ACS in DC: Visit a Congressional Office

If you are visiting DC, see if you can find time to visit your lawmakers’ offices on Capitol Hill (a short cab or Metro ride from most spots in the District). A 15-minute meeting with your elected officials’ staffs will impress them with the importance of science in their district and the need for strong and sustained federal support for R&D.

• Find out who your lawmakers are.
  Search for your Senators and Representative. (Find their contact information there, too.)
• Fax a request letter.
  Fill out and print our sample request letter and fax it to the DC office, which is a (202) area code.
• Follow up with a call.
  If you don’t hear back in a few days or promised to call in your fax, call the Washington office and request a meeting.
  Sample script: “Hello, my name is Dr. Millie A. Mole. I am a constituent of Senator X and I will be visiting Washington, DC the week of ___. I would like to schedule a meeting with your office to talk about federal funding for scientific research & innovation.”

• See the Tips for a Successful Meeting webpage for recently-used talking points and a how-to video .
• Research your member.
• Plan a way to tell staff the story of your work & research, emphasizing support from federal funding.

• ACS staff can answer questions, suggest talking points for your meeting, and provide material to leave behind at the office.
• Email Brad Smith, Manager, Public Affairs and Member Communities
  or call 1-800-227-5558, ext. 4479.

• Take a cab or Metro (Union Station for the Senate or Capitol South for the House).
• Check out the Map of Capitol Hill.
• Plan to arrive 20-30 minutes early to orient yourself and be ready when the staffer is available.

• Keep the Tips for a Successful Meeting in mind.

• Email a thank-you to the staff you met.
• Report your visit to us.
• Share this in your local section newsletter or website.

href="mailto:b_smith@acs.org?subject=Congressional%20Visit%20in%20DC" target="_top">Brad Smith