With a new Presidential Administration in office and the 119th Congress in full swing, public health advocacy is as important now as ever. Members of Congress look to their constituents as valuable and trusted sources of information on how the policies set in Washington impact the communities that they represent.

To help empower our local public health advocates to forge connections with policymakers, NACCHO has developed an updated Advocacy Toolkit. This toolkit details the importance of engaging with federal policymakers, the distinction between lobbying and non-lobbying activities, and provides tips for connecting with members of Congress. Additionally, the toolkit includes a timeline of key opportunities to influence decision-making, instructions on how to schedule a meeting with your members of Congress, the 2025 Congressional Calendar, and a brief explainer on which Congressional Committees are most relevant to public health.

NACCHO Government Affairs provides updates on Administrative and Congressional activities in the News from Washington newsletter every Friday. We also encourage NACCHO members to sign up for our Congressional Action Network for timely alerts asking public health champions to contact their federal elected officials.

In addition to NACCHO’s Advocacy Toolkit, here are additional resources to help you level up your public health advocacy:

• This video and tipsheet from the Lerner Center for Public Health Advocacy at Johns Hopkins University covers strategies for crafting a clear and memorable message when engaging with policymakers;

• “How to Lead a Meeting with a Policymaker,” from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Communications Toolbox, an article providing insight into how to most effectively prepare for your meeting with members of Congress;

• Advocacy & Communication Solutions’ Five Steps to Effective Policy Engagement, a guide to ensuring that your engagement and education efforts are as successful as possible;

• “The Power of Advocacy” from Public Health & Equity Resource Navigator (PHERN), which outlines successful examples of public health advocacy.

NACCHO Government Affairs continues to monitor the federal public health policy landscape and advocate for local public health with the Administration and in Congress, and we invite our public health champions to help amplify our message with your members of Congress.