Advocacy is “putting a problem on the agenda, providing a solution to that problem, and building support for acting on both the problem and the solution,” (Ritu R. Sharma). Advocacy is not just about influencing public policy, it is also influencing public opinion.

Advocacy is about educating decision-makers about the impact of the public policy decisions they are contemplating. It’s about helping them understand how the people and communities we care about will be impacted. And it’s about making sure that we aren’t sitting on the sidelines while decisions that would positively or negatively impact our missions are being made.

Congressional Calendars:

• Roll Call 2020 Congressional Calendar (House & Senate)
• US Senate Session Calendar
• US House Session Calendar

Find your Members of Congress & Member Information:

• GovTrack.US – Find Members of Congress; Track bills that interest you and much more.
• Find Your US Representative – House official site.
• Find Your US Senator – Senate official site.
• Call your Members of Congress: You will be connected to the member’s office by the U.S. Capitol Switchboard: (202) 224-3121.
• Congress.gov – Information about your members of congress; congressional links; legislative activity.
• Office of the Clerk – U.S. House of Representatives  – Downloadable list of members data; members with committee assignments; official list with members phone numbers; member district offices with mailing addresses; on and on…

Use Social Media – Find Members of Congress on Social Media:

• Social Media List: Here is a comprehensive list of social media accounts for Members of Congress by the National Kidney Foundation. The list includes Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook accounts.

Other Resources: 

UUSJ Anatomy of a UU Meeting with Members of Congress – Step-by-Step Guide – includes how much time to spend on what meeting elements, and an exercise for small groups pg. 4 to rank kinds of advocacy “What is effective advocacy?”

How to Plan and Meet with Your Member of Congress – From Friends Committee on National Legislation

Letters to the Editor tips: Writing an Effective Letter to the Editor from Union of Concerned Scientists. And good basic 101 “Writing Letters to the Editor” includes a sample LTL, from Community Toolbox.

Speaking to the Media as a UU (or Hill staff or Member of Congress) – prepare your elevator speech about UUism.

Town Hall Meeting Project  – Find a Town Hall Meeting and links to resources on hosting a meeting

UUSJ – Mobilizing for the 2020 Elections – Congregational Leaders Guide, Voter Mobilization Guide, and Guide to UU Questions for Candidates: Getting Candidates on the Record with tips on bird-dogging, hosting a forum, and questions to ask.

UUSJ – 4 Ways to Get Our UU Voices Heard in Washington, D.C. (UUJEC webinar video; begins at 13:00)

Library of Congress – Congress.gov is the official website for U.S. federal legislative information. The site provides access to accurate, timely, and complete legislative information for Members of Congress, legislative agencies, and the public. It is presented by the Library of Congress (LOC) using data from the Office of the Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives, the Office of the Secretary of the Senate, the Government Publishing Office, Congressional Budget Office, and the LOC’s Congressional Research Service.

Congress.gov – Nine videos explain each of the common legislative stages, and that the process by which a bill becomes law – rarely predictable.

Office of the Clerk – U.S. House of Representatives  – (Same as link under Find your Member of Congress &  Member Information.) Downloadable list of members data; members with committee assignments; official list with members phone numbers; member district offices with mailing addresses; on and on…

Political Trade Press

The Hill – news

Politico – news

Roll Call – news