@ DRMACTION D R M WELCOME. 1 ST Amendment Congress shall make no law...abridging...the right of the people peaceably...to petition the Government for.

@DRMACTION

DRMWELCOME

1 ST Amendment 1 ST Amendment “Congress shall make no

law...abridging...the right of the people peaceably...to petition the

Government for a redress of grievance”

LOBBYING IN OUR MOVEMENT

LOBBYING IN OUR MOVEMENT

Information and Analysis Information and Analysis

Data and AssessmentData and Assessment****

Introduction to the Legislative

process

Introduction to the Legislative

process Imagine that you are watching the full House of Representatives consider H.R.1402 a top priority for Rep. Steve King. You watch

on C-SPAN as the house goes into the “Committee of the Whole” and passes a “motion to recommit” with specific

instructions that are read quickly by the House clerk. It happens so quickly that you are not sure what just took place.

Did the bill pass? Did the bill pass?

Basic House andsenate differences Basic House and

senate differences

Structure Structure

PASSING A BILL &

PRocedure

PASSING A BILL &

PRocedure

Congressional office structure Congressional office structure

Congress Explained

Congress Explained

U.S. CONSTITUTION

Art. 1, §. 1

Lawmaking power in Congress

U.S. CONSTITUTION

Art. 1, §. 1

Lawmaking power in Congress

Structure Structure

Congress Congress

Senate : 2 Senators for each state

House: # of Representatives depends on the population of each state

total : 435 delegates.

Senate : 2 Senators for each state

House: # of Representatives depends on the population of each state

total : 435 delegates.

Montana Montana

ONLY 1 Representative!

District of Columbia, Guam , & US Virgin Islands send non-voting delegates to the House. Puerto Rico sends a non - voting Resident Commissioner who serves a 4 year term. The North Mariana Islands are not represented.

ONLY 1 Representative!

District of Columbia, Guam , & US Virgin Islands send non-voting delegates to the House. Puerto Rico sends a non - voting Resident Commissioner who serves a 4 year term. The North Mariana Islands are not represented.

a.PARTY ORGANIZATIONa. Republican Conference

b.Democratic Caucus.

a.LEADERSHIP ORGANIZATION• House Leadership:

•Majority Party- 1) Speaker of the House; 2) Majority Leader; 4) Majority Whip

•Minority Party- 1) Minority Leader; 2) Assistant Minority Leader; 3) Minority Whip

a. Senate Leadership:

a.President of the Senate: Vice President of U.S (Joe Biden; only votes if there is a tie);

b.President Pro Tempore-Senator of the Majority Party;

c.Senate Majority Leader;

d.Assistant Senate Majority Leader/Senate Majority Whip.

e.Minority Leadership: 1) Senate Minority Leader ; 2) Assistant Senate Minority Leader/Senate Minority Whip

a.PARTY ORGANIZATIONa. Republican Conference

b.Democratic Caucus.

a.LEADERSHIP ORGANIZATION• House Leadership:

•Majority Party- 1) Speaker of the House; 2) Majority Leader; 4) Majority Whip

•Minority Party- 1) Minority Leader; 2) Assistant Minority Leader; 3) Minority Whip

a. Senate Leadership:

a.President of the Senate: Vice President of U.S (Joe Biden; only votes if there is a tie);

b.President Pro Tempore-Senator of the Majority Party;

c.Senate Majority Leader;

d.Assistant Senate Majority Leader/Senate Majority Whip.

e.Minority Leadership: 1) Senate Minority Leader ; 2) Assistant Senate Minority Leader/Senate Minority Whip

Congress organized on 2 principlesCongress organized on 2 principles

HouseHouse Senate Senate Larger (435 members)

Shorter term (2 years)

All members of the HR serves a two-year term

and are elected every two years.

Less procedural flexibility and more restraints on each representative

Stronger Leadership

Scheduling by Speaker and party leadership

with less consultation among Representatives

Less debate.

More partisan and less individualistic

Narrower constituency

Rules favor Majority Rule

Smaller (100 members)

Longer terms (6 years)

Every two years, only approximately 1/3 of the Senate is elected.

More Procedural Flexibility and fewer restraints on each Senator

Weaker Leadership

Scheduling by majority leader but with more consultation among ALL Senators

Unlimited Debate (cloture)

Less partisan and more individualistic

Broader constituency

Rules favor Minority Rule

VSVS

LEGISLATIVE LEGISLATIVE PROCEDUREPROCEDURE

Forms of Legislative ProposalsForms of Legislative Proposals

• Bills: “H.R. or S.”• Bills: “H.R. or S.”

• Joint Resolution: “H.J. Resor S.J. Res”

• Joint Resolution: “H.J. Resor S.J. Res”

• Resolution: “H. Res or S. Res.”• Resolution: “H. Res or S. Res.”

• Concurrent Resolution: “H. Con. Res or S. Con. Res”

• Concurrent Resolution: “H. Con. Res or S. Con. Res”

Critical Role of CommitteesCritical Role of Committees

Standing.

Subcommittees

Select

Joint Committee

Standing.

Subcommittees

Select

Joint Committee

Committees play a huge role in shaping legislation,

even though the public gives more attention to floor action.

•Session at which committee members debate Session at which committee members debate

and propose changes to a bill before it is and propose changes to a bill before it is

““reported outreported out””. .

•Committee and its chair may either: a) Committee and its chair may either: a)

consider and consider and ““report its findingreport its finding”” (approve) (approve)

the bill with or without amendments or the bill with or without amendments or

recommendations; b) rewrite the bill entire, recommendations; b) rewrite the bill entire,

reject it, or simply refuse to consider it.reject it, or simply refuse to consider it.

THE mark THE mark upup

House ProcedureHouse Procedure

•RULERULE: a simple resolution, which must be passed by the House, that sets out the guidelines of a specific bill—how much time will be allowed for debate, whether amendments can be offered, and other matters.

•committee of the wholecommittee of the whole: a parliamentary device used to expedite the work of the House during debate and amendments to bills.

•motion to recommitmotion to recommit: procedure to return a bill to committee for further review or markup. If the attempt to recommit fails, a vote on final passage is ordered.

With emergency or other non-controversial bills, a simple voice vote is taken of the Senate, and the bill either passes or fails.

FILIBUSTERFILIBUSTER: If objection was offered, then each Senator has the opportunity to speak on the bill for as long as he or she wishes.

Motion for Cloture can stop a filibuster (requires 60 votes)

If 60 votes, then the bill goes to a final vote requiring only 51 votes.

Senate ProcedureSenate ProcedureAfter a Senate committee refers a bill to the full

Senate, it can take one of two main roads:

If anything in the two versions of the bill differ, in any way, the bills must be reconciled.

# of Representatives & Senators meet to work out the differences in the two versions of the bill

Following negotiations, managers report back to their houses that: 1) they were able to agree on the bill; 2) able to agree only on some parts of the bill; 3) or were unable to agree at all on the bill

If anything in the two versions of the bill differ, in any way, the bills must be reconciled.

# of Representatives & Senators meet to work out the differences in the two versions of the bill

Following negotiations, managers report back to their houses that: 1) they were able to agree on the bill; 2) able to agree only on some parts of the bill; 3) or were unable to agree at all on the bill

ConferenceConferenceConferenceConference

Congressional Timing

Congressional Timing

http://majorityleader.gov/calendar/113thCongressFirstSession-Monthly.pdf

Congressional SessionsCongressional Sessions

Congressional Office StructureCongressional Office Structure

TITLE DESCRIPTION Chief of staff Runs office and is Member's top political advisor.

Legislative director, counsel, assistant.

Monitors legislative schedule and makes recommendations regarding the pros and cons of particular legislation. Responsibility to an issue is assigned to the counsel or legislative assistants who have particular expertise in specific areas such as immigration

Press secretary/Communications director

Responsible for Member's relationship with media; is the liaison for the local and national press; issues press releases.

Staff Director Manages and implements agenda of all committee work for the Representative or Senator’s committee duties.

Office Manager Supervises support staff; manages official accounts; buys/maintains equipment.

Scheduler Responsible for apportioning member’s time among the many demands of congressional responsibilities and constituent requests; arranging speaking engagements and visits to the district, etc.

District Director Determine constituents’s opinion and helps them solve problems. Liaison to local community and district offices.

Campaign Director Focuses on election and political activities including fundraising, prepares member for public appearances and debates, updates on strategies.

LOBBYINGLOBBYING

Understand Factors that Shape Public Policy

Understand Factors that Shape Public Policy77P’sP’s

Profile

Previous Experience

Positions

Press/Public Opinion

Promoters

Priorities Personal Experience

The seven P’s

Understand Factors that Understand Factors that Shape Public PolicyShape Public Policy Understanding this Factors will provide the following Understanding this Factors will provide the following

benefits: benefits:

• Building Stronger and Deeper Relationships

• Setting Priorities

• Selecting Legislators

• Predicting Legislative Scenarios

• Lessens the likelihood of making irrelevant, or even offensive, points or comments.

PROFILE PROFILE of Constituentsof Constituents

•Demographics

•Economics

•Attractions

•History

•Your Issue

The following Questions should guide your Research:

PREVIOUSPREVIOUSExperienceExperience

• Childhood and School

• Career

• Positions

• Childhood and School

• Career

• Positions

POSITIONSPOSITIONS

• Responsiveness

• Familiarity

• Private or Public statements

PRESS & PUBLIC PRESS & PUBLIC OPINIONOPINION

• Current and anticipated public opinion

• Press coverage

• Legislator’s press release section of his or her website

PROMOTERSPROMOTERS

• Electoral Supporters

• Financially

• Supporters or legislative allies.

PRIORITIESPRIORITIES

• Big-picture Priorities

• Re-election

• Policymaker Consistent Location

PRIORITIES

PRIORITIES

The following Questions should guide your Research:

PERSONAL PERSONAL EXPERIENCEEXPERIENCE•Has the policymaker had a personal experience on the issue?

•Has the policymaker had a personal experience on the issue?

Research Research ResourcesResources

1.U.S.GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: Congressional Directory • Contains biographies of members of Congress;• Committee membership rosters;• Directory information for congressional offices;

•CONGRESSIONAL RECORD: edited transcript of House & Senate proceedings.

•THOMAS Library of Congress: 1) Bills, Resolutions; 2) Activity in Congress; 3) Congressional Record; 4) Schedules, Calendars; 5) Committee Information; 6) Presidential Nominations; 7) Treaties; 8) Senate and House Rules.

Planning an Planning an Effective Effective Lobbying Lobbying Campaign

STRATEGYSTRATEGY

• KEYKEY steps to building and maintaining an effective

legislative action plan are as follows:

• 1) evaluate political & legislative landscape;

• 2) Consider your organization’s capabilities;

• 3) prepare for planning;

• 4); establish short term priorities with checkpoints to measure achievement;

• 5) Emphasize long term goals;

• 6) regularly update the plan;

• 7) communicate your successes.

Political & Legislative LandscapePolitical & Legislative Landscape• POLITICALPOLITICAL: identify factors such as economic upturns and downturns, natural disasters, wars, international politics, new and existing supporters and opponents on the issue;

• LEGISLATIVELEGISLATIVE: identify the make up Congress, leadership, and committee chairs, Congressional Agenda and priorities, new bills and legislation introduced.

Consider your Consider your OrganizationOrganization’’s History & s History & CapabilitiesCapabilities

• Your organization Positions

• Your Organization’s Capacity

Prepare for Prepare for PlanningPlanningDetermine whether you have clearly defined-time specific and measurable goals?

Establish Short Term Establish Short Term Priorities with Check points Priorities with Check points

• 1) publicity of the issue; 1) publicity of the issue;

• 2) meeting with key staffers; 2) meeting with key staffers;

• 3) meeting with key legislative or executive 3) meeting with key legislative or executive officials. officials.

It is important to identify short term achievements or It is important to identify short term achievements or progress in order that your members can follow the progress in order that your members can follow the campaign. campaign.

For example: For example:

Emphasize Long Term Emphasize Long Term GoalsGoals

• Remember the main goalmain goal of the campaign to keep your organization informed and inspired.

Regularly Update the PlanRegularly Update the Plan• Political winds shift quickly. Political winds shift quickly.

• Unexpected development can instantly Unexpected development can instantly

kill the opportunity to advance your kill the opportunity to advance your

issue. Thus, continually update your issue. Thus, continually update your

approach as situations evolve but approach as situations evolve but

establish specific reporting establish specific reporting

deadlines. deadlines.

Communicate Your Communicate Your SuccessesSuccesses

• Generates more political Generates more political

recognition at all levels of a recognition at all levels of a

campaign internally and externally;campaign internally and externally;

• Credit members whenever possible. Credit members whenever possible.

CAN YOU HERE US NOW

Lobbying:Lobbying:Face to FaceFace to Face

Meeting with Policy Meeting with Policy makersmakers Lobbying is NOT about status and influence. It is about changing the hearts and minds of government and legislators. HOW TO DO THIS?

• Effective lobbying uses information, communication, Effective lobbying uses information, communication, public pressure and engagement to bring policy change. public pressure and engagement to bring policy change.

• Educate Members of CongressEducate Members of Congress

• Give them the tools, arguments, and research to make your Give them the tools, arguments, and research to make your casecase

• Makes them passionate about your issueMakes them passionate about your issue

• Keep them updated on your issues--especially when you Keep them updated on your issues--especially when you arenaren’’t asking for somethingt asking for something

Face to FaceFace to Face• Concise: Have a One-PagerConcise: Have a One-Pager

• Focused: Talk about your goals in Focused: Talk about your goals in numbers where possiblenumbers where possible

• Know your IssueKnow your Issue

• Be assertive but not offensiveBe assertive but not offensive