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Start preparing now for upcoming August congressional recess meetings with your elected officials.

 

Every year, lawmakers return to their home states and districts for a monthlong recess. This year, they are scheduled to be back home from Aug. 5 to Sept. 6. Council and chapter leaders are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity to meet with their elected officials to help further MOAA’s legislative objectives. Your voice is essential because legislators want to hear from you, their constituents. Schedule a visit and meet face-to-face. Some elected legislators might even welcome an opportunity to address an entire chapter.

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MUSNAVC members are asked to contact their representatives during this time.  This may be the last opportunity to discuss the issues important to us as the current congress will end at the end of the year.  Any legislation not passed will have to be reintroduced in the new congress in January.  Her are a few tips and a video to help you prepare.  Preparation is key to a successful meeting. Here are some tips:

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• Familiarize yourself with MOAA’s positions on significant issues that might arise. Visit MOAA’s Legislative Action Center to find details about legislative campaigns, contact information for elected officials, pre-formatted letters to lawmakers, and much more. If this is your first time visiting the action center, you might see a prompt to fill out a sign-up form. You will need to complete this step before you can send messages to Congress.
   

• Make sure a legislator understands the purpose of a visit before a meeting. Every lawmaker deals with a wide variety of legislative issues and cannot be expected to be an expert on every one of them.
   

• Become acquainted with the legislator’s local office staff, especially those with responsibility in areas of interest to MOAA members. Don’t consider it a put-down if you don’t get to visit a legislator in person. They are busy and rely on staff for advice.
   

• If a meeting with a legislator involves a chapter visit, reserve time for a question-and-answer period. Provide a legislator with advance notice of the kinds of questions or issues he or she should be prepared to address during a visit. Key questions should be prepared in advance and given to designated chapter members to ensure the session is productive.

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MOAA members, their families, and networks can also use the Capital Hotline at (866) 272-6622 to call their elected officials toll-free.  When using the hotline, be sure to ask to speak with the military legislative assistant or legislative director.  If neither staffer is available, ask to schedule a follow-up phone call when they are available.

 

 

 

Our MUSNAVC Legislation Early Push program is activated and we encourage all members to be involved and supportive.  Check out this new one of a kind program HERE.  We continue to strongly encourage all members to support and take action on the MOAA Active Legislative Campaigns presented in the weekly MOAA Newsletter.