Legislative Chair/Liaison Workshop September 2014 Col Mike Hayden, USAF-Ret. Director, Government Relations Military Officers Association of America
Chapter Advocacy Importance Grassroots Support of MOAA Legislative Goals Largest single group we can mobilize on important issues Legislators listen to you first Leverage during Storming the Hill MOAA Ambassadors in the Community Community and Business Leaders Give Back Bridge military to civilian divide Chapters are the face of MOAA
Chapter Legis Chair/Liaison Role Chairs/Liaisons key to advocacy efforts link btw chapter advocacy mission & MOAA national legislative agenda Personalizes chapter/legislator relationship Provides legislative focal point in every district Goal have chapter chair or liaison in every Congressional District (435) Roughly 82% coverage now assumes some chapters cover more than one district
Major Advocacy Activities/Events Four major touch points with Chapter Advocates Storming the Hill April Score Cards July / October Magazines Recess Package August Regional Symposium LC/LL track September Throughout year engagement with several grassroots vehicles
MOAA s Grassroots Vehicles Military Officer - Washington Scene Tear-Out Letters/Cover Postcards Ink Jet Options Weekly Legislative Update Facebook, Twitter, Spouse E-News Council/Chapters: Storming the Hill Website - Capwiz Capitol Hill Toll-Free Hotline Special E-Mail Alerts
MOAA-Generated Communications to Congress Web Site Messages/Letters 1,065K Toll-Free Capitol Hill Hot Line Tear-Out Letters Tear-Off Post Cards 10K 140K 300K TOTAL 1,515,000+ Estimated 2013 figures
Part II Identifying MOAA s National Legislative Priorities (How Sausage is Made)
Identifying Legislative Priorities Our Annual Process Evaluate Needs/Potential Threats in Fall Develop Legislative Goals w/board and publish in January Military Officer TMC Coordination incorporate into Goals and Testimony Biennial Process Resolutions Both are Influenced by Hill Climate/Events: President s Budget Request Economic Conditions
Influencing Those Priorities Develop Plan(s) of Attack Prepare Fact Sheets, Point Papers, Brochures Visit Legislators/Staff to Introduce Bill(s) Letters to Congress/Administration Inform Membership Generate Grassroots Support/Urge Action Testify Before Oversight Committees Storm the Hill to Build Cosponsors/Support
Part III: Tools You Can Use How to be Your Own Best Lobbyist
Online Resources Available to You Storming the Hill Capwiz MOAA Scorecard Library of Congress Capitol Switchboard
Storming the Hill Council Leaders/Independent Chapters to DC Graduate-level Grass Roots Exercise/Support Marix Awards Recognize Legislators Visit All/Most Legislators/Staff Focus on Three or Four Key Issues Goal to increase Co-sponsors/Influence NDAA Council Presidents Seminar Top Speakers
MOAA Score Card Govt Relations reaches out to Hill on several key bills/issues in July, publishes results in October:
August Recess Chapter leaders get advanced information on important topics We give you the issues, fact sheets, numbers per state, and elevator speeches all the tools you ll need to head into an office to be your best advocate Chapter Reps (i.e., Legislative Chairs/Liaisons) meet with legislators/staffs in home districts
Capwiz moaa.capwiz.com A One-stop shop for your legislative needs Send MOAA-suggested, customizable messages to your elected officials Find important contact information Find committee memberships Find cosponsorship information on key MOAA bills
Want More Information? Megavote Additional FREE service offered by Capwiz Weekly email providing summary of important votes by your elected officials Advanced notice on important scheduled votes Provides additional opportunity to know when to contact your officials on matters that are important
Call Your Officials MOAA provides a toll-free number to the Capitol Switchboard Get patched through directly to your Representative & Senators 866-272-MOAA (6622)
KISS: Keep It Simple
Library of Congress Congress.gov Learn about what bills are out there Summary / text of bills Congressional action taken Cosponsorship numbers Links to votes, report language
Part IV: State Game Plans
State Game Plan MOAA National Focus on Federal Issues MOAA State Councils Lead on State Uniformed Community Issues (vets, currently serving, retirees, survivors, and families) Link to State Veterans Groups: Veterans Affairs Depts, Advisory Commissions, Coalitions Task-organized Groups: More Clout Communication Networks: E-mail Links and MOAA Support
Important State Issues Tax Breaks on Retired/Survivor Pay Base Closure Impacts Educational Opportunity and Jobs Absentee Ballots for Military Facilitate Access to VA and Veterans Benefits Counselors New Veterans Cemeteries
Putting It All Together Leverage Military Coalitions Slice the Pie Find a Tradeoff Pre-filing on Key Issues Get in Game Work Small Issues You Can Win in Beginning No/Low Cost Public Opinion Important Legislative Committees Monitor Progress to Look for Roadblocks Incremental Approach Compromise to Gain Primary Goal
State Report Card MOAA publication tracking state-level policies for current, retired, and former servicemembers and their families Opportunity for chapter engagement
DoD State Liaison Office (DSLO) Great compliment to MOAA s State Report Card Provides a list of 10 key issues and shows state progress on each topic Details desired outcomes, best practices www.usa4militaryfamilies.dod.mil
State-Level Legislation OpenStates.Org Now that you know the issues in your state, you ll want to review pending state legislation Similar to Library of Congress and Capwiz, OpenStates allows you to track pending legislation, look up votes, committee assignments, and more
Part V: How Do You Message Your Audience? Maximizing Your Community Footprint
How Do You Message Your Audience? 3 Important Questions What tools are you using to reach your chapter members? What tools are you using to reach potential chapter members? What tools are you using to engage your local community?
How Do You Message Your Chapter Newsletters Strengths Good for sharing information with chapter members Facilitates chapter engagement Weaknesses Audience? Narrow audience, doesn t reach prospective members Timeliness of information How can you expand your reach?
Social Media Underutilized by chapters Establishes chapter as a local presence in the community #1 hurdle to get new members: Brand Recognition No longer just for teenagers: Since 2011, Facebook gained almost 30 million users over age 35; 12 million from people 55+ 32
Social Media Transitioning officers are twice as likely to be on LinkedIn than peers their age Interact with local community, reach prospective members, help connect veterans to local jobs Use personal connections, community standing to help a vet get a job and introduce them to your chapter Share MOAA alerts, publicize meetings 33
What Do You Message? To Legislators: Cosponsor bills Chapter invitations THANKS It s just as important to thank a legislator for their support as it is to ask them to do something. Thank them for supporting MOAA bills, attending meetings, helping vets in the community, etc. 34
What Do You Message? Share MOAA alerts 35
What Do You Message? To Members & Prospects: Community Involvement Supporting local servicemembers / veterans / businesses Engagement with local officials Chapter events: before and after: What you re going to do What you re doing What you did 36
What Do You Message? To Members / Prospects: 37
Part VI: What Works for You? Sharing Best Practices
What Works For You? Break out into (2) groups to brainstorm: How have you/your chapter influenced nationallevel issues? How have you/your chapter influenced state-level issues? What tools would you like MOAA to provide to make your advocacy efforts more successful? Need scribe and a group leader (to brief) Will share with the rest of the attendees 39
Questions?
Advanced Tools House.Gov & Senate.Gov Learn about hearings, committees, schedules, votes Law.Cornell.Edu/USCode Federal Code, Sorted by Title Titles 4, 10, 14, 32, 38, 42 Actuary.Defense.Gov Information on # of retirees, survivors, and more, by state. Perfect for lobbying state issues
Advanced Tools (Con t) Pentagon Library Intranet www.whs.mil/library Has every Authorization, Appropriate, and MilCon Law, Conference Report, and Committee Report going back to the 1960s