Advocate s Toolbox, Eating Disorders Coalition 1 ADVOCATE S TOOL BOX This tool box is designed to provide you with easy-to-use information regarding effective advocacy with the Eating Disorders Coalition (EDC) on lobby day. This is designed to give you some background information so you feel more prepared. We welcome you as an advocate with the EDC. Why Do We Advocate? We advocate because we have to. Decisions are made daily that impact you and me. If we want Congress to pass legislation and create policies that address what is important to us we have to be part of the conversation. What is an advocate? An advocate supports a cause, policy or idea through action in an effort to influence. Typically this includes speaking out, writing letters, making phone calls, and meeting with Legislators. EDC advocates are educating Members of Congress about the seriousness of eating disorders and urging them to be part of the solution by promoting policies that would improve the lives of people suffering from eating disorders. Who is an advocate? You are. Our voices, our experiences, and our unique perspectives make us valuable and necessary players in the political process. As someone who cares about eating disorders, you know that eating disorders are devastating and affect too many people. When we, as a group of advocates, help Members of Congress to understand the severity of eating disorders, the issue gets the attention it requires. What is Lobbying? Lobbying refers to the support or opposition of a particular piece of legislation at any level of government. The EDC is asking Members of Congress to support policies that improve the lives of people with eating disorders, such as the Anna Westin Act of 2015. The Anna Westin Act is introduced in both the House and Senate. The Senate bill (S. 1865) addresses training and treatment, whereas the House version (H.R. 2515) focuses on three T's: Training: Using NIMH and SAMHSA funds, the bill provides training for health professionals, school personnel, and the public to identify eating disorders, intervene early and prevent behaviors that may lead to eating disorders Treatment: Clarifies that the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 includes residential treatment service coverage, affording the same protections as other illnesses Truth in Advertising: Requires the FTC to study and report on whether regulation is needed for digitally altered images of humans in advertising and if so, strategies to achieve regulation A summary of the Anna Westin Act of 2015 can be found on our website.
Advocate s Toolbox, Eating Disorders Coalition 2 Lobby Days and the Anna Westin Act We have many avenues for moving policies such as the Anna Westin Act of 2015 forward. One of EDC s main strategies is to bring advocates together at lobby days twice a year to garner support for the Anna Westin Act and other EDC policy priorities. Meeting with Members of Congress Being an effective advocate for eating disorders relevant policy requires building strong relationships with members of Congress and their staff. Meeting with your members and teaching them about the severity of eating disorders, that people can and do recover and how law makers can help by passing the Anna Westin Act and other similar policies is an important step in building this relationship. You meet with your members of Congress when you participate in EDC lobby days in Washington, D.C. Be aware that most congressional meetings are taken by one of their staff members, who then relay pertinent information onto the members of Congress. When you come to lobby days, the EDC schedules visits, has research available for you and walks you through the entire process before you actually meet with any members. Scheduled Hill Visits On lobby days with the EDC we schedule meetings for you. You will be on a team with other constituents from your state. Oftentimes teams consist of more than one state. Being part of a team ensures that everyone has support and that there are multiple perspectives presented. We schedule visits with your Senators and Representative s offices as they are able to meet with you. We may not get meetings with all your legislators due to scheduling conflicts, or if you register for lobby day late. You Will Be Prepared The EDC assigns a seasoned lobbyist as team leader for each state. The team leader is well informed about the EDC policy priorities and effective lobbying. S/he will know about your Member of Congress, his/her priority issues, and the committee(s) on which s/he serves. You are not expected to be an expert at lobbying or the Anna Westin Act of 2015. You can rely on the knowledge and expertise of your team leader. You will prepare yourself by reading this toolbox and the EDC talking points, which include research, statistics and rationale for supporting our policy priorities. Arrive on Time You play a role in punctuality. Help your team leader be on time for meetings. Be patient if the member is running late or gets called away during the meeting. When Congress is in session, elected officials and their staff have an extremely busy schedule and it is not uncommon for meetings to be interrupted. If this occurs, leave behind the EDC packet with the specific requests for the member. If your team happens to be running late, your team leader will call the Congressional office and let them know. Your Visit After the initial handshakes and introductions, the team leader will tell the member of Congress and/or the staff what you want to talk about, and why. Each person (or if it is a bigger team, then a few people) will tell their personal stories as a way to underscore the need for supporting EDC policy priorities, such as passing the Anna Westin Act. During message training, advocates learn how to tell
Advocate s Toolbox, Eating Disorders Coalition 3 their stories concisely and in alignment with the EDC message. You do not need to worry about what you will say ahead of time, as the training is designed for you to frame and practice your message. After people have shared, the team leader makes the specific request to the staffer (e.g., support the Anna Westin Act) and asks if there are any questions. Everyone says thank you. The entire visit will take about 30 minutes. Make it Local All politics are local. Connect with the Member or staffer on your local connection. Maybe you attended the same university, lived in the same city, or have other commonalities. Allow for those local connections to be made. Similarly, bring the issues you are discussing to what s happening in the Member of Congress state and district. Explain how your community and the policymaker s constituents are affected and how the Anna Westin Act of 2015 addresses these issues. Listen and Respond with Respect Listen carefully to what your member of Congress or their staffer has to say and allow them to state their opinion and position on the issue. If the elected official does not agree with your position, don t argue or make a future enemy. Simply identify issues of concern or differences of opinion and respond based on your knowledge and experience. Remember: you are trying to build a relationship, so don t alienate someone who may be your future supporter. If you don t know the answer to a particular question, just say so and promise to get back to them with an answer. Write this on your EDC report, and we will follow-up. Follow-Up Be sure to send a thank you letter to the member of Congress and their staff. You want to develop and maintain a relationship with your elected official and their staff. You also want to turn a positive response from staff into action. You may need to follow-up repeatedly to get them to respond to our policy requests as they indicated they would in the meeting. Stay in contact, send periodic information and updates, and thank them for any action in favor of your position. Telling Your Story The one strategy with the most impact for effective advocacy is the power of your personal stories. Lawmakers want to hear from the people living and working in their districts. They want to hear what values, concerns, and policies are important to their constituents. When citizens speak up about eating disorders, Members of Congress and their staff then understand how these issues directly impact the communities they are elected to represent and protect. Advocacy does not need to be complicated or technical; citizen advocacy is about letting lawmakers hear individual stories on important issues. The EDC will teach you how to tell your story at lobby day. Here are a few points to think about in the meantime. If you had the ear of a lawmaker for only 2 minutes what do you want them to hear? Build your story around that point and the EDC's message: o Training o Treatment o Truth in Advertising Make it personal to leave an impact. What really impacts a listener is when they get the experience in their gut. Be concise. Less is more. When EDC works with advocates they are often surprised how powerful their concise 2-minute story is over their longer versions.
Advocate s Toolbox, Eating Disorders Coalition 4 A Review of Congress and How Bills Become a Law This is background information only. You are not expected to remember this on lobby day. It is intended for those who enjoy having more information. Who is Congress? Congress is made up of elected officials. Elected officials come in three levels: federal, state, and local. The Federal government consists of three branches; judicial, legislative, and executive. The Congress is part of the legislative branch. You elect your Members of Congress which includes both the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives. Congress makes the laws by passing bills. Senators: Each state, regardless of its population, elects two senators to serve six-year terms. Every two years, one-third of the Senate is elected, so your state may or may not have a Senate contest in a given general election year, which is a year in which candidates are elected in most constituencies. General elections are held in even-numbered years (1994, 1996, 1998, and so forth). Representatives: Each state also elects Members of Congress, called representatives, who serve in the House of Representatives in the Congress. The number of representatives in Congress is limited to 435. The census, taken every ten years, determines how many of those 435 representatives each state has. States with growing populations gain congressional seats after the census, and states with shrinking populations lose congressional seats. A Member of Congress is elected every two years and represents roughly a half-million people in his or her district. How a Bill Becomes A Law Making and enacting laws is Congress s greatest responsibility. The legislative process officially begins with a proposal in one of four forms: Bill: Originating in either the U.S. House of Representatives or the U.S. Senate, there are two types of bills public and private. Public bills affect the general public while private bills affect a specific individual or group. In order to become law, bills must be approved by both Chambers and the President. Joint resolution: Similar to a bill, joint resolutions originate in either the U.S. House of Representatives or the U.S. Senate, but, contrary to what the name suggests, never jointly in both Chambers. Also like bills, joint resolutions require the President s approval to become law. Concurrent resolution: Legislation addressing a matter affecting the operations of both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, concurrent resolutions are voted on by both Chambers of Congress and do not need the President s signature to pass. Simple resolution: Legislation addressing a matter affecting the operations of either the U.S. House of Representatives or the U.S. Senate, simple resolutions only need to pass in the Chamber it is affecting. Bills are the most common form of legislation. While most bills can originate in either Chamber, bills regarding revenue always begin in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Advocate s Toolbox, Eating Disorders Coalition 5 Beginning of the Bill: Although a bill s sources are unlimited, the two most common points of origin are Members and their constituents. For example, a bill may be inspired by campaign promises made by Members. Or constituents with ideas for laws may contact their Congressional Representatives. The Constitution guarantees a constituent s right to submit ideas for legislation to his or her Representative in Congress. Introduction of the Bill: The Hopper -In the U.S. House of Representatives, any Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner may introduce a bill any time the House is in session. In order to officially introduce the bill, the Member places it in the hopper, a wooden box on the side of the Clerk s desk. The Member introducing the bill is known as its primary sponsor, and an unlimited number of Members can cosponsor a bill. When a bill is introduced, the title of the bill is entered in the House Journal and printed in the Congressional Record. The Clerk assigns the bill a legislative number and the Speaker of the House assigns the bill to the appropriate committee. The Bill Goes to Committee: Committee Meeting Room -When the Chairman of the committee receives a copy of a bill, the clerk of the committee places the bill on the committee s legislative calendar. While the bill is in committee, the committee members will seek expert input, hold mark-up sessions to make any changes or updates deemed important, and, if necessary, send the bill to a subcommittee for further analysis through research and hearings. When the committee is satisfied with the content of the bill, it is sent back to the House for debate. It is also possible for a bill to die in committee if the legislation is deemed unnecessary. Consideration and Debate: During the general debate on a bill, the House typically breaks into the Committee of the Whole. Breaking into the Committee of the Whole speeds up the consideration of bills as the Committee is allowed to debate the bill with 100 Members rather than the quorum required of the full House. In the Committee of the Whole, the bill is read aloud, section by section and Members may offer amendments as each section is read. Both the Member proposing and a Member opposing the amendment are given five minutes to explain their opinions, as allowed by the five minute rule. The Committee of the Whole then determines if the amendment will be accepted or rejected. At the conclusion of the debate, the Committee of the Whole rises. By rising, the committee reverts back to the full House. Not all bills, however, are considered in the Committee of the Whole. If a bill is sent directly to the House, it is debated in a fashion similar to the Committee of the Whole, however in this instance the hour rule applies. The hour rule limits a Member to 60 minutes of debate on a pending question rather than the five minutes allowed in the Committee of the Whole. Voting: When debate is over, the Speaker asks shall the bill be engrossed and read a third time? If the Members agree, the bill is read by title only. If deemed necessary by the Speaker, voting on a bill may be delayed up to two days. There are three methods for voting: Viva voce (voice vote): The Speaker asks the Members who support the bill to say aye and those who oppose to say no. Division: The Speaker says those in favor, rise and stand to be counted, and then again for those who oppose to stand and be counted. Recorded: The most common way to collect votes, Members either slide their electronic voting cards into the electronic voting machine and select yea, nay, or present, or complete a paper ballot which is handed to the tally clerk to be recorded.
Advocate s Toolbox, Eating Disorders Coalition 6 The votes are tallied and, if a majority of the House has voted in favor of the legislation, it passes and is sent to the U.S. Senate. If the bill fails, yet the Speaker feels the bill should become a law, it may be sent back to committee for further research and updates. Otherwise, the bill dies. Senate Action: If a bill passes in the U.S. House of Representatives, an exact copy is sent to the U.S. Senate. The bill is sent to a Senate committee for review and discussion before proceeding to the Senate floor for a vote. The Senate, like the House, considers each amendment separately before the bill is voted on. Unlike the House, the Senate typically votes by voice. The Bill Returns to the House: If the bill is passed by the Senate, both the House and Senate bills are returned to the House with a note indicating any changes. If the Senate has made amendments, the House must vote on the bill again as both Chambers of Congress must agree to identical legislation in order for it to become law. If the Speaker of the House decides the Senate amendments require further research, the bill can be sent back to committee before the House votes again. The Bill Is Enrolled: When both Chambers have passed identical legislation, the enrolling clerk prepares the final document for presentation to the President of the United States. The enrolled bill is printed on parchment paper and certified by the Clerk of the House. The Clerk reviews the bill to ensure it is accurate and sends it to the Speaker to be signed. The Speaker then passes the document to the President of the Senate for signature. Presidential Action: Once the leaders of both Chambers have signed-off, the Clerk of the House delivers the bill to a clerk at the White House and obtains a receipt. When the President receives the bill, he has three options: Pass: If the President approves the bill he signs it and, usually, writes approved and the date, although the Constitution only requires his signature. Veto: If the President does not approve the bill, he must return it to its Chamber of origin with his objections within 10 days. Pocket Veto: If the President receives the bill and does not sign or return it to Congress with objections within 10 days excluding Sundays it becomes law as long as Congress remains in session. If Congress recesses before the 10 days have passed, the bill dies. Back to Congress: If the President vetoes the bill, it is sent back to the U.S. House of Representatives. From here, the Speaker may decide not to pursue the bill further, send it back to committee for further consideration, or return to the bill to the House Floor for a vote. In order to override the President s veto, the bill will need to pass by two-thirds majority in both Chambers of Congress.
Advocate s Toolbox, Eating Disorders Coalition 7 Commonly Used Terms On Capitol Hill Act: A bill or measure after it passes one or both chambers. Also used to denote a law that has already passed Advocate (noun): From the Latin, "one who is a voice on behalf of another"; public policy volunteer; citizen who works to address and issue they care about Aide An assistant to a public official. (Also "staff", "staffer") Advocate (verb): to plead in favor of (usually of a particular cause) Amendment: A proposal to change, or an actual change to, a bill, a motion, an act, or to the Constitution. Appropriation ( approps): Legislation that directs the spending of public funds for a specific program agency or other purpose authorized by law. Authorization: A legislative action establishing a program and general amounts of money to fund the program. An appropriation of funds. Bill: Legislation introduced by either the House or Senate; a proposed law. A bill is a draft, or tentative version, of what might become part of the written law. Bipartisan: of, relating to, or involving Members of two parties; marked by cooperation, agreement, and compromise between two major political parties Calendar: A list of bills or resolutions to be considered by a committee in the House or Senate. Capitol Hill: Where the Capitol Building and Houses of Congress are located Caucus: an informal meeting of Members of Congress; often dedicated to a particular cause Chamber: Either the House of Reps or the Senate. Champion: Member of either the House or Senate who has taken up a cause and introduced legislation relating to that cause (eg: Tammy Baldwin is our Champion) Chief of Staff: Lead/senior staffer in the office Clerk of the House: Chief administrative officer of the House of Reps Co-sponsor: Members of Congress who add their name formally in support of a piece of legislation Committee A sub-group of a legislative body permanently established by rules to consider and report legislation and to monitor the implementation of programs enacted; organized by subject area Conference (Conference Committee): A meeting between members of the House and Senate to iron out a compromise between different versions of a bill. Once a compromise is worked out, the conference report is voted upon and sent on to the Executive for approval. Congressional Briefing ( Briefing ): Constituent: A person living in the district of an elected official whose votes have put the elected official into office. Continuing Resolution: Legislation providing continued funding for a Federal department or program, usually at the previous fiscal year level. It is used when Congress has failed to pass a necessary appropriations bill for a new fiscal year. C.B.O.: Congressional Budget Office
Advocate s Toolbox, Eating Disorders Coalition 7 C.O.B.: Close of Business. District: Area that your Member of Congress represents, and area that you live in within your state. Elected Official: is a person who is an official by virtue of an election. Officials may also be appointed ex officio (by virtue of another office, often in a specified capacity, such as presiding, advisory, secretary). Enrolled Bill: Final copy of a bill that has passed both the House and Senate in identical form. Executive Session: A meeting closed to the public. Extension of Remarks: Material inserted by a Representative or Senator into the Congressional Record. It is not spoken on the floor. Filibuster: Tactic used in the Senate whereby a minority intentionally delays a vote. General Debate Term for period of time at the beginning of proceedings in the Committee of the Whole to debate a measure. The time is generally divided equally between majority and minority floor managers. Fiscal Year: A 12-month period for using Federal funds, beginning October 1 st. It is the year in which the period ends (eg: the 2011 fiscal year begins October 1, 2010) Floor: The interior meeting room of a legislative body; matters before the body are referred to as "on the floor" or "going to the floor." Hearing A committee meeting where testimony is taken from witnesses about an issue or specific bill. The Hill: Short for Capitol Hill literally refers to a Hill in Washington, DC, which one walks up in order to get to the Capitol building and Houses of Congress Hopper (Usually a page is asked to bring a document "to the hopper.") It's not a person, as a lot of people think it's just a little box at the side of the clerk's desk in the house chamber Joint Committee: A committee comprised of both Reps and Senators Joint Resolution: A resolution that requires both House and Senate approval; Legislation similar to a bill that has the force of law if passed by both houses and signed by the President, generally used for special circumstances. L.D. - Legislative Director L.A. (or Health LA)- Legislative Assistant or Health LA L.C. - Legislative Correspondent (the above are also referred to as staffers ) Lame Duck: Members of Congress (or the President) who has not been reelected but whose term has not yet expired. Lead Sponsor: Member of Congress who has introduced a piece of Legislation Legislation: Lawmaking; the preparation and enactment of laws by a legislative body. Legislation begins with the submission of a bill to the legislature for consideration. The selection of appropriate and clear language for the proposed piece of legislation is critical. Legislators need to understand what is intended by the bill and who will be affected by it. Lobbyist A person paid to represent the interests of a group to a governmental body. Majority Leader: Leader of the majority party in either the House or Senate.
Advocate s Toolbox, Eating Disorders Coalition 7 Marking up a Bill ( Mark up ): Process, usually in committee, of analyzing a piece of legislation section by section and making changes. Member : Short for Member of Congress ; your Representative and Senators are Members of Congress Minority Leader: Leader of the minority party in either the House or Senate. Non-partisan: Not of any political party or leaning Omnibus: A bill regarding a single subject that combines many different aspects of that subject. Override a veto: When the President vetoes a bill, congress can override it with a two-thirds vote in both chambers Pair: An agreement by two Members of Congress to be recorded on opposite sides of an issue when one or both will be absent so the votes will cancel each other and do not count, but they are still able to make their positions known. Pocket Veto: When the President does not sign or veto legislation submitted to him by Congress within ten days of adjournment, the bill dies. Point of Order: An objection by a Rep or Senator that a rule is being violated Quorum: The number of Senators or Representatives who must be present before a legislative body can conduct official business. Ranking Member: Most senior member of the minority party on a committee. The Ranking Member ranks first in seniority after the Chairman Recess: Concludes legislative business and sets time for the next meeting of a legislative body. Report: A committee s written record of its actions and views on a bill. The committee reports its findings to the House or Senate Resolution: A format statement of a decision or opinion by the House, Senate or both. Rider: A measure added to another, often unrelated, bill with the purpose of one piece of legislation passing on the strength of another. Session: The period during which the Congress meets, set by the Constitution; offsession being the time when the Congress is not meeting. Scoring (CBO Score): "Price-tag" of a bill or resolution for a fiscal year as determined by the Congressional Budget Office. Sign on : Literally signing one s name in support of an issue Staffer: Term used to describe any member of the Member s staff. (eg: when you meet with your Staffer to discuss the Anna Westin Act, make sure you thank them for meeting with you. Table a Bill ( tabled ): A motion to kill a bill by cutting off consideration of it. Such motions are not debatable. The Hill: Short for Capitol Hill literally refers to a Hill in Washington, DC, which one walks up in order to get to the Capitol building and Houses of Congress Unanimous Consent: A procedure whereby a matter is considered agreed to if no Member on the floor objects. Unanimous Consent motions save time by eliminating the need for a vote.
Advocate s Toolbox, Eating Disorders Coalition 7 Veto The Executive's formal disapproval of legislation. A bill can become law if an overridevote is successful in each house of the legislature. In Congress, this requires a two-thirds majority. Vote: Unless rules specify otherwise, the Senate may agree to any question by a majority of Senators voting, if a quorum is present. The Chair puts each question by voice vote unless the "yeas and nays" are requested, in which case a roll call vote occurs. Whip: An individual who serves as assistant leader for each party in each chamber who keeps other Members of the party informed of the legislative agenda of the leader. Also tracks sentiment among party Members for certain legislation and tries to persuade Members to be present and vote for measures important to the leadership. Yield: Permission granted by the Member who has the floor to another Member who wishes to make a comment or ask a question.