Legislative Action Month
Date: August 2010
Location: Across the U.S.
Task: Meet with our Congressman
Grassroots Advocacy
Take ASTA's Message to Congress during Legislative Action Month-- and throughout the year!
ASTA's Government Affairs staff needs your help throughout the year to help carry our pro-travel agent message. One way to make a particularly noticeable impact is to speak up in a coordinated fashion where our priorities can have the greatest impact: right in your elected officials' backyard.
During the month of August, 2010, we will once again call on all ASTA members to take the time to meet with their Members of Congress in their home districts. For the entire month of August, Congress is away from Washington, DC for the express purpose of meeting with constituents and hearing what is on their minds. This is particularly important during an election year.
In a 2005 study by the Congressional Management Foundation, fully 99% of surveyed congressional staff members identified in-person visits from constituents as the single most effective means of influencing Members of Congress who are undecided concerning a given issue.
More details on Legislative Action Month are forthcoming, but you should begin to plan now to call your Congressman's local district office to set up an appointment sometime during the month of August.
In the meantime, there's no reason to wait!
It's never too early to begin to cultivate a relationship with the Members of Congress who represent you. The more they understand your business and your industry, the more they can be an effective, responsive representative of your needs in Washington.
Not sure where to begin?
- Tips on how to set up and conduct a meeting with your Congressman
- Background information on ASTA's current priorities
- Talking points to guide your discussion
Then, please contact Colin Tooze, ASTA's Vice President of Government Affairs, at ctooze@asta.org to report on your progress or if you have other questions about how to approach your Member of Congress for a meeting. Thank you for getting involved!
