How RESULTS Influences Congress
First, as activists we learn where our members of Congress stand on each of the issues we care about. Then we work step by step to win them over to our side. If they oppose us on an issue, our job is to make them neutral. If they’re neutral, our job is to make them a supporter. And if they’re a supporter, our job is to turn them into a champion. No matter how long it takes, we keep working step by step until we’ve helped create a champion. Along the way, we’re guided by a basic understanding of how members of Congress do their jobs. Most members of Congress are informed by the following sources: colleagues, staff members, constituents, the media, experts, and their own experiences. And when they consider taking an action, they’ll ask themselves:
Keeping these considerations in mind will make you a more effective advocate. For instance, RESULTS will ask you to meet face to face with your members of Congress. This is a very powerful way to discuss issues and ask for action. It’s also a great way to develop a relationship with representatives and senators, which is the key to building trust and gaining influence over the long term. For even greater effectiveness, we suggest you recruit other key constituents to work with your group — community leaders, religious leaders, and others whose opinions are particularly important to members of Congress. You’ll also develop relationships with the staff members working for your representative and senators. Because there are so many issues for members of Congress to follow, they rely a great deal on their staff to know the details. So, building good relationships with congressional staff in Washington and in your member’s local office is critical. Congressional staff are the gatekeepers, and they can become your “inside lobbyist” if you can get them on your side. When you send letters to Congress, or call your senators’ or representative’s aides month in and month out, you’ll be educating them and getting them on your side. RESULTS will train you in the most effective ways to build relationships with congressional staffers. Members of Congress are also influenced by their colleagues. That’s why you’ll urge your members of Congress to talk to leaders of key congressional committees responsible for our issues. Here’s a quick story to illustrate the power of this approach. From 1994 to 2000 Representative Sonny Callahan chaired the committee in the House of Representatives responsible for the foreign aid budget. In one of his last speeches as chairman, he said that more of his colleagues had expressed support for international child health programs than for any other program in the foreign affairs budget, and that he considered it the most important issue that he had ever worked on in Congress. It was RESULTS volunteers around the country who urged their members of Congress to speak to Representative Callahan — volunteers like you made this happen! Members of Congress are also influenced by the media — both local and national. We’ll teach you on how to generate media, especially print media. You’ll get help with writing letters to the editor and opinion pieces, and meet with your local editorial writers to get your newspaper to take our stance. I’ve seen how media coverage can influence what happens in Washington. For example, volunteers helped generate hundreds of pieces of media in 2008 calling for an expansion of children’s health insurance. Largely because of this media coverage, a bill which we supported was recently signed into law. Learning How Congress WorksLearn about the legislative process and how a bill becomes a lawLearn about the budget and appropriations process |
The goal of RESULTS is to create champions in Congress. A champion is not someone who merely votes the right way or supports a bill that we support. A champion is a member of Congress who makes one of our issues a priority and goes to the mat for it. Champions don’t just want to do their part; they want to do more than their part.