Understanding the Congressional System can help you become an effective advocate.  It is important to understand the path of legislation and the seven steps that advocates can take to influence the process.

 

Members of the House and Senate have been elected to represent the residents of their districts in the United States Congress.  It is important for constituents to tell their legislator how an issue affects the lives of the people they represent. Because constituents possess the power to retain, or to remove a member from office, the voting constituent is a powerful advocate for a member of Congress to encounter. An informed, resourceful voter can have a substantial impact on a member’s positions and actions.

 

When contacting your representative in Congress, it is important to convey the following two messages:

• Your personal experience with Alpha-1
• How the issue being discussed affects individuals throughout the member's district, state or the entire country.

 

The more you know about your legislators, the more effectively you can tailor your correspondence or presentation. Professional background is important, as personal information both are generally available on their websites. For Congressmen access www.house.gov and for Senators access www.senate.gov. A profile of your legislator will include:

• full name and party affiliation
• education                                                                                                     
• previous employment
• electoral history (years in Congress, major support, etc.)
• committee assignments
• voting record/position on health care issues
• personal/family background
• demographics of the state or district (i.e., age, party affiliation, socioeconomic status of voters). Some newspapers publish a weekly overview of bills brought to the floors of the House and Senate and the votes of the local representatives. It is also useful to pay attention to newspaper articles about your representatives and health care in your state. Other sources of information on your legislators include the League of Women Voters and if you are not using the internet publications are available in your local library.

To determine your congressional district or your state and federal legislators, you may also click on the following links:

http://yahoo.capwiz.com

www.votesmart.org

To view the status of a House or Senate bill please click here: www.thomas.gov

It is also important to know how to work with legislative staff to help accomplish your advocacy goals.