Why Should I Contact My Representatives?
To be effective, legislators must, at the very least, know who their constituents are and have some familiarity with the institutions in their district. If a legislator understands your mission and service to the community, he or she will be more sensitive to your concerns and may contact you to find out how a particular piece of legislation would impact your institution. You can serve as a resource to the legislator on health care issues and your legislator and his/her staff can be a valuable source of information for you. It is helpful to do a little homework before making contact with your legislator:
- How long has the legislator been in office?
- On which committees does the legislator serve?
- What have been the legislator's public policy interests? What are the legislator's personal interests?
In general, you want to make sure you know who your representative is and, ideally, identify a common interest which can be the basis of a relationship. For example, you may find out that your legislator has a particular interest in long-term health care because his/her mother works in a local nursing home. You could send the legislator interesting articles on long-term care from time to time or you could offer to host a forum on long-term care in your institution. You may also have a hobby or other interest in common. In any case, communication with your legislator will be enhanced if he or she sees you as an individual separate from your role as a representative of your institution.
You can find out more about your legislator's interest by looking through newspaper clippings at your local library. A copy of your legislator's official resume may also be helpful. You can contact the legislator's office and request a resume or find it on the internet.
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