EDUCATING YOUR MEMBERS
OF CONGRESS
HOW TO PREPARE FOR THE CONGRESSIONAL BREAKFAST
AND CAPITOL HILL VISITS ON MARCH 3, 2015
HOW TO PREPARE FOR THE CONGRESSIONAL RECEPTION
AND CAPITOL HILL VISITS
BEFORE COMING TO WASHINGTON DC
It is your responsibility to schedule appointments to meet with your Representatives and Senators! You can find a list
of your Senators at www.senate.gov and Representatives at www.house.gov. Both sites will have a “search” drop
down box where you can click on your state and get contact information for your legislators. If you have any
questions or require additional information, please contact the National Healthy Start Association office for
assistance.
 On page 3, you will find a sample letter that can be used as a template to schedule appointments on Capitol
Hill.
 States with more than one Healthy Start project are encouraged to work together to schedule your Hill
appointments, especially with Senators, since each Senator represents an entire state. You may need to
make separate appointments for your House members, since they represent specific districts within a state.
We suggest you appoint someone at one project in your state to take the lead on making your joint
appointments.
 Prepare your materials about your Healthy Start project as “leave-behind” materials for each Congressional
office where you plan to meet.
o See “Preparing Your Leave-Behinds” on page 4.
Be certain to have your appointments scheduled before you depart for Washington, DC!
DURING CAPITOL HILL VISITS
1. Every meeting with a Congressional office should consist of three parts:
 Introduction – brief overview of your project including topics such as program name, service area, and
key accomplishments over the past year.
 Personal story – a consumer should provide a personal story of how Healthy Start has made a positive
impact on his/her life.
 Ask – ask the Representative, Senator, or staff to sign the appropriations letter that is being circulated
in the House and Senate.
o You will be provided with a copy of the appropriations letter before you go to Capitol Hill.
Before you start a meeting, determine who in your group will be speaking. Remember that you
must be flexible! Some meetings will take place in an office while others might take place in a
hallway or elevator. Some meetings will last 20 minutes and some will last 5 minutes. Some
meetings will start on time and some will start late. If the Senator or Representative is stuck in
a hearing or in another meeting, then you will meet with staff. This is completely fine and
should be expected. Congressional Staff are very important!
2. Be sure to leave behind materials about your program along with other materials you will receive when you
arrive in Washington.
3. Be sure to ask for the business cards of the staff people with whom you meet and provide them with your
business card as well.
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Sample Letter To Schedule Capitol Hill Visits
Copy & paste this letter on your letterhead and email it
to the Scheduler in the offices of your two Senators and House Member(s).
The Honorable (First and Last Names)
(Address)
Washington, DC 20510
RE: Meeting Request for Tuesday, March 3, 2015
Dear Representative or Senator (Last Name):
On behalf of the (name of Healthy Start project) in (name of city), I am writing to request a meeting with you on
Tuesday, March 3, 2015, between 10:30 am and 3pm. I will be in Washington, D.C., participating in the National
Healthy Start Association’s Annual Spring Conference and would greatly appreciate the chance to provide you with
an update on our work.
I would also like to extend an invitation to you and your staff to attend the National Healthy Start Association’s
Congressional Breakfast on Capitol Hill. This event will be on Tuesday, March 3, 2015, from 8:30 to 10:00am at the
Hyatt Regency Capitol Hill in the Regency Ballroom.
Healthy Start is a federally-funded program that operates in 101 locations throughout the country. During our meeting
together, I will ask for your continued support of community-based Healthy Start programs and services such as
outreach, home visitation, case management, health education, perinatal depression screening, interconceptional
care, and other effective approaches to ensure optimal birth outcomes. These types of community-based services
not only save lives but also save billions of dollars in health care costs.
Thank you for considering this request. I can be reached at (Phone Number) or (email).
Sincerely,
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PREPARING THE MATERIALS YOU WILL LEAVE WITH YOUR
CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATIVES
Members of Congress, or their staff person, meet with many people during the course of each day. It is important that
you prepare packets to “leave behind” so they can review them and have available for future reference. The following
is an excerpt from the Summer 2001 issue of Getting off to a Healthy Start, NHSA’s newsletter:
As part of the Kansas City (MO) Healthy Start’s grassroots legislative strategy, the project prepared
an attractive booklet to use as a “leave behind” for visits to elected officials. The 14-page booklet
describes the Healthy Start program and service areas, gives contact names and numbers, and,
most significantly, contains letters from clients about the importance of the Healthy Start initiative in
their lives. Clear, crisp photographs of moms, babies, and families accompanied the letters.
As you plan to meet with your legislators, prepare your own project’s “leave-behinds” – something that is attractive,
concise, convincing, and that tells the Healthy Start story in the words of the consumers themselves. Your Members
of Congress cannot help but be moved by the clients’ stories and impressed by the Healthy Start program.
SUGGESTED MATERIALS FOR THE “LEAVE-BEHINDS”
CONSIDER INCLUDING SOME OR ALL OF THESE IN YOUR PACKET:





Map of your project area (this will clearly show your elected official where you fit into his/her district).
Statistics – just a few! – that will provide solid information about why Healthy Start needs support. For
example, how your infant mortality rate has dropped under Healthy Start, how many people you employ,
how many women accessed early prenatal care compared to before Healthy Start came to your community,
or how many pregnant moms stopped smoking.
Clear photocopies of print media about your project, e.g., news articles where your project is favorably
mentioned or a report on an event.
Project’s brochure, “fact sheet” or other standard materials you use to inform about your program.
Include community partners to illustrate how you are working with other organizations to leverage resources.
ANOTHER KIND OF LEAVE-BEHIND
If your project has materials with company logo or project pictures, consider leaving those with the staff person you
meet with. Examples include t-shirts, mugs, pens, mini-first aid kits, etc. Staff will appreciate the thought as well as
having something on hand to remind them of your visit and the great work of your program.
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PROTOCOL FOR YOUR VISITS ON CAPITOL HILL
AND THE CONGRESSIONAL BREAKFAST
GIVE YOURSELF PLENTY OF TIME BETWEEN APPOINTMENTS.



Try to schedule your visits at least one hour apart, because a delay in one office can set you back for the
remainder of your schedule.
Make sure you have the locations and telephone numbers for all of your visits, so that you can also call
ahead if you expect to be late.
Likewise, if you finish early, you can always call ahead to the next office to see if they would welcome an
earlier visit than previously scheduled.
WEAR PROFESSIONAL ATTIRE AND COMFORTABLE SHOES!


First time visitors to Capitol Hill in Washington do not realize that there is a lot of walking involved in meeting
with various Members of Congress, whose offices can be scattered across large buildings on both the
House and Senate sides.
It’s important to make a professional impression with your clothing selection, so choose business attire
which allows you to walk considerable distances in comfort.
IT’S IMPORTANT TO ACTIVELY MINGLE AT CONGRESSIONAL EVENTS.

There are hundreds of events on Capitol Hill every year.

Many organizations host receptions for Congressional guests so that it is easier for Members of Congress to
stop by and see their constituents.

Very seldom do guests sit down during such receptions, because the intent is to move around, be engaged
in many different conversations and to create an environment that is welcoming and pleasant for all. The
chairs around the room are used primarily for those having difficulty standing. So please wear comfortable
shoes!

During the Congressional Breakfast, Members of the House of Representatives and Senators will be coming
in at various times to receive awards and make brief remarks. Please be quiet when they are receiving the
award so that everyone can hear the nice things they have to say about Healthy Start!
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2015 CAPITOL HILL VISITS
REPORTING FORM
Return this form to the National Healthy Start Association. Complete a separate form for each Member of Congress (Senator or
Representative) with whom you meet. Additional forms will be available at the conference.
PLEASE PRINT NEATLY!
Name of Healthy Start Project
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
City/State
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Name of the Member of Congress with whom you met (or names & titles of Staff – please attach their business cards!)
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Results of Meeting:
1.
Did your Congressional member agree to support full funding of the Healthy Start Program and sign the letter going to the
Appropriations Committee?
 Yes
 No
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
2. Did your Congressional member agree to visit one of your programs during an upcoming Congressional recess?
 Yes
 No
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
3. Should Healthy Start funding be opposed, what concerns does your legislator have?
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
4. Any additional comments, questions or concerns.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
5. Did you leave materials behind?

Yes

No
6. Names & Titles of Project representatives in attendance:
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Return this form to NHSA in R the Ballroom Level of the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill on March 3 until 5pm. You
may also send after the conference via email to [email protected].
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THE ROLE OF THE CONGRESSIONAL STAFF
Each member of Congress has staff to assist him/her during a term in office. To be most effective in communicating
with Congress, it is helpful to know the titles and principal functions of key staff.
COMMONLY USED TITLES AND JOB FUNCTIONS
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT (AA) OR CHIEF OF STAFF (COS): The AA reports directly to the member of Congress.
He/she usually has overall responsibility for evaluating the political outcomes of various legislative proposals and
constituent requests. The AA is usually the person in charge of overall office operations, including the assignment of
work and the supervision of key staff.
LEGISLATIVE DIRECTOR (LD), SENIOR LEGISLATIVE ASSISTANT (SR LA), OR LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL (LC): The LD is
usually the staff person who monitors the legislative schedule and makes recommendations regarding the pros and
cons of particular issues. In some congressional offices there are several LAs and responsibilities are assigned to
staff with particular experience in specific areas. For example, depending on the responsibilities and interests of the
member, an office may include a different LA for health issues, environmental matters, taxes, etc.
PRESS SECRETARY (PRESS) OR COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR (COMM DIR): The Press Secretary’s responsibility is to
build and maintain open and effective lines of communication between the member, his/her constituency, and the
general public. The Press Secretary is expected to know the benefits, demands, and special requirements of both
print and electronic media, and how to most effectively promote the member’s views or positions on specific issues.
APPOINTMENT SECRETARY (APPT), PERSONAL SECRETARY, OR SCHEDULER (SCH): The Appointment Secretary is
usually responsible for allocating a member’s time among the many demands that arise from congressional
responsibilities, staff requirements, and constituent requests. The Appointment Secretary may also be responsible for
making necessary travel arrangements, arranging speaking dates, visits to the district, etc.
CASEWORKER: The Caseworker is the staff member usually assigned to help with constituent requests by preparing
replies for the member’s signature. The Caseworker’s responsibilities may also include helping to resolve problems
constituents present in relation to federal agencies, e.g., Social Security and Medicare issues, veteran’s benefits,
passports, etc. There are often several Caseworkers in a congressional office.
OTHER STAFF TITLES: Other titles used in a congressional office may include: Executive Assistant, Legislative
Correspondent, Executive Secretary, Office Manager, and Receptionist.
From: Congress at Your Fingertips, 108th Congress, 1st Session, 2003, p. 24
Capitol Advantage, Merrifield, Virginia
As you meet with Congressional Staff, please ask for their business cards and return them with your Hill Report forms to NHSA
in Regency B on the Ballroom Level of the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill on March 3 until 5pm. You may also send
after the conference via email to [email protected].
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AN OVERVIEW OF THE CONGRESSIONAL AUTHORIZATION PROCESS AND
THE APPROPRIATIONS PROCESS
Securing federal funding from Congress requires a two-step process. The program can be “authorized,” and the
funds must be “appropriated.” Program need not be re-authorized in order to be funded through appropriations.
THE AUTHORIZATION PROCESS
AUTHORIZATION COMMITTEE
The House and Senate have many different committees that manage legislation not related to the annual budget
process. These committees oversee changes to all other areas of federal lawmaking. If Congress is in the process of
authorizing a program like Healthy Start, it must include “authorization for funding” language in the legislation to
instruct the appropriators as to the general amount of funding they see as necessary to carry out the intention of the
program. One of the first organizational goals of the NHSA Board was the authorization of Healthy Start funding to
ensure funding for expansion of Healthy Start community based initiatives to address infant mortality.
AUTHORIZATION SUBCOMMITTEE
Healthy Start falls under the Health Subcommittee of the Energy and Commerce Committee in the House of
Representatives and under the Children and Families Subcommittee of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions
Committee in the Senate. This is where bills start their process towards becoming law. Bills then move through the
full committee and eventually to the full House or Senate.
THE APPROPRIATIONS PROCESS
Every year, Congress must pass and send 12 separate appropriations bills to the President in order for the federal
government to remain funded. These bills formally stipulate how much money is to be appropriated to various federal
programs for the coming fiscal year.
APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEES
Both the House and Senate have full appropriations committees that review and approve each of the 12
appropriations bills, which are then sent to the House or Senate for approval. By the time both chambers have
passed these bills, any differences between them must be ironed out through conference committees before being
sent to the President. Only upon the President’s signature can the programs receive federal funding for that budget
year.
APPROPRIATION SUBCOMMITTEES
For each of the 12 appropriations bills, there is a subcommittee assigned to review a group of programs and their
funding. For Healthy Start, this subcommittee is the Labor, Health and Human Services subcommittee. This is where
the review of Healthy Start funding begins each year and where, if approved by the subcommittee; it usually
proceeds through the full committees and the full House or Senate without problem.
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FISCAL YEAR 2016 BUDGET
APPROPRIATIONS TIMELINE
What happens between your visits and October 1, when Fiscal Year 2016 begins? This is the way the process
normally works:
FEBRUARY
President Obama submitted his proposed budget to Congress with flat funding
for Healthy Start in the HHS budget.
MAY/JUNE/JULY
Appropriations committees hold hearings and markups on spending
AUGUST
Congress takes summer recess
SEPTEMBER
Conference committees meet, final votes are held and presidential signature
brings the budget process to a close
OCTOBER
October 1, 2015 is when fiscal year 2016 begins - If Congress has not approved
a budget, a series of continuing resolutions will be passed until final action is
taken on the 2016 budget.
HOW A BILL BECOMES LAW
INTRODUCTION: Anyone may draft a bill; however, only members of Congress can introduce legislation and, by doing
so, become the sponsor(s). There are four basic types of legislation: bills, joint resolutions, concurrent resolutions,
and simple resolutions. The official legislative process begins when a bill or resolution is numbered – H.R. signifies a
House bill and S. a Senate bill – referred to a committee and printed by the Government Printing Office.
STEP 1. REFERRAL TO COMMITTEE: Bills are usually referred to standing committees in the House or Senate according
to carefully delineated rules of procedure.
STEP 2. COMMITTEE ACTION: When a bill reaches a committee it is placed on the committee’s calendar. A bill can be
referred to a subcommittee or considered by the committee as a whole. It is at this point that a bill is examined
carefully and its chances for passage are determined. If the committee does not act on a bill, it is the equivalent of
killing it.
STEP 3. SUBCOMMITTEE REVIEW: Often, bills are referred to a subcommittee for study and hearings. Hearings provide
the opportunity to put on the record the views of the executive branch, other public officials, supporters, and
opponents. Testimony at hearings can be in person or submitted in writing.
STEP 4. MARK UP: When the hearings are completed, the subcommittee may meet to “mark up” the bill, that is, to
make changes and amendments prior to recommending the bill to the full committee. If a subcommittee votes to NOT
report legislation to the full committee, the bill dies.
STEP 5. COMMITTEE ACTION TO REPORT A BILL: After receiving a subcommittee’s report on a bill, the full committee
can conduct further study and hearings, or it can vote on the subcommittee’s recommendations and any proposed
amendments. The full committee then votes on its recommendation to the House or Senate. This procedure is called
“ordering a bill reported.”
STEP 6. PUBLICATION OF A WRITTEN REPORT: After a committee votes to have a bill reported, the chairman instructs
staff to prepare a report on the bill. This report describes the intent and scope of the legislation, impact on existing
laws and programs, position of the executive branch, and views of dissenting members.
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STEP 7. SCHEDULING FLOOR ACTION: After a bill is reported back to the chamber where it originated, it is placed in
chronological order on the calendar. In the House there are several different legislative calendars, and the Speaker
and Majority Leader largely determine if, when, and in what order bills come up. In the Senate there is only one
legislative calendar.
STEP 8. DEBATE: When a bill reaches the floor of the House or Senate, there are rules or procedures governing the
debate. These rules determine the conditions and amount of time allocated for debate.
STEP 9. VOTING: After the debate and the approval of any amendments, the bill is passed or defeated by Members
voting.
STEP 10. REFERRAL TO OTHER CHAMBER: When a bill is passed by the House or the Senate it is referred to the other
chamber where it usually follows the same route through committee and floor action. This chamber may approve the
bill as received, reject it, ignore it, or change it.
STEP 11. CONFERENCE COMMITTEE ACTION: If only minor changes are made to a bill by the other chamber, it is
common for the legislation to go back to the first chamber for concurrence. However, when the actions of the other
chamber significantly alter the bill, a conference committee is formed to reconcile the differences. If the conferees are
unable to reach agreement, the legislation dies. If agreement is reached, a conference report is prepared describing
the committee members’ recommendations for changes. Both the House and the Senate must approve the
conference report.
STEP 12. FINAL ACTIONS: After a bill has been approved by the House and Senate in identical form, it is sent to the
President. If the President approves of the legislation, he signs it, and it becomes law. Or, the President can take no
action for 10 days, while Congress is in session, and it automatically becomes law. If the President opposes the bill
he can veto it; if he takes no action after Congress has adjourned for its second session, it is a “pocket veto” and the
legislation dies.
STEP 13. OVERRIDING A VETO: If the President vetoes a bill, Congress may attempt to “override the veto.” This
requires two thirds roll call of the members who are present in sufficient numbers for a quorum.
From: Congress at Your Fingertips, 108th Congress, 1st Session, 2003, pp. 25-26
Capitol Advantage, Merrifield, Virginia
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ADVOCACY REQUIRES A
YEAR-ROUND EFFORT!
AFTER YOUR CAPITOL HILL VISITS
Complete a separate Hill Visit Report Form for every visit you make.
 Complete the form as soon as you can, while the information is still fresh.
 Attach any business cards you collected during your visits.
Turn in your completed Hill Visit Report Forms.
 Turn in your report forms to Madie Robinson or Regina Davis Moss on March 3, 2015. They will be
located in the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill in Regency B on the Ballroom level until 5pm.
 You may also email forms with business cards after the conference to [email protected].
WHEN YOU RETURN HOME

Send a short ‘thank you’ email to the staff member you met with for taking the time to meet with you.
Reiterate the points you made during your meeting and be sure to provide any information you said you
would obtain when back home.

Include your lawmakers throughout the year in your press conferences, community meetings, and
special events. Since visibility is important to lawmakers, make them look good by inviting their
participation. In turn, they will be publicly identified as supporters of Healthy Start.

Add your lawmakers to your mailing and email lists.
REMEMBER:
Year-round advocacy should include not only your elected officials who represent your project in
Washington, DC but also your state and local elected officials.
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