How-To Materials

• Organizing Your Visit
• Rules of the Game
• How Congress Works
• About the Legislative Process
• Building Relationships with Legislators

1. Who

• Thank the congress/staff person*
• Introduce participants - name, organization
• Mention the broader community, noting the S&T Congressional Visits Day effort

• Science and technology are crucial to the nation, as well as the Member's state/district.
• Give examples of national S&T importance (e.g., use CVD leave-behind materials)
• Give examples of state/district importance (e.g., use information about your own work/organization).

• Ask your senator/representative/congressional staff to maintain a commitment to science & technology funding in the FY 1998 budget
• Offer to serve as a resource on S&T-related issues.
• Follow-up: invite the legislator/staff to visit your facility. Seeing is believing!

* Be sure to acknowledge the legislator's past support for S&T, and be specific. If the legislator is already a champion - ask how you can help him or her advance S&T among their congressional colleagues.

2. You must be prepared and succinct. If you don't know the answer, be honest! BUT commit to finding out the answer and following up.

3. Explain how what you are talking about impacts the Senator/Representative's state or district with a short anecdote or facts about the district. (e.g., how many people work for your company and their economic impact)

4. Limit the presentation; not everyone needs to speak to get the point across.

5. Never be negative about politicians; don't whine or lecture to Member or staffer; don't come across as if R&D funding is an entitlement

After the meeting, Follow Up! Send a letter of thanks to the Member and Staffer offering to be a source of information in the future.

1. The legislative process is designed to be complex and deliberative, ensuring that all parties have an opportunity to comment on legislation. Legislation is considered in subcommittees, committees, and on the floor of both the Senate and House, and must be signed by the President. Most proposed laws are never acted upon and few ever become law.

2. Members look to their colleagues for guidance; influencing one can in fact influence many.

3. Staffers are often very influential in advising Members on votes.

4. All government is political and, in the immortal words of former House Speaker Thomas P. "Tip" O'Neill, "all politics is local."

5. Legislative proposals are weighed subjectively. Members of Congress not only consider proposals on their merits but also on these basic political questions:

• How will the bill affect the legislator's reelection prospects?
• Is this issue consistent with the legislator's previous votes/positions on related matters, and with his/her political and economic philosophies.
• What would be the impact on the Member's local economy and jobs?
• What are the constituents saying, the news media and local interest groups recommending?
• What are the legislative staff and advisors recommending?

REMEMBER: 1998 is an election year for all Members of the House of Representatives and one-third of the Senate.

1) Authorization bills -- establish policies and allow something to happen, e.g., create the National Science Foundation.

2) Appropriations bills -- provide the funding for government programs, such as the Department of Defense.

Step 1 - Committees
Most legislative activity occurs in Committee, thus giving Committee members greater influence on specific legislation. Most legislation is given public hearings by subcommittees and full committees of both the House and Senate. Amendments to legislation can be made to the bill in subcommittee and/or full committee during special Committee meetings called "mark ups."

Step 2 - The Floor
Once a bill passes through the committee process, it may be amended further on the floor of either the House or Senate.

Step 3 - Conference Committee
When both the House and Senate have passed versions of the same legislation that are different, a "Conference Committee" of both Representatives and Senators meets to work out the differences -- often new additional changes are made during Conference. Both chambers must approve the new version of the legislation.

Step 4 - The President
The President can sign or veto any piece of legislation. The Congress can attempt to override a veto with a 2/3 vote. Congress can also try to amend the legislation in a manner to the President's liking or send it back through the entire committee process. Only if the President signs a bill or a veto is overridden is legislation made into actual law.

Members of Congress and staff often note how little people know about the legislative process. Showing that you have some knowledge will impress them, leaving a positive impact.

Revised for 1998 by Pete Leon, AAES

Posted: January 16, 1998; Revised 2-2-98