Global Action January 2010Schedule Face-to-Face Meetings with Your Members of Congress During an Upcoming Recess2010 will be a pivotal year for our work to alleviate global poverty and hunger & there are only five years left to fulfill the world’s promise to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), a set of eight globally-agreed upon targets to cut poverty in half by 2015. In September 2010, world leaders will gather at the UN Heads of State Summit on the MDGs to assess progress towards these goals, and President Obama has pledged to attend this summit with a plan to achieve the MDGs. The U.S. cannot nor should not work alone, but 2009 taught us that donor and developing countries alike are looking to the U.S. to provide the necessary leadership to increase funding for development assistance in challenging economic times and foster global cooperation to improve the impact and effectiveness of poverty-focused aid. Congress will play a critical role in ensuring the U.S. remains fully committed to fighting poverty. President Obama needs both support and pressure from Congress to meet his own commitment to make the Millennium Development Goals America’s goals. Call your representative and senators today and schedule a face-to-face meeting in early 2010 to discuss RESULTS priority issues for the coming year. How to Schedule a Recess Meeting with Your MemberYou can meet with your members of Congress throughout the year when they are present in your district. They are often less distracted and have more time to meet with constituents when they are away from Washington. Members are typically in their districts from Friday to Monday. In addition, there are congressional recesses (or “district work periods”) when they are home for a week or more. The House congressional calendar (pdf) is now available, and the Senate version will be available soon. The Senate and House calendars are usually very similar, but there can be some differences; generally, both have recesses during the winter (now until mid-January), mid-February (week of Presidents Day), and two weeks in April (the week before and after Easter). Making the Call to Schedule a MeetingStep 1: Request your meeting now to increase the likelihood of getting a meeting during one of the recesses. Step 2: Find contact information for your member of Congress’ district office through the RESULTS website. Step 3: Prepare what you will say, using the notes below. Ask to speak to the scheduler. Hi, my name is _________________, and I am a constituent in your state/district. I am also an advocate with RESULTS. We’re a grassroots group working on the alleviation of hunger and poverty here and abroad, and we have previously worked with Rep./Sen. ________ on [describe one or two issues]. I know that Rep./Sen. ________ has shown an interest in our issues in the past because of his/her leadership on ________. [Personalize your message here by researching the voting record of your legislators through the RESULTS website.]) I would like to schedule meeting with Rep./Sen. ________ while he/she is home for the upcoming recess. Would it be possible to do that today? I would be happy also to send/fax you a written request with more specific information. Step 4: Be sure to note the name of the scheduler, and if a firm answer isn’t given to you, mention when you’ll be following up. For additional tips on how to schedule your face-to-face meeting, check out Working with Congress: Activist Milestone #7, which includes a sample letter to the scheduler. Additionally, you can find a sample letter at our Skills Center. Contact a RESULTS Regional Coordinator or staff person if you need support in making your request. RESULTS Global Campaigns for 2010
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