Welcome to Washington
Information to help you navigate the Hill like an insider Welcome to Washington
Thank you for joining us in Washington, D.C. for the 2018 Parkinson’s Policy Forum!
This slide deck provides you with background information on the lawmaking process and how business is conducted on Capitol Hill. We hope this makes you feel more comfortable going into your Hill Day meetings.
At the Forum we will provide you with talking points on specific policy issues to raise with your members of Congress.
We look forward to seeing you in Washington!
2 Congressional Composition The Senate
The 115th Senate (2016-2018) ■ Democrats ■ Republicans ■ Independents
46 52
46-2-52
Republican Senate Majority
• There are 100 total senators (two from each state) • Senators are elected to six-year terms • Every two years approximately one-third of the Senate is up for re-election
4 The House
The 115th House (2016-2018) ■ Democrats ■ Republicans
218 needed for majority 194-241
Republican House Majority • There are 435 total representatives (a varying number of seats are allocated to each state based on population size) • Six additional non-voting members represent Washington, D.C. and the five inhabited U.S. territories • Representatives are elected to two-year terms, meaning all 435 seats are up for election every two years
5 The Legislative Process How a Bill Becomes a Law
Representative Senator • Introduces bill in the House • Introduces bill in the Senate
House committee/subcommittee Senate committee/subcommittee • Bill is debated and amended • Bill is debated and amended • Simple majority needed to proceed • Simple majority needed to proceed
House floor Senate floor • Bill is debated and amended • Bill is debated and amended • Speaker must allow a floor vote • 3/5 majority needed to end debate • Simple majority needed to pass • Simple majority needed to pass
Final votes/conference committee • If both chambers pass an identical bill, the bill is sent directly to the president • If each chamber passes a similar bill with some differences, a conference committee is formed to reach compromise and combine the bills
President • The president can sign bills that have been passed by both chambers into law • The president can reject a bill with a veto; Congress can override a veto by passing the bill in each chamber with a 2/3 majority
7 Legislation in the Senate
Bill is ignored by full Bill fails passage in Bill fails passage in full committee subcommittee vote committee vote
Introduced to chamber Sent to committee Sent to subcommittee Sent back to committee
Sent to House Full Senate vote Amended Debated on Senate floor Placed on legislative calendar
“Poison pill” Senate majority leader Bill fails final vote in full Bill is filibustered during amendments sabotage declines to place bill on chamber debate on Senate floor final passage the legislative calendar
The Senate relies on unanimous consent to operate efficiently; therefore, individual senators have the power to delay or prevent a bill’s passage by creating additional procedural hurdles, including filibusters.
8 Legislation in the House
Bill is ignored by full Bill fails passage in Bill fails passage in full committee subcommittee vote committee vote
Introduced to chamber Sent to committee Sent to subcommittee Sent back to committee
Sent to Senate Full House vote Debated on House floor Amended Placed on legislative calendar
Bill sent back to “Poison pill” Speaker of the House Bill fails final vote in full committee with a amendments sabotage declines to place bill on chamber motion to recommit final passage the legislative calendar
9 Bills Continue to Face Hurdles After Passage
If the law is challenged in court, a judge can rule to prevent enforcement with an injunction and may eventually strike down the law
Signed by president Enacted Executive orders or signing statements can prevent a law from being enforced as originally intended
President vetoes bill, Congress can override veto with a supermajority vote Analysis • Even if a bill manages to pass both chambers of Congress, the president can use vetoes, executive orders, or signing statements to prevent the bill from being enacted or enforced • Opponents of the bill, including those outside of the legislative process, can prevent the law from being enacted by mounting a successful legal challenge
10 Authorization v. Appropriation
Authorization Appropriation What it does • Establishes federal programs • Outlines how money will be spent on federal programs during the next fiscal year
Who does it • Congressional committees with jurisdiction • There are 12 appropriations subcommittees over specific subject areas write the in each house of Congress; they are divided legislation among broad subject areas and each writes an annual appropriations measure
How it works • Authorization legislation enables the • After subcommittees in the House and Senate expenditure of funds from the federal mark up appropriations bills in response to budget; it may specify how much money the President’s budget, the House and Senate should be spent on a program, but it doesn’t must pass the same version of an actually set aside the money or elaborate on appropriation bill to give a program funding where the money to pay for the budget will • It is very possible for programs to be come from authorized but not funded • The committees are supposed to review programs before their expiration to determine how well they are working
11 Authorization Process
In order for a program to be funded, it must first be authorized
House and Senate House and Senate each If the bills are not the same, a Committees draft pass version of the Conference Committee resolves any authorization bills authorization bill differences and sends the bill back to the floors
Authorization is sent to White House; President passes or vetoes
12 Appropriations Process
Once a program is authorized it can be funded through an appropriations bill
President sends budget House Appropriations House considers, Senate Appropriations proposal to congress Committee marks up bill amends, and Committee marks up bill and sends to House floor passes bill and sends to Senate floor
White House signs House and Senate Joint Senate and House Senate considers, or vetoes the bill vote on final bill conference work out amends, and passes bill differences between two bills
13 Legislative Committees Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee
This Senate committee deals with a large array of issues, including public health and biomedical research. While this committee can create policies and programs related to these topics, it does not have the authority to fund them.
12 Republicans 10 Democrats + 1 Independent Lamar Alexander (TN) Rand Paul (KY) Orrin Hatch (UT) * Patty Murray (WA) Tammy Baldwin (WI) * Michael “Mike” Enzi (WY) Susan Collins (ME) Pat Roberts (KS) Bernie Sanders (VT) * ** Christopher “Chris” Murphy Richard Burr (NC) Bill Cassidy (LA) Lisa Murkowski (AK) Robert “Bob” Casey Jr. (PA) * (CT) * Johnny Isakson (GA) Todd Young (IN) Tim Scott (SC) Al Franken (MN) Elizabeth Warren (MA) * Michael Bennet (CO) Tim Kaine (VA) * Sheldon Whitehouse (RI) * Maggie Hassan (NH)
Subcommittees of Note: Committee chair (R) Committee ranking member (D) Chair (R): Rand Paul * Up for reelection in 2018 Children and Families **Independent that caucuses with the Democrats Ranking (D): Bob Casey Jr. * Employment and Workplace Chair (R): Johnny Isakson Safety Ranking (D): Al Franken Primary Health and Retirement Chair (R): Mike Enzi Security Ranking (D): Bernie Sanders * **
15 House Energy and Commerce Committee
This House committee deals with a large array of issues, including public health and biomedical research. While this committee can create policies and programs related to these topics, it does not have the authority to fund them.
31 Republicans 24 Democrats Greg Walden (OR) Gregg Harper (MS) Larry Bucshon (IN) Frank Pallone (NJ) Jerry McNerney (CA) Joe Barton (TX) Leonard Lance (NJ) Bill Flores (TX) Bobby Rush (IL) Peter Welch (VT) Fred Upton (MI) Brett Guthrie (KY) Susan Brooks (IN) Anna Eshoo (CA) Ben Ray Luján (NM) John Shimkus (IL) Pete Olson (TX) Markwayne Mullin (OK) Eliot Engel (NY) Paul Tonko (NY) Michael Burgess (TX) David McKinley (WV) Richard Hudson (NC) Gene Green (TX) Yvette Clarke (NY) Marsha Blackburn (TN) Adam Kinzinger (IL) Chris Collins (NY) Diana DeGette (CO) Dave Loebsack (IA) Steve Scalise (LA) Morgan Griffith (VA) Kevin Cramer (ND) Mike Doyle (PA) Kurt Schrader (OR) Robert “Bob” Latta (OH) Gus Bilirakas (FL) Tim Walberg (MI) Jan Schakowsky (IL) Joe Kennedy (MA) Cathy McMorris Rodgers(WA) Bill Johnson (OH) Mimi Walters (CA) G.K. Butterfield (NC) Tony Cárdenas (CA) Billy Long (MO) Ryan Costello (PA) Doris Matsui (CA) Raul Ruiz (CA) Buddy Carter (GA) Kathy Castor (FL) Scott Peters (CA) Jeff Duncan (SC) John Sarbanes (MD) Debbie Dingell (MI)
Subcommittees of Note: Committee chair (R) Chair (R): Michael Burgess Committee ranking member (D) Health Ranking (D): Gene Green
16 Senate Appropriations Committee
This Senate committee has jurisdiction over discretionary spending. This spending covers 12 specific areas of government (including health, science and defense) and must be renewed annually. Every year, this committee writes bills that provide funding to the government agencies, departments and programs that fall within the 12 areas. 16 Republicans 15 Democrats Thad Cochran (MS) Lindsey Graham (SC) Shelley Moore Capito (WV) Patrick Leahy (VT) Jeff Merkley (OR) Mitch McConnell (KY) Roy Blunt (MO) James Lankford (OK) Patty Murray (WA) Christopher Coons (DE) Richard Shelby (AL) Jerry Moran (KS) Steve Daines (MT) Dianne Feinstein (CA) * Brian Schatz (HI) Lamar Alexander (TN) John Hoeven (ND) John Kennedy (LA) Richard Durbin (IL) Tammy Baldwin (WI)* Susan Collins (ME) John Boozman (AR) Marco Rubio (FL) Jack Reed (RI) Christopher Murphy (CT)* Lisa Murkowski (AK) Jon Tester (MT)* Joe Manchin (WV)* Tom Udall (NM) Chris Van Hollen (MD) Jeanne Shaheen (NH) Subcommittees of Note: Committee chair (R) Committee ranking member (D) Commerce, Justice, Science and Chair (R): Richard Shelby * Up for reelection in 2018 Related Agencies Ranking (D): Jeanne Shaheen Chair (R): Thad Cochran Defense Ranking (D): Richard Durbin Labor, Health and Human Chair (R): Roy Blunt Services, Education and Related Ranking (D): Patty Murray Agencies
17 House Appropriations Committee
This House committee has jurisdiction over discretionary spending. This spending covers 12 specific areas of government (including health, science and defense) and must be renewed annually. Every year, this committee writes bills that provide funding to the government agencies, departments and programs that fall within the 12 areas.
30 Republicans 22 Democrats Rodney Frelinghuysen (NJ) Mario Diaz-Balart (FL) David G. Valadao (CA) Nita Lowey (NY) Debbie Wasserman Schultz Harold Rogers (KY) Charles W. Dent (PA) Andy Harris (MD) Marcy Kaptur (OH) (FL) Robert Aderholt (AL) Tom Graves (GA) Martha Roby (AL) Peter Visclosky (IN) Henry Cuellar (TX) Kay Granger (TX) Kevin Yoder (KS) Mark E. Amodei (NV) José Serrano (NY) Chellie Pingree (ME) Michael K. Simpson (ID) Steve Womack (AR) Chris Stewart (UT) Rosa DeLauro (CT) Mike Quigley (IL) John Culberson (TX) Jeff Fortenberry (NE) David Young (IA) David Price (NC) Derek Kilmer (WA) John Carter (TX) Thomas J. Rooney (FL) Evan Jenkins (WV) Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA) Matt Cartwright (PA) Ken Calvert (CA) Charles J. Fleischmann (TN) Steven Palazzo (MS) Sanford Bishop (GA) Grace Meng (NY) Tom Cole (OK) Jaime Herrera Beutler (WA) Dan Newhouse (WA) Barbara Lee (CA) Mark Pocan (WI) David P. Joyce (OH) John R. Moolenaar (MI) Betty McCollum (MN) Katherine Clark (MA) Scott Taylor (VA) Tim Ryan (OH) Pete Aguilar (CA) C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger (MD) Subcommittees of Note: Committee chair (R) Chair (R): Kay Granger Committee ranking member (D) Defense Ranking (D): Peter Visclosky Labor, Health and Human Chair (R): Tom Cole Services Ranking (D): Rosa DeLauro
18 Meeting Tips Advocacy in Washington Influences the Governing Bodies
Congress and the White House create Citizens influence governing behavior laws and regulations to govern citizens by participating in advocacy efforts
& • Show Support • Ask for Change • Tell Stories • Share Ideas • Provide Information
20 Yes… Members of Congress Actually Want to Hear From You
Guide to Reaching Out to Members of Congress:
Members highly value staying in Members find personal and engaging touch with constituents content more persuasive than form letters
• Constituent conversations guide policymaking • Individual e-mails can have greater influence • Reelection hinges on their ability to serve the on member decision-making than form constituents who vote them into office messages • Members trust their staff to help them listen • Advocates should focus on sending more to constituents, so advocates should not be personal emails to their members of surprised if they meet with staff in lieu of a Congress to capture the individual voice or member perspective
21 Understanding Hill Staff
It is not uncommon for members to Member of Congress show up halfway Visitors may not realize how highly overscheduled members are; they average 70-hour weeks through a meeting when in D.C., often achieved by double-booking meetings or leave part of the way through
Chief of Staff Visitors may not expect how often chiefs are in communication with a member; the tight bond means that chiefs are often delegated to speak for the member to constituents Meetings are most often scheduled Legislative Director with and run Visitors may not expect that LDs tend to be specialists in the policies of the committees on which through one or the member serves; they may focus less on other areas more of these staffers
Legislative Assistant Visitors may not expect that LAs are very young; their average age is under 29
LCs and SAs may join in meetings as Legislative Correspondent/Staff Assistant a junior staffer or Visitors may not expect that LCs and SAs tend to be even younger than LAs, often recent college note-taker grads
Because members of Congress are often running from meeting to meeting to vote, staffers will often have more time to devote to a meeting, and be more capable of affecting any takeaway.
22 Meeting with Members of Congress
What to remember when conducting a meeting with a member of Congress
Be on time Stay on topic Arrive no more than 5 minutes before the • • Raise only the issue you scheduled to discuss meeting; members are rarely available to meet with the member and the member’s staff to keep earlier and Hill offices are too small to the meeting focused and persuasive accommodate lingering constituents • Inform the scheduler if you are going to be late in case another meeting time must be arranged Keep politics out of it • Do not discuss elections or campaign support in Be flexible your meeting • Prepare to meet with either the member or the • Respect the member’s political views and member’s staff; treat both with equal respect relationships outside of the issue at hand • If the member arrives in the middle of your meeting, continue as usual. The member will ask questions if needed Leave behind brief information XYZ ISSUE • Leave behind a 1-2 page briefing with data points REPORT on the issue discussed with the member’s office; the document should serve as a helpful resource for staff as the issue moves through Congress
23 Preparing for Face-to-face Meetings with Members of Congress
• Prepare your 90-second introduction - Sentence one: Your name, where you live - Sentence two-four: Your story in a few sentences - Sentence five: Why our asks are important to you and how they will impact your life
• When there are several meeting participants, there may not be a lot of time for introductions. A quick memorized intro will help get your message across quickly.
• Consider the audience • Is the member a Republican or a Democrat? • Does the member hold a leadership position? • Is the member on any relevant committees? • Is the member especially interested in health care or Parkinson’s issues? • Have they recently sponsored any relevant legislation?
24 During a Hill Meeting
• Expect anything! • Meetings can be with a member of Congress or their designated health staffer • You may meet in the hallway or while walking between rooms • Staffers have busy schedules and may run late • Meetings are 15-20 minutes • Constituent takes the lead • Introduce yourselves; if you’re a constituent, tell them where you’re from • Get to the asks quickly – be direct • If you get a yes, move on • If you are asked a question you don’t know the answer to, say you will get back to them – and do • Thank the staffer or member for their time (get the staffer’s business card), tell them you’ll be following up and leave information behind
25 Follow-up
Steps to take following a meeting with a member of Congress
Send a thank you message
• Send a follow-up e-mail several days after meeting with a member • Keep the message brief, thank the office for their time, and remind the office of the issue at hand • Leave a link to a reliable source of information on the issue for the office to reference
Attend events in the district
• Attend town hall meetings or other public events in the district to build a stronger relationship with your representative • Find opportunities to engage in policy matters in the district and serve as a trustworthy resource to earn visibility for your issue
Stay in touch
• Do not over-communicate with members of Congress, but do pass along new information about your issue as it is released • Communicate with your representative in a respectful and informative manner to gain their respect
26 Questions?
Email [email protected]