAMPLE THANK YOU LETTER TO LEGISLATORS
The Honorable Jane Smith
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Representative Smith:
I would like to thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to
meet with me to discuss issues of importance to lymphoma patients
and survivors around the country. Every day, we are learning more
about the causes of lymphoma, bringing us closer to innovative
treatments, and someday, a cure.
That is why our nation’s investment in understanding and treating
chronic health disorders like cancer should be a top priority. While
we are making major strides in the fight against cancer, funding
for cancer research has remained stagnant. That is why, as your
constituent I urge you to support an increase in the federal
government’s investment in cancer research.
I truly appreciate the interest that you showed in our efforts and
I look forward to working with you on these critical issues in the
months ahead.
Sincerely,
John Constituent
Lymphoma Research Foundation
This letter has been written as a template which you can use after meeting with
your elected officials. Note that every member of a group in attendance at a
legislative visit should send a letter. For an electronic version of this and other
letters you can use to contact your elected officials, visit the Public Policy
section of the LRF website.
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Advocating Through the Media
w
orking with the media allows advocates to educate the greater
community on issues of importance to LRF and its members. In doing
so, advocates are likely to engage people beyond their usual network, and
their messages are likely to get noticed by policymakers, elected officials
and community members who can help prioritize the LRF policy agenda.
By gaining media coverage of local events and activities, local Chapters
also reinforce in the minds of elected officials the presence the local Chapter
maintains in the area and the number of supporters behind its policy priorities.
Letters to the Editor and Op-Ed Articles
When an action alert is sent to LRF advocates, there may be many individuals
in your community who are unaware of the policy issue being considered.
One way to remedy this problem, and potentially garner additional support
for the effort, is to share the information in a different format, namely in
a letter to the editor (LTE) or Op-Ed article in your local daily newspaper.
Without exception, the opinion page is one of the most highly read sections
in any newspaper. And unlike a story written by a journalist, LTEs and Op-Eds
allow for a more focused communication.
In order to submit an LTE, a writer must be responding to a previously written
article. While your local newspaper may not publish many lymphoma-specific
stories, issues like the federal budget and healthcare system are regularly covered
in the media. In responding to an article on either of these topics, for example,
it would be simple to interject the issue of funding specifically for lymphoma
research or access to care issues faced by cancer patients. Using the template
LTEs provided on the LRF website, advocates can work to build greater
support for LRF’s policy agenda by working with the media. Advocates can
also use materials located in the Public Policy section of the LRF website and
“repurpose” the letters and background materials located there to create a
persuasive LTE.
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Three simple rules to
a successful submission:
1.Keep it simple: Letters to the editor and op-eds should address one
main theme.
2.Keep it brief: Letters to the editor should be kept to 150 words or less
and op-eds are generally 750 words in length.
3. Autograph your work: Newspapers will not publish anonymous submissions.
Op-eds, also called opinion pieces, are written specifically to persuade readers
to support an idea or policy. Often, op-eds are written and submitted in
response to an article or previously written op-ed. Op-eds can also be written
in response to a controversial or timely public policy issue. When considering
possible topics, think about recent LRF advocacy alerts and consider which
stories have recently been covered in the newspaper. Both provide potential
topics of interest. Once you have selected a topic on which you would like to
write, visit the LRF website for additional background information, and for
research facts and statistics you can use to strengthen your arguments.
To identify the way(s) in which to submit an LTE or op-ed to your local
newspaper, look for instructions in the Opinion section of the newspaper
or on the publication’s website.
Media Coverage of LRF Events
Garnering coverage of local LRF events generally has less to do with specific
advocacy initiatives and more to do with making LRF’s local presence known.
When policymakers see that an organization has a large presence and wide
membership, they are more likely to remember the issues that are important
to that group.
Working with local LRF Chapter leaders and staff to ensure that members of
the media have been invited to local events, like Lymphomathons, is just another
action advocates can take to support their work. Remember that the media rely
on good stories. If you can supply them with compelling material, you’ll be more
likely to garner positive coverage for your local chapter, which can result in
greater community support for LRF and public understanding of lymphoma.
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Website Index
Online Resources for Advocates
Lymphoma Research Foundation
www.lymphoma.org
The Library of Congress
http://thomas.loc.gov
The Public Policy section of the LFR site
provides advocates with tools and training
as well as the latest information on laws
and policies that affect the lymphoma
community.
Provides information on legislation
introduced in the U.S. House of
Representatives and the U.S. Senate.
Lymphoma Facts
www.lymphomafacts.org
The U.S. House of Representatives
www.house.gov
Useful information for patients and their
loved ones in Spanish, Chinese and
English on lymphoma and lymphoma
treatments.
Easy-to-access information about your
Representative, including their biographies, legislative priorities and committee
assignments. Also includes updates on
legislation currently under consideration
by the House.
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
www.cancer.gov
The U.S. Senate
www.senate.gov
Part of the National Institutes of Health, NCI
coordinates the nation’s research program
on cancer prevention, detection, diagnosis,
treatment, rehabilitation, and control.
Easy-to-access information about your
state’s Senators, including their biographies, legislative priorities and committee
assignments. Also includes updates on
legislation currently under consideration
by the Senate.
American Society of Hematology
www.hematology.org
Provides information and research on the
diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of
disorders affecting the blood and bone
marrow, including lymphoma.
Executive Branch
www.whitehouse.gov/government/exec.
html
Information on the offices of the
President and the Vice President,
and the President’s Cabinet.
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Glossary
An Advocate’s Guide to Legislative Terms
Action Alert: An e-mail message, letter or phone call from LRF staff or representatives,
intended to encourage advocates to contact their Members of Congress in reference to
a particular policy issue.
Adjourn: A motion to adjourn in the Congress will end that day’s session, or that entire
session of Congress (e.g., when Congress adjourns for the year, the legislators will not
return to Washington until January).
Advocacy: Strategic use of LRF materials and representatives to increase awareness
and understanding of lymphoma, and to support legislation and polices that support
the lymphoma community.
Amendment: The addition or subtraction of language to a pending piece of legislation.
Congress must approve all amendments before they become part of the legislation.
Appropriations: A legislative act sanctioning the expenditure of a designated amount
of public funds for a specific purpose (i.e., the amount of federal funds designated to
the Department of Health and Human Services for the National Institutes of Heath).
In the federal government, appropriations are provided in annual appropriations bills.
Authorization: A legal provision that approves appropriations for a specific federal
program or agency. Authorizations can be set for a single year, or a set number of years.
An authorization can be for a fixed amount of money or for “such sums as necessary,”
in which case legislators may choose the amount of the authorization as needed.
Budget Resolution: A concurrent (meaning that it a legislative measure passed by both
the Senate and the House of Representatives) resolution that outlines the congressional
budget. The budget resolution establishes various budget totals, divides spending
totals into functional categories (i.e., transportation), and may include specific
instructions for designated House or Senate committees.
Caucus: An informal group of members of the House, the Senate, or a combination of
the two, that discusses issues of mutual concern, conducts legislative research, and
performs policy planning for its members.
Committee: Subsidiary of the Congress that considers legislation, conducts hearings
and investigations, or carries out other assignments as instructed by the full chamber.
Members are assigned to different committees based on their party affiliation and
seniority.
Committee Chairman: Head of a committee in Congress who oversees committee
activity. The chairman is normally the senior member of the majority party on the
committee
Companion Bill: Similar or identical bills introduced in both the House and the Senate.
Conference Committee: A temporary committee made up of members of both the
Senate and the House that work to reconcile differences in bills that have gone through
both chambers.
Co-sponsor: A Member of Congress who has joined other members in sponsoring a bill.
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Grassroots Advocacy: The process by which an organization or interest group activates
its members or citizens who share an interest to contact their elected officials on
behalf of their shared public policy views.
Hearing: Committee meetings, generally open to the public, held to hear testimony by
expert witnesses on a subject related to current or upcoming legislation, to conduct an
investigation, or to review the operation or other aspects of a federal agency or program.
Legislation: Also called “bills,” they are the documents that lawmakers use to
introduce their proposals to Congress. Each piece of legislation is numbered for ease
of identification. Examples of bills introduced in the House of Representatives are H. R.
4450 and H.R. 1078. Examples of bills introduced in the Senate are S. 2877 and S. 2790.
Legislative Session: The part of the chambers’ daily session dedicated to consideration
of legislative business.
Markup: The process by which committee and subcommittee members debate,
amend, and rewrite proposed legislation.
Member of Congress: Person who is elected in his or her congressional district or
states to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives or the U.S. Senate.
Public Law: A bill that has been passed through both the House and the Senate, signed
by the president, and enacted into law.
Public Policy: A deliberate plan of action to guide decisions made by policy makers
that will achieve outcomes of benefit to the lymphoma community.
Ranking Member: The highest ranking member of a committee from the minority party.
Referral: After a piece of legislation is introduced, it is referred to the committee with
jurisdiction over the subject of that legislation.
Report: A committee’s written record of its actions and views on a bill which is then
submitted to its respective chamber.
Resolution: A non-legislative measure effective only in the chamber in which it was
introduced that does not require action or concurrence by the other chamber, or
approval from the President.
Session: The time frame during which Congress meets and carries out business.
Each Congress has two regular sessions that each last one year.
Sponsor: The primary legislator who introduces a measure, or piece of legislation.
Subcommittee: Subset of a committee, with specific areas of jurisdiction; All
recommendations of a subcommittee must be approved by the full committee before
being reported to the appropriate chamber.
Veto: The procedure by which the president refuses to sign a bill or resolution and thus
prevents it from being made into law. A veto can be overridden by a two-thirds vote in
both the Senate and the House.
Source: U.S. Senate
Advocacy Guide
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NOTES
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Advocacy Guide
4”h x 5”w Pocket
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