OneWorld.net (U.S.)

by: Celeste Hernandez-Gerety (Women's EDGE intern)

Many people feel intimidated by the idea of meeting with their members of Congress to express their opinions on issues or legislation. I should know, since I was one of those people. Last week, however, I had my first experience as a citizen-lobbyist, and I can now tell you from experience that there is no reason to feel intimidated!

I have been living in Washington, D.C. for over a year now, and I decided recently that it was high time I went to see my representatives. So I called up the offices of both Senators from my home state of New Mexico, and introduced myself as a constituent who wished to set up an appointment to talk about a couple of bills that were currently being debated in the Senate. On the day of my appointments, I was quite nervous. Armed with a few factsheets and a list of statistic-filled talking points, I entered the meetings fully prepared to argue my case for why the Senators should vote for the pro-woman legislation I had chosen. Surprisingly, when I sat down to talk, I found I didn’t need half of the materials I had prepared!

What I didn’t realize—and what many people don’t—is that Members of Congress care less about the facts that we present than our opinions on the issues. In a moment of epiphany (and enormous relief), I realized that you don’t have to be an expert to lobby Congress!

As constituents, our power lies not in having “expert” knowledge, but in our numbers and—most importantly—our voting power. Although I am certainly no authority on either of the issues that I chose, my Senators know that when I walk into their offices, I represent not only myself and my voice, but the voices of all the people with whom I interact on a daily basis. Because I care enough to show up in those offices, they know that I will care enough to talk about these issues with my friends, my family, my college classmates, and my co-workers—and that means my Senators care about what I have to say!

Some people may read this and say, “I’d love to lobby, but I don’t live in Washington, D.C.” The truth is, however, that every member of Congress has at least one office in his or her home district (Senators often have multiple offices in different areas of their states). Lobbying in your home state/district is just as effective as lobbying in Washington. In fact, if you make an appointment at home, you are much more likely to get to meet with your actual Senator or Representative, not just her/his staff.

Members of Congress will be on recess August 4 – September 1, and I highly encourage all of you to set up meetings with your representatives in their district offices. Meetings are usually only 20-30 minutes long, and the Women’s Edge Coalition will even help you prepare materials. Take an active part in our democracy and tell your Members of Congress you want a foreign policy that supports women in developing countries. Become a citizen-lobbyist—it’s easier than you think!