Lehigh Med Summer 2019 - 27

L C M E D S O C .O R G

Legislators at both the state and federal levels soon discover
that voting on legislation and enacting new laws are not the most
critical elements of their job. In fact, the days they spend either in
Harrisburg or Washington, DC are likely their least productive. In
comparison, a day spent meeting with constituents in their district
can pay significant political dividends. So while they may not eagerly
anticipate a full schedule of constituent meetings, they do understand the
inherent value of learning which issues are on their constituents' minds.

For the constituent, the district meeting is equally important. It
presents a unique opportunity to personally discuss a key issue and
advocate for or against specific legislative action in almost a "safe
zone," far away from the busy schedule of a session day under the
capitol dome. In fact, that makes it valuable to both the legislator
and constituent alike.

PHYSICIANS SHOULD KNOW THAT THERE ARE A FEW COMMON SENSE PRINCIPLES TO
GUIDE THEM AS THEY PREPARE FOR A SUCCESSFUL MEETING WITH THEIR LEGISLATOR:
All Politics is Local
Being a constituent from the legislator's district is important.
Voters are Invested
Being a registered and regular voter, regardless of your party
affiliation, is equally important.
Confirm the Meeting
Once the date, time & place are set, contact the legislator's
office to confirm the meeting 24-48 hours in advance. Be prepared to provide the names of those expected to attend and the
primary issues to be discussed.
Research
If you are discussing a specific legislative bill, go online and see
if the legislator is already a sponsor or if he/she serves on the
committee that may consider the bill.
Follow Policy
If you are representing an organization, know their policy on
the bill or issue. Enhance the discussion with your own views
and insights, but don't create new policies (or problems).
Ignore Party Labels
Most important legislation passes with bi-partisan support. It's
not important that the legislator you visit is in the majority
party, all legislators have a vote.

Thank You
A brief email of thanks is always appreciated. And, if you are
asking for a vote for or against a bill - and the legislator makes
that vote - make sure that you express your appreciation in a
letter or email.
Staff are Important
Meetings in either Washington, DC or Harrisburg are typically
held on days when the legislator's schedule is driven by the
committee meetings and voting schedule set by leadership.
Having a key staffer sit in for your legislator, or having the
legislator quickly stop for an introduction, actually signifies the
importance of your meeting.
Share
If you are representing an organization, the leaders and professional staff of the group will be anxious to hear from you
following the meeting.
Keep in mind that the final basic principle is to plan a next
meeting, either to follow up on your issue or to explore common ground on other health care policy matters. If the goal is
to establish a relationship, then it is critical that you don't show
up only for the big ask on a pending bill.
And remember that the relationship is as important
for the legislator as it is for you.

Ask, Don't Tell
It is important to "ask" for help in addressing an issue or problem, without "telling" the legislator what he/she "must" do.
Questions
If the legislator has questions, don't invent answers.
Find the appropriate response and contact the office
with your follow up answer.

SUMMER 2019 | Lehigh County Health & Medicine 27

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Lehigh Med Summer 2019

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