Take Action

WHAT YOU CAN DO TODAY...    

 

• Contact your Federal, State, and Local Legislator.
• Schedule a personal visit, make a phone call, or write a letter outlining your concerns.
• Be aware of your elected official's political party, committee assignments, political points of view, and their voting record on your issues.
• Inform your community about health issues.
• Circulate developments on health policy in your community.
• Sponsor a town meeting on health issues.
• Collaborate with others in your community who feel passionate about the same issues as you.

What is "Public Policy"? Resources for National, State, and Local Advocacy Congressional Staff and Influential Committees Influencing Public Opinion Influencing the Legislative Process

 

What Is "Public Policy"?

 

Public policy is a series of governmental decisions and actions that are intended to address a perceived public problem. They can be expressed as local, state, or federal governmental action, such as legislation, appropriations, administrative practices, and court decisions. Individuals and groups can attempt to shape public policy through education, advocacy, or mobilization of interest groups.

 

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Congressional Staff and Influential Committees

 

Senators and Representatives have offices in Washington, DC and their home districts.  Their offices are staffed by district representatives, legislative directors and aides, press secretaries, schedulers, staff assistants and interns.  Washington staff are generally the contacts for the member on issues pending in Congress. 

 

Members who are committee/subcommittee chairs (and most ranking minority members) also have committee staff.  The following are committees and subcommittees that primarily handle health legislation:

 

House of Representatives:

• Committee on Ways and Means, subcommittee on Health
• Committee on Energy and Commerce, subcommittee on Health
• Appropriations Committee

 

Senate:

• Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee
• Senate Finance Committee
• Special Committee on Aging

 

Chairs of committees and subcommittees are very influential. Chairs decide whether and when to hold hearings on legislation and who will testify. They also determine whether or not a mark-up* will be held.

 

* When hearings are completed, the subcommittee may meet to "mark-up" the bill, that is, make changes and amendments prior to recommending the bill to the full committee.

 

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Influencing Public Opinion

 

Writing: Having a clearly articulated position is critical.

Op-Ed articles and Letters to the Editor:

• All of the rules of good writing apply: be clear and direct, entertaining and informative.
• Letters usually respond to a previous article or editorial in the paper. Newspapers usually require a fairly quick response, within a few days to a week of the original item. Letters may reflect personal experience or the formal position of an organization which you represent. Op-Ed pieces are short articles (usually 800 words or less), sometimes written by invitation, and sometimes submitted.
• An op-ed piece should emphasize one point, and should be focused. Do not plagiarize; cite any direct quotations. Confirm your facts. If you can refute your opponent’s argument, do so; otherwise, don’t bring it up. Choose words carefully and do not offend. Read your draft as though you were on the opposite side of the issue, to see if it has weaknesses.
• If an unsolicited manuscript is not published, don’t be too disappointed. Recycle it in another venue–as a pamphlet, a position paper, or submit it to another newspaper.

Media Advocacy:

Media advocacy strategies include writing letters to the editor and op-eds, sending out news releases, holding press conferences, and talking on radio or television shows. A key rule for verbal communication with the media is “stay on message.”  Try to find a hook to get the media’s attention (local interest, irony, injustice, milestone).  Also, take advantage of pre-existing coverage of an issue.

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Resources for State and Local Advocacy

• The Government Guide website contains information on elected officials, including the president, members of Congress, governors, state legislators, and local officials.    mygov.governmentguide.com
  
• The Council of State Governments website contains state legislative and regulatory news, including issue alerts, a health policy monitor, and information on proposed state legislation. www.csg.org
  
• The National Conference of State Legislatures website contains state legislative news and updates, and includes a policy database.  www.ncsl.org

 

Federal Government Contact Information

 

US Capitol Switchboard: (202) 224-3121

Library of Congress Website: http://thomas.loc.gov

US Senate Website: www.senate.gov

US House of Representatives Website: www.house.gov

 

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW

Washington, DC 20500

Comments: (202) 456-1111

Fax: (202)456-2461

Email: president@whitehouse.gov

 

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To get involved in NALBOH’s public health advocacy work or to learn more about advocacy at the local level, contact Tricia Valasek.

 

 

 

 

Page updated 09/08/2010.


 

© Copyright 2010, NALBOH