Independent Banker - July 2017 - 21

through the daily complexities and
frustrations of the current regulatory
environment, community bankers can
help to frame their understanding of
the urgent need to find solutions.
Numerous ICBA-advocated bills
are pending in Congress and in need
of a grassroots push, so here are some
tips on how your community bank
can set up and execute district meetings
and bank visits with lawmakers.
»Step 1 - Submit a formal
meeting request
Start by visiting your lawmaker's
website. Many provide an online
meeting-request form or outline their
preferred method of setting up a meeting.
If no submission form is available,
use the contact information to email
or fax the request to their office. ICBA
offers draft meeting-request letters
on the Be Heard grassroots webpage
(icba.org/beheard).
Make sure you include your name
and contact information (including
congressional district), and mention
any specific issues you would like
to discuss, such as regulatory relief.
After you submit your request, call
the scheduler to confirm he or she
has received it. Persistence is key; you
might have to follow up a few times
to successfully schedule a meeting.
Contacting the office early and with
all the necessary details will increase
the likelihood of confirming the visit.
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»Step 2 - Secure the meeting
Over the following days or weeks,
the scheduler will work with you to
arrange a mutually agreeable meeting
time. Reaffirm to the scheduler that
you would like to host your lawmaker
at your bank to demonstrate how
it operates in the current regulatory
environment and discuss how
Congress can help. The more specific
you can be about who will be in attendance,
what will be discussed and
exactly why you would like to meet
with the lawmaker, the more likely
the request will be approved.
»Step 3 - Notify ICBA and
your colleagues
As soon as you have confirmed a
meeting with a lawmaker or one of
his of her staff, please email all the
relevant details to joshua.habursky@
icba.org. This will ensure you have
all the support and resources you
need, including one-pagers on the top
issues facing the industry, data on the
community banking impact in your
state or local district and even access
to an ICBA government affairs representative
to call into the meeting to
discuss technical policy questions.
Additionally, please share the
opportunity with your colleagues
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with a legislators' staff members, who
are a vital part of every member's
office and instrumental in shaping
public policy.
The August recess
offers the rare
opportunity to literally
bring home the debate
in Washington for
those who write the
laws community
bankers live by.
and state association. There is
strength (and influence) in numbers.
Personally, reach out to your fellow
community bankers nearby and invite
them to attend.
»Step 4 - Conduct the meeting
Whether at your bank, a congressional
district office or a town hall
forum, this is your chance to make
your case. Be patient and courteous
but also confident, assertive and on
topic. Illustrate the direct impact
of specific legislation on the local
community, do your homework, be
prepared to answer questions and use
social media to amplify your message.
Always close the deal by making a
clear request of the legislator, such
as cosponsoring or voting in favor
of specific legislation, and send a
thank-you note afterward. And never
underestimate the value of meeting
»Step 5 - Follow up with ICBA
Hosting a member of Congress
exposes him or her to invaluable
information about the unique issues
that community banks face, but it is
equally important to report back to
ICBA with details of the meeting.
For instance, perhaps the lawmaker
requested specific information that
could not be provided during the
meeting. Maybe he or she agreed to
cosponsor a bill and needs ICBA to
reach out to legislative staff in Washington.
ICBA's online Congressional
Meeting Report Form, which you can
find in the Advocacy Toolkit section
of icba.org/beheard, makes it easy to
report the details.
ICBA is leading the fight on Capitol
Hill to reduce the regulatory burden
on community banks, but the association
needs grassroots support to
ensure Congress acts. The August
recess offers the rare opportunity
to literally bring home the debate
in Washington for those who write
the laws community bankers live by.
By making the most of this occasion
and using ICBA resources to set up a
district meeting, community bankers
can make a meaningful impact on our
nation's lawmakers.
Joshua Habursky (joshua.habursky@
icba.org) is ICBA director of advocacy.
_____
Be Heard!
Resources on setting up,
conducting and following
up on congressional district
meetings-including request
forms and social media
content-are available on
ICBA's Be Heard grassroots
site at icba.org/beheard
independentbanker.org
ICBA IndependentBanker 21
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Independent Banker - July 2017

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