Advocacy with Members of Congress

Below you will find instructions and tips for various methods of communicating with your members of Congress. Thank you for taking action to support local health departments and public health.

Please contact Eli Briggs, NACCHO Director of Government Affairs, at ebriggs@naccho.org or 202-507-4194 with any questions.

Arrange a Meeting With Your Representative and Senators

The best way to engage with your members of Congress and their staff is to have a face-to-face meeting. NACCHO provides all the materials you need to make this easy.

Contact the local office of your member of Congress to request an appointment, stating that you would like to discuss public health issues important to your community. Ask for the scheduler who handles appointments in the district, explain who you are and why you are calling.
Contact information | Sample meeting request letter
Do not be surprised if you are offered a meeting with the district director or another staff member instead of your representative or senator.
Prepare your talking points and leave-behind materials.
Sample NACCHO materials:
Talking points
NACCHO FY2013 appropriations requests
One pager "Local Health Departments Protect the Public's Health"
One pager on job losses and budget cuts
One pagers on specific topics:
Preparedness | Chronic Disease | Food Safety | Public Health Capacity
Flyer on Prevention and Public Health Fund
FY10 and FY11 allocation of Prevention and Public Health Fund
Details about Prevention and Public Health Fund in your state
E-mail a thank you letter to the member or staff after your meeting. (Sample thank you letter)
E-mail Eli Briggs, NACCHO Director of Government Affairs, at ebriggs@naccho.org to report back on your meeting using NACCHO's Report Back Form.

Attend a Town Hall Meeting or Other Public Event

A town hall meeting or other public event is another good way to communicate with members of Congress and raise the visibility of public health issues. NACCHO has prepared a "Top Ten Tips" document for attending town hall meetings.

Go to your member’s website and sign up for their newsletters or alerts. You will receive notice when a town hall meeting is scheduled.
Prepare talking points and other materials about FY 2013 appropriations and the Prevention and Public Health Fund.
Sample NACCHO materials:
Talking points
NACCHO FY2013 appropriations requests
One pager "Local Health Departments Protect the Public's Health"
One pager on job losses and budget cuts
One pagers on specific topics:
Preparedness | Chronic Disease | Food Safety | Public Health Capacity
Flyer on Prevention and Public Health Fund
FY10 and FY11 allocation of Prevention and Public Health Fund
Details about Prevention and Public Health Fund in your state
Upon arriving at the town hall meeting, check to see whether there is an established procedure for the meeting. Often there is a sign-up sheet for individuals who would like to ask questions.
If you have an opportunity to ask a question, identify yourself and your role in your health department. Ask for a response to your question. If the representative/senator cannot give you a response, let them know you will be arranging another opportunity for further discussion and that you look forward to their response at that time.
Send a thank you letter to the member for hosting the town hall meeting. If you were able to ask your question, thank him/her for taking the time to answer it. If you were not able to, ask your question in your thank you letter.
E-mail Eli Briggs, NACCHO Director of Government Affairs, at ebriggs@naccho.org to let her know that you attended a town hall meeting or other event and provide feedback using NACCHO's Report Back Form.

Send a Letter to Members of Congress

You can send a letter or email to your members of Congress directly from NACCHO's Legislative Action Center.

NACCHO has provided a sample letter about the need to support the Prevention and Public Health Fund, but you can send your own letter on any topic.

Last year, Congress passed a $6.25 billion cut to the Prevention and Public Health Fund, which as enacted, would have provided $15 billion over 10 years for prevention and public health activities. It is important to send a strong signal that further cuts are unacceptable. Even though many communities have yet to see significant investment from this fund, it provides an opportunity for local health departments to receive future funding to support prevention activities. Allocation of the first two years of the fund can be found here.

More information about funding by congressional district and state is available here.