Conducting Congressional Visits 101

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Conducting Congressional Visits 101

• Adrienne Sponberg
• ASLO Director of Public Affairs

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It wont hurtwe promise!

• Lobbying Congress is much like trying to convince
  reviewers and editors to publish your manuscripts
  or fund your grants.
• You have to have good arguments and statistics to
  start out with.
• Make sure you have the correct audience before
  you start making your pitch.
• Present a strong case for why your audience
  should care about your issue.

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Pre-game Preparation

• Develop talking points
• Assemble leave-behinds
• ALWAYS include contact information
• Anticipate questions and have concise answers
  ready
• Two-minute drill

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Game On!
Help me, help you

• Thank before you ask
• Be respectful even if they arent
• Stay on message
• Stick to your expertise
• Do not speak negatively of other constituent
  groups

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Value of Talking Points

• Keep you on topic
• Get the most important facts across
• Coordinated and consistent message
• This is particularly important for group advocacy
  events!

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More on Talking Points

• Examples of talking points
• flip-flop and 1st and 2nd most liberal
  members
• 90 tax cuts go to 2 wealthiest
• For Daily Show fans Weve turned a corner
• More examples.

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Constructing Talking Points

• Key points to support your argument
• NSF BIO funding stagnant
• Lowest proposal success rate 5-10 below overall
  NSF success rate
• Primary source of funding for non-medical biology
  - 60
• Some fields are almost entirely funded by NSF
  (ecosystems 90)

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Communicating effectively

• Instead of
• Congress needs to fund more research because we
  need to know how humans are impacting the
  environment
• Try
• Research funded by the BIO directorate of NSF is
  critical to advancing our understanding of the
  relationship between humans and their
  environment, and for providing information
  necessary for wise management of our natural
  resources.

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Tomorrows Visits

• You are conducting visits in multidisciplinary
  teams grouped by state or region.
• You will work together today on your
  region-specific talking points.
• Assign a lead for each meeting.
• The lead should introduce all members of the
  group.
• You will have a society staff member there as
  back-up, but YOU should lead the meeting.

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Tomorrows Visits
We have this really cool project An earmark
would really help us out!
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Tomorrows Visits
We have this really cool project An earmark
would really help us out!
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Tomorrows Visits

• Remember this is a COALITION activity.
• You are here to represent your societies, not
  your universities or your research labs.
• And besides, a bigger pie means better odds!

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Whats in those folders?

• Your meeting schedule
• Talking points and Budget info
• These are for YOUR reference dont leave them
  with staff!
• Leave-behind document
• Use this as a guide during your meeting.
• Make sure to leave this with staff, along with
  your card (or write your info on the document
  beforehand.)

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Your assignment

• You will work in your state groups.
• Develop 2 talking points regarding the need for
  biological agricultural research.
• Draw from your own experience and research
  interests.
• Keep them simple, but relevant. Why would your
  neighbor care?
• Groups will present their talking points for
  feedback.