Effective Legislative Advocacy

Transcription

1 Effective Legislative Advocacy

2 A Brief Look at How Federal Legislation is Enacted

3 Bill Originating in The House of Representatives

4 Submitting a Bill in the House: Any member or delegate can introduce Bill placed in the Hopper Primary Sponsors/CoSponsors Title is entered in Journal and printed in the Congressional Record It is given a number by the clerk: H.R. ### Bill is assigned to a committee by the Speaker

5 The House Bill in Committee: 19 standing committees Bill may be assigned to more than one committee Committee reviews and seeks input Public Hearings/Witnesses

6 Mark-Up Subcommittee reviews information/testimony and votes on an action Four possible actions for subcommittee: Report bill favorably to full committee (w/ or w/o amendment) Report bill unfavorably No recommendation Subcommittee reports on bill at full committee meeting

7 Full Committee Action on a Bill: Germane amendments may be added (only proposals) Full committee votes on action to take Reports bill to the full House in one of the following ways: Without amendment Clean Bill a new bill incorporating all amendments made in committee. With one amendment in the nature of a substitute (consisting of all amendments previously adopted) If bill is tabled or no further action is taken on it, the bill is effectively killed.

8 Bill is reported to the full House: If it is reported favorably, a committee report is written describing purpose and scope of bill All changes in existing law must be indicated Committee amendments are also set forth and explained Bill is assigned to calendar. There are five calendars in House: Union, House, Private, Corrections, Calendar of Motions to Discharge Committees Bill is assigned calendar number and generally assigned to the either Union (majority of public bills/resolutions) or House (bills not involving cost to gov t) calendar Business not necessarily conducted in order of bill listing on the calendar

9 House Bill Considered by Full House: Committee of the Whole Most bills in the House are debated by the Committee of the Whole, expediting the vast numbers of bills generated there COTW is when the entire House is considered as one large committee Quorum for COTW is only 100 members Presiding officer is normally chosen by the Speaker After general debate, bill undergoes second reading. Germane amendments may be made at this time. When the COTW rises, it reports on the bill and any adopted amendments. At this point, the COTW becomes the full House again

10 House Bill Considered by Full House (continued): Bill undergoes debate and is read a third time (by title only) Bill undergoes a vote Three types of voting: Voice vote, division, recorded vote A Bill that passes out of the House then moves to the Senate

11 Senate Consideration of a House Bill: An exact copy of the bill as it was passed in the House ( engrossed ) is prepared for the Senate by the Clerk of the House Bill is now referred to as an Act Bill is assigned to a Senate Committee by the Senate Parliamentarian, acting on behalf of the Senate President (VP) 16 standing committees in the Senate Bill is reported out of committee W/ or w/o amendment, favorably or unfavorably In the Senate, minority reports may also be filed

12 Action Taken by Senate on House Bill Bill passing favorably out of committee is assigned to a Senate Calendar Calendar of Business (for legislation) or Executive Calendar (for nominations and treaties) Simply majority vote carries amendment or passes a bill Generally, there is no germane rule Vote taken after third reading (title only) Generally, by voice vote Bill is passed either amended or unamended The original engrossed House bill and the engrossed Senate amendments (or the original engrossed Senate bill,) is returned to the House. It states the action taken by the Senate. If the Senate has adopted amendments, there is a request that the House agree to them.

13 Final Action on a Bill Originating in the House Amended bill goes to the Speaker, awaiting action Most Senate amendments require the consideration of the COTW If all is agreed to, it is ready for presentation to the President If not

14 Conference Committees The Third House of Congress

15 Conference Committees: The House may request a conference with the Senate to resolve the disagreement over amendments Each house has a committee, with members appointed by their leadership. Size of committees are always the same Four recommendations open to conference committees: Senate backs away from some or all of its amendments House backs away from its disagreement to some or all of Senate amendments (thereby agreeing to them) House backs away from its disagreement to some or all of Senate amendments (thereby by agreeing to them with amendments!) House backs away from its disagreement to some or all of its amendments to the Senate amendments or its amendments to the Senate Bill

16 Conference Committees (continued): Most often a compromise arises, with one house substituting its own bill as a single amendment If no agreement can be reached, this fact is reported back to each house, and the amendments may be disposed of. Often new conferees are appointed and the process happens again, generally under strict direction from house leadership.

17 A Bill Becomes a Law: A bill can only have the opportunity to become a law when both houses have approved it in identical form. When this happens, it is signed by the Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate and presented in enrolled form for the President. The President has a 10-day period to take action on a bill either signing it with approval or returning with objections A bill may become law w/o the President s signature if he does not return it with objections within this period The Constitution provides that a 2/3rds affirmative vote in the House and Senate may override a presidential veto

18 Bill Originating in the Senate

19 A Bill Originating in the Senate: Follows much the same process as followed in the House Senate bill is referred to as S. ##

20 House Consideration of a Senate Bill: The bill passed in the Senate is sent to the House for consideration The exception is when the bill is held in unanimous consent to become the vehicle for a similar measure when passed by House Senate bill is referred to appropriate House committee for review, or is held by Speaker for potential amendment after action on a companion House bill When Senate bill is passed out of House committee, it is ready for enrollment if there are no amendments If there are House amendments to the Senate bill, it is returned back to Senate for review and action If Senate doesn t agree to House amendments, the conference process begins

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22 Thomas

23 Congressional Bills MegaVote, Track Votes by Republican Whip (McCarthy) Eric Cantor Republican Senate Leadership (McConnell)

24 Some Conservative Think Tanks/Policy Sites NRA-ILA-- Judicial Watch-- Cato Institute-- Heritage Foundation-- American Enterprise Institute-- Americans for Tax Reform--

25 RSS Feeds Stands for Really Simple Syndication RSS is an easy way for blog and news-site publishers to get their information out to readers in a standardized format. This is especially useful in politics, where news is updated quite frequently.

26 The benefit of using RSS is having all the content from many different sources delivered to your inbox. You don t have to hunt the info down it finds you! A summary is delivered to you, and you click on the articles you want to read further. Added bonus of being anonymous not signing up on various sites.

27 Social Media Facebook Twitter YouTube Website or Blog Building Blogger, etc. Ning Help is on the way! Estampede.org Local resources

28 Sign up for or fax blasts Check your spam filter or quarantine folder Add servers as trusted senders Beware of over-forwarding!

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35 Texas Public Policy Foundation www. texaspolicy.com TLR (Texans for Lawsuit Reform) Texans for Fiscal Responsibility Free Market Foundation

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38 Be sure to know where your legislator stands on an issue before organizing a letter/ campaign. Legislators give first priority to their constituents, but committee chairs or members will likely listen to others on an issue in their committee. Make sure you are contacting the correct office (state or federal.) Use the correct forms of address. Be courteous, be concise, be consistent, be correct!

39 Get to know the staff at the district offices. Make a personal visit, and follow up with a letter. Always make contact before the vote! Remember to contact your legislator and thank them when they are standing up for your issues. It is important that they receive this positive feedback, as well. Snail mail is ineffective if you send it to the D.C. office. Send instead to the district offices. Be courteous, be concise, be consistent, be correct!

40 Phone calls, faxes and s all can help to make your point. Often gets the most rapid response. Use the form on the legislator s website. Use correct form of address. Always include complete contact information. Sign up for their newsletters, or follow them on Facebook, Twitter, etc. Be courteous, be concise, be consistent, be correct!

41 Personal visits have the most impact. Don t forget about the district offices. Remember district offices are smaller organizations be respectful and keep conversations short. Offer yourself as a resource on a certain topic. Always follow up a visit with a letter, summarizing your discussion. Responses can only be generated if you give complete contact information. Print your name after your signature.

42 Texas Legislature Online: Federal Legislature Online: (Mega Vote) And when all else fails The Dummies Guide

43 Organizing Distributing Alerts Where do we go from here?

44 Engage your group, local clubs, and personal networks (family, friends, clubs, church, etc.) Understand and respect that each individual has a different perspective and personal experience to bring to the table Find what we have in common and select those areas Work together Light Analogy

45 SOMETIMES WE DON T LIKE EACH OTHER SOMETIMES WE ACTIVELY WORK AGAINST EACH OTHER, BUT... WE MUST FIND WAYS TO ENGAGE EACH OTHER IN A POSITIVE MANNER

46 JOIN FORCES WITH OTHER LIKE-MINDED ORGANIZATIONS 9-12 Projects Tea Party Groups TFRW Clubs Other Republican/Conservative Clubs Ideas?

47 Select 2-3 issues to follow Select issues that have overwhelming common interest Go with the flow and be flexible Be on the look out for the next emerging issue and be prepared to jump on it

48 Create your own networks Divide & Conquer Research Committee (vets information, follows emerging issues) Legislative Committee (reads over bills, suggests actions) Database Workers Media Watchdogs Blaster (use discretion!) Your Personal Network distribution lists Social Media sites ( Consider creating a blog ( Be sure to encourage your network members to forward to all of THEIR contacts, families, etc.

49 Distributing Alerts Keep it simple, clear Give background summary Avoid acronyms (spell it out!) Provide easy links for legislative contacts Keep it positive don t threaten, don t get angry VET YOUR INFORMATION!! Can t be said enough; sending flawed info is harmful to your cause and your credibility When in doubt, check with another credible source before sounding the alarm Use Facebook and Twitter to link - When it comes to the more isn t necessarily the merrier!!

50 Develop your reading list and share with others Avoid conspiracy theories get the facts! Build your networks Educate yourself Engage others and learn to talk to them in a nonthreatening, more persuasive manner.

51 Whatever you do don t lose heart! Find those things that unite us. Build relationships. If we don t do it, who will?

52 Next steps in making your voice heard

53 Winning hearts and minds through effective communication

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55 Good communication is centered around values What is important to your audience? What drives their decision-making at the polls and in their purchases? Frame your message within the parameters of their values

56 1. Health and fitness -- the belief that you and your family should enjoy good health and be physically fit. 2. Safety -- the belief that you and your family should be protected from violence and live in peace. 3. Education for you and your children -- the ability to provide a quality education for your children so they'll have a better life, and access to educational opportunities for professional and personal growth. 4. Financial security -- the desire to be financially secure in the present and the future. 5. Better relationship with family -- the concern about the quality and quantity of time spent with your family members. 6. Closer relationship with God -- the desire to feel secure in your religious beliefs and convictions. 7. Planning for retirement -- the belief that your senior years will be secure, rewarding and fulfilling. 8. Enjoying friends and leisure -- the desire to have the time and opportunities to enjoy your leisure time. 9. Better, more satisfying job -- the ability to have or find a better, more satisfying job. 10. Owning a home -- the ability or opportunity to own a home.

57 Three Building Blocks of Political Communciation: Learning to appeal to the voters' self-interest/values Learning how to appeal to the voter's emotions Controversy Rule One: When dealing with disagreement on policy, seek common ground on values. Rule Two: However the question is worded, keep your answer the same.

58 Point to Ponder When someone who asks a pointed or hostile question probably cares deeply about one of those ten values. Your job is to guess which one. If you answer the questions in terms of values, you may be given the benefit of the doubt. If you avoid values altogether, you run the risk of seeming arrogant and insensitive.

59 What will we say?

60 In politics, the message is all about DEFINITION: What is the need or opportunity presented here? What critical issue does this voter face? Make an emotional link. Appeal to shared values. And DIFFERENTIATION: What sets your candidate/platform apart from the competition

61 Following a simple formula that answers the question: Why should I vote for Candidate Q? (which is code for, What s in it for me? )

62 VS --Messages that contradict existing opinions or knowledge will never be heard. --A good message will build on the opinions, knowledge and values already held by the listener.

63 Intro Problem -- Identify what the voter is experiencing Solution -- How the candidate will solve the problem Credibility -- Qualifications of the candidate Gain -- How will the voter benefit? Impact -- Changes the voter will see Emotion -- Reinforcing the impact with a personal statement (careful with this one) Risk -- Reinforce differentiation and the risk if Mr. Q is not elected **adapted from Adding Value Masterclass

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65 Make your message clear and personally relevant to your audience. Example: According to recent job reports fewer jobs have been created in our community since the tax increases were implemented. Use relevant, strong examples. Be truthful and reasonable, passionate and principled. Control the debate and define the opposition as much as possible. Practice, Practice, Practice!

66 Don t assume your audience is familiar with the issue about which you are speaking. Don t use acronyms or political jargon. Don t self-promote. Don t confuse the role from which you are speaking. Don t leave room for yawning!

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68 Once upon a time, there was a man named Joe looking for a job. He wanted a job with meaning. One day, while out looking for work, he came upon a construction site where two men were working. Joe asked the first man, What kind of work are you doing here? The first man responded, We re pouring cement, scraping it and watching it dry. Why? Do you need a job? Joe said, I don t know. I think I need a minute to decide. Joe walked over to the second man who was also scraping wet cement and asked, What kind of work are you doing? and the man stood up, smiled and said, Same as that guy over there. I m laying the foundation for future generations of to come and learn. Why, do you need a job? Joe exclaimed, Yes! When do I start? Eventually, Joe was able to save his money and attend theuniversity himself.

69 ABC rule of sales! Practice, Practice, Practice Be compelling, but always be yourself Use differentiating phrases: Unlike the other candidate, Though the other candidate calls for X, my candidate stands firmly on the side of Y

70 Deliver the message, then STOP TALKING.

71 Unique Selling Proposition Serves as a brief introduction to the candidate/platform you are putting forward seconds, about 150 words Identifies your candidate/position and answers to key questions: What s in it for me? What s in it for my family? What s in it for my business? What s in it for my hobbies?

72 Every speech needs a snappy introduction! First, explain the candidate/idea in less than 10 words. Then, explain what he/she/it does in one exciting sentence. Gov. Smith is a dynamic and successful CEO for Texas. He has provided tough leadership through this difficult economic recession and helped our state come to the forefront as the nation s leading jobs creator! Congressman Brown is a bold and principled leader in Washington. He stands up for what is right for Texas and Texans, opposing excessive spending and the disastrous Health Care bill!

73 Meeting with Objections: Personal understanding I came to the realization long ago/recently, that I recognize why some object to this plan, however Identifying the flaws in the objections Those who object are not taking into consideration Why are they incorrect They said raising taxes would help, but instead they have increased the loss of jobs and the expenditures of small businesses. Offer a solution Both at the local and state/national levels. Show how your candidate/idea is better than status quo.

74 Tailoring your message for the press: Identify your agenda and audience, and develop message accordingly. Develop two or three key points. Most questions can be answered with these points. Make your message stand out by keeping it simple, distinctive and memorable. Think headlines! State your main point first. Think sound-bytes! Keep it to seconds of conversational statement. (For example: Yes, We Can! ) Refine your elevator speech.

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76 TELL THE TRUTH. Always be on the offensive. Stick to your message. Then stop talking. Know deadlines and keep them. When you initiate contact, have some solid info for them. Do not confuse from which community role you are speaking. Reporters are not your friends. Deliver the message and then

77 Using Letters to the Editor, Opinion Pieces and Press Releases to Inf luence Peer Voters

78 Determine Local Newspapers Parameters (Publishing Date, Word Max., Contact) Determine your subject and be succinct in your response Recruit fellow peers to write and/or develop similar letters Coordinate and send letters at the same time to create critical mass

79 BE TIMELY INCLUDE CONTACT INFORMATION BE CLEAR BE CONCISE BE ACCURATE BE INTERESTING AVOID PERSONAL ATTACKS PROOF-READ DON T BE OFFENDED IF YOUR LETTER IS NOT PRINTED DON T NEGLECT SMALLER NEWSPAPERS

80 Heading Body Closing Find sample letters printed in the paper you are targeting

81 Again determine news outlets parameters Call and talk with the editor of paper first to gauge interest in the subject Be succinct and use facts to back your opinion Develop a relationship with your editor and let them know what topics interest you If published make sure to get it out via your peer lists, websites, blogs, Facebook, etc.

82 Reserved for news events Different from a media advisory which is meant to alert the media of a pending event Use press release to recount for the media what happened at the event Develop current fax and list of all local publications in which to send the release

83 Repetition Credibility Make it easy on the outlet to print your information Don t forget to keep your media lists up to date

84 Amy M. Clark SREC, SD-21 *Be the best version of yourself * Be passionate, yet principled* *Be truthful and reasonable * Live purposefully* *Act worthy of yourselves*