Tennessee Federation of Chapters 4162007 Grassroots Legislative Advocacy

Tennessee Federation of Chapters 4/16/2007

Grassroots Legislative Advocacy National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association Tennessee Federation of Chapters 4/16/2007

Advocacy: The Big Picture How Laws Are Really Made üBuilding Rapport n Taking the Path of Least Resistance üStrength in Numbers n Fundamentals of Negotiation ü Persistence n 4/16/2007

Is This How Laws Are Made? 4/16/2007

Or Is This How Laws Are Made? A chapter legislative officer talks to this man on a regular basis. Has this guy ever heard from a NARFE federation officer? 4/16/2007 How many letters has this woman’s boss received on GPO/WEP?

How Laws Are Made: Everyone Should Know This. 4/16/2007 But this shows the importance of building rapport with lawmakers & staff.

Taking the path of least resistance. NO! 4/16/2007 No Resistance Here.

Talking the Path of Least Resistance. YES! 4/16/2007 Or making it hard to say NO.

Fundamentals of Negotiating n Biggest Mistake: Taking NO for an answer. NO only means NO now, n It does not mean NO three months, six months or a year from now. n 4/16/2007

Negotiate Like A Four-Year Old I want H. R. 82, please! I want a squirt gun, please! 4/16/2007

Negotiate Like A Four-Year Old n Wear Down Your Lawmaker Rather Than Letting Him/Her Wear You Down n Don’t Literally Call Every Five Minutes, But Once a Month is Okay, by letter, fax or phone n Keep Asking the Question Until the Answer is YES. 4/16/2007

Step-By-Step Grassroots Advocacy n Education n Meeting with Your Lawmaker n Rank-and-File Letters/Calls to Lawmakers n Action Alerts n Local Coalition Building 4/16/2007

Education n n You can’t persuade your lawmaker on the merits of our bills if you don’t know them yourself. Educate yourself, and stay current on status! üIssue Briefs and Fact Sheets üNARFE Web Pages (National & TN Federation) üWashington Newsletter (GEMS) üNARFE Magazine üLegislative Hotline üCall 703/838 -7760 or E-Mail leg@narfe. org us. 4/16/2007

Preparing to Meet With Your Lawmaker n Make an Appointment: üChapters Call District Office Scheduler üFederation Call State Office Scheduler üFollow-Up To Check Status of Request n Timing: üPrime Time: Congressional Recesses üCall Well in Advance of Recess üMLK, Presidents, Easter/Passover, Memorial, 4 th of July, August/Labor Day. 4/16/2007

Preparing to Meet With Your Lawmaker n n Be Flexible üWork Around Your Lawmaker’s Schedule. Troubleshooting: üGet Help from a 3 rd Party ØCampaign Workers ØParty Activists ØA Friend of the lawmaker from high school, college, business or community. 4/16/2007

Preparing to Meet With Your Lawmaker n Meeting with Staff üNot the end of the world. üStaff Often Know More Than Their Boss üThey go on to do Bigger and Better things. üFind Out Which Staff Covers our Issues. 4/16/2007

Preparing to Meet With Your Lawmaker n Confirm Your Appointment üCall or Write to confirm appointment before meeting date. n Assemble A Group üFederation/Chapter Legislative Committee. üRepresentatives from all Chapters within the District or State. üProvide Issue Briefs and Fact Sheets to Group Members in Advance of Meeting 4/16/2007

Preparing to Meet With Your Lawmaker n Group Game Plan: üMeet in Advance of Appointment ØThoroughly Review and Organize Arguments for Our Bills. ØDiscuss previous experiences with legislator and staff. • Have they cosponsored our bills in the 110 th, 109 th or 108 th Congresses? ØDiscuss whether your lawmaker is a member of a key committee. If so which committee? 4/16/2007

Key Committees: n House Government Reform & Senate Governmental Affairs: üCSRS, FEHBP, TSP, FLTCIP etc. n House Ways and Means & Senate Finance: üPremium Conversion, GPO/WEP, Social Security, Medicare & Medicaid. n House & Senate Budget: üAnnual Budget Resolution 4/16/2007

Lesser Key Committees House & Senate Appropriations: üSets Discretionary Spending ØFunds Federal Agencies ØNOT Civil Service Retirement üCan Intervene with “Riders” n House Energy and Commerce üMedicare and Medicaid n 4/16/2007

Key Legislators In Tennessee Ways and Means ØRep. John S. Tanner, D-8 n Oversight & Government Reform ØRep. Jim Cooper, D-5, ØRep. John J Duncan Jr. , R-2 n House Budget ØRep. Jim Cooper, D-5 n 4/16/2007

Key Legislators In Tennessee House Appropriations ØRep. Zach Wamp, R-3 n Energy and Commerce ØRep. Bart Gordon D-6, ØRep. Marsha Blackburn R-7 n 4/16/2007

Key Senators In Tennessee n Senate Finance Ø (None from Tennessee in 110 th) n Senate Governmental Affairs Ø (None from Tennessee in 110 th) n Senate Appropriations Ø Senator Lamar Alexander n Senate Budget Ø (None from Tennessee in 110 th) 4/16/2007

Preparing to Meet With Your Lawmaker Extra Fact Sheets for Your Lawmaker n Notes: n üHelps Group Keep Discussion on Track. üAsk Specific Group Members to Discuss Different Points, Personalize where you can n Focus on Top Issues: üPremium Conversion (HR. 1110 & S. 773) üGPO/WEP (HR. 82 & S. 206) 4/16/2007

Meeting With Your Lawmaker Introductions üName, Chapter Affiliation & Title n Purpose of Meeting üCosponsor premium conversion, GPO/WEP bills. ØAsk “Lapsed” Cosponsors to Reaffirm Their Support. n 4/16/2007

Meeting With Your Lawmaker n Beyond Cosponsoring: üAsk Your Representative to Urge Chairman Rangel and Ranking Member Mc. Crery to Approve the Premium Conversion, GPO/WEP Bills and move for a vote by the full House Charles Rangel (D-NY), Chairman 4/16/2007 Jim Mc. Crery (R -LA), Ranking Member

Meeting With Your Lawmaker n Beyond Cosponsoring: üAsk Your Senators to Urge Chairman Baucus and Ranking Member Grassley to Approve the Premium Conversion, GPO/WEP Bills and move for a vote by the full Senate Max Baucus (D-MT), Chairman 4/16/2007 Charles Grassley (R -IA), Ranking Member

Meeting With Your Lawmaker n Educate with Basic Facts: ØAvoid Using Abbreviations or Jargon ØAssume Your Lawmakers Know Nothing ØDiscuss Fundamentals of Our Bills (Education of the lawmakers and or staff) ØRelate Personal Stories About the Effects of Raising Premiums and GPO/WEP. 4/16/2007

Meeting With Your Lawmaker Stay on Target: üKeep Lawmakers and Group Members on Subject. (10 -15 minutes is all you may get with your Member of Congress) n Follow-Up Questions: üIf You Don’t Know the Answer – Provide the Correct Information Later. n 4/16/2007

Meeting With Your Lawmaker Try To Get a Firm Commitment ü Or Repeat Your Request with the “hope” that they would cosponsor _____. n Leave Fact Sheets n Follow-Up With A Thank You Note. üProvide any Information They Requested. n 4/16/2007

Meeting With Your Lawmaker n Other Opportunities üTown Hall Meetings v. Call State or District Office for Schedule. üFundraisers v. Check with Your NARFE-PAC Coordinator First. üChance Occurrence 4/16/2007

Communication From Rank-and. File Members to Lawmakers 4/16/2007

Communication From Rank-and. File Members to Lawmakers Large Numbers of Annuitants Are Meaningless Unless They Hear From Them. n If You Take The Time To Write – Then You Take the Time to Vote n Federation and Chapter Officers Must Motivate Rank-and-File NARFE Members. n 4/16/2007

One of The Biggest Mistakes Chapter Officers Make Only Chapter Officers Write (40+/-) and Rank-and-File Members (4750) Do Not. n That Means 98. 4% of Our Grassroots Resources are Unused, but available. n Never Going to Get 100%. n But What About 50%, 75% or even 90%? n Maximize Our Potential Grassroots, keep pushing or asking them to participate n 4/16/2007

Letters to Legislators 4/16/2007

Personal Letters Pros: üMost Effective, keep it to one page üAppear To Be Spontaneous and Genuine üNot Necessarily Generated From Outside Group. n Cons: üOur NARFE Members Don’t Always Take The Time To Write n 4/16/2007

Form Letters n n n Pros: üDon’t Have to Write Your Own Letter. üEasy To Send Mass Mailing. Cons: üOrganized Mailing From Outside Group. How to Improve: üAdd Personal Comments. üTranscribe Text in Your Own Handwriting. 4/16/2007

Petitions Pros: üShows Minimal Interest By Constituents, can be done at each Chapter meeting n Cons: üDemonstrates Lack of Commitment on Issue. üIf You Are Not Willing To Write – Then You Might Not Bother Voting. n 4/16/2007

Rank-and-File Participation n Leave Nothing To Chance: üCopy Enough Form Letters For Your Next Chapter Meeting. üHave Members Sign Them and Add Their Mailing Address. üSupply Pre-Addressed and Stamped Envelops. üCollect Them At End of Meeting. üMail Them Yourself. 4/16/2007

Mailing Instructions n Send Regular Mail to Local District Offices Only üContact Information: ØNARFE Legislative Action Center ØNARFE U. S. 110 th Congress Handbooks ØBlue Pages of Phone Book Øwww. house. gov Øwww. senate. gov 4/16/2007

Mailing Instructions Faxing or E-Mailing Letters is Okay n Mail Only To Your Own Lawmakers üOutside State or District Letters are: ØTrashed ØReferred to Your Own Lawmaker üShows Why Letters From NARFE Members Represented By Key Lawmakers are Vital. n 4/16/2007

Mailing Instructions n Limit Letter to Two Subjects. n Use Bill Numbers, If Available. n Personalize Your Letter üExample: How Does GPO Affect You? n Finally, Be Polite, But Firm. 4/16/2007

Phone Calls to Lawmakers 4/16/2007

Phone Calls By Rank-and-File Members to Lawmakers n Keep message simply, clear and concise: ü [To Rep. Cooper: ] “I ask you as a ? Office? Committee member, to urge Chairman Charles Rangel and Ranking Member Jim Mc. Crery to approve H. R. 1110, the federal civilian and military retirees premium convention bill. ” 4/16/2007

Phone Calls By Rank-and-File Members to Lawmakers Capitol Hill Switchboard: 202/224 -3121 n Blue Pages of Phone Book: Local Office Numbers. Or n http: //www. narfetn. org/legislation/110 congress. html NARFE Legislative Action Center: www. narfe. org n NARFE U. S. 110 th Congress Handbook n 4/16/2007

Action Alerts n Rapid Grassroots Response Is Sometimes Necessary, especially if a bill is on the floor for vote n Short Notice n Short Turn Around Time for Rank-and-File To Call or E-Mail Lawmaker. 4/16/2007

How To Initiate An Action Alert Instructions and Message Provided by National Headquarters. n Only 25, 000 Members Can be Reached by E -Mail. ü Urge Your Members to Add Their E-Mail Address to Their Membership Record! Ø www. narfe. org Ø 1 -800 -456 -8410 n 4/16/2007

How To Initiate An Action Alert n Reaching 360, 000 Members without E-mail: üEach Chapter Should Have Either: v. Telephone Tree, or v. Calling Committee üCalling Volunteers Should Be Available Whenever Congress is in Session. 4/16/2007

Telephone Tree 4/16/2007

Coalition Building n Coalition Building Isn’t Limited To National Level. n State/Local Coalitions Built Around State Tax Refund Court Cases. 4/16/2007

State/Local Coalition Building n n Federal-Postal Employee/Retiree Groups ü Federal Retirement & FEHBP ü GPO/WEP Senior Citizens Organizations üSocial Security üMedicare üMedicaid üLong-Term Care üOlder Americans Act 4/16/2007

Building Local Coalitions Around Issues n GPO/WEP üFederal-Postal Organizations üState & Local Government Employee Unions üPolice and Firefighters’ Unions üTeachers’ Unions üSome Senior Citizens’ Associations 4/16/2007

Building Local Coalitions Around Issues n Premium Conversion üFederal-Postal Organizations üMilitary Organizations 4/16/2007

Building Rapport By Getting Involved In Politics 4/16/2007

Building Rapport By Getting Involved In Politics n NARFE is Nonpartisan n But NARFE is NOT Nonpolitical. n As Long As Elected Officials Control Our Benefits, NARFE will be a Political Organization. 4/16/2007

Building Rapport By Getting Involved In Local Politics Politicians Remember Their Friends n Who Are Their Friends? üAnyone Who Helped Them Get Elected: v. Campaign Workers v. Campaign Donors and Fundraisers v. Party Officials n 4/16/2007

Are Political Campaigns For Senior Citizens? n YES! Ignore the Stereotypes of 20 -year olds working 18 hour days on campaign. n Work as Much or as Little As You Want n Campaigns Will be Grateful To Have You. n Seniors Are Usually Well Represented On Most Campaigns. n 4/16/2007

What Kind of Work Will You Do? Stuffing Envelops n Phone Banking n Literature Drops n Canvassing n Fundraising n Get Out The Vote (GOTV) n Public Events n 4/16/2007

How To Work On A Campaign Encourage Chapter Members to Find a Candidate They Can Support n Provide Campaign Contact Information: üCall County or State Party “Central Committees”. üVisit Campaign Web Sites n 4/16/2007

Volunteering For Local Party Most Political Parties Are Active Full-Time n They Need Help: üOrganizing üFundraising n Most Local Elected Officials Will Appreciate Your Help. n 4/16/2007

Building Rapport By Getting Involved In Local Politics n Being a Campaign and Party Volunteer üGive You Unparalleled Access to Elected Officials. üHelp You Advance in the Party Hierarchy. üNetworking Opportunities Statewide or Even Nationally. 4/16/2007

What You Can Do! Ø Get Active and Participate Ø Stay Active and Participate Ø Support NARFE-PAC Ø Convince Others to be Active and Participate Ø Educate yourself on the legislation (Stay Current) Ø Build a Rapport with your Members of Congress Ø Build a Rapport with the local District Office Staff Ø Educate your Member of Congress and their staff on the issues Ø Get the Chapter Members involved Remember, the Benefits you save maybe your own! 4/16/2007

Information for you Federation Members NARFE Eligible Annuitants (OPM Est) As of 02/05/2007 By Congressional District as of 6/28/06 Congressional NARFE District Members 1 603 2 495 3 Federal Government Workers (Census) OPM Est Census Sum 1 5, 792 5, 435 11, 227 2 4, 178 9, 497 13, 675 497 3 4, 618 10, 095 14, 713 4 604 4 4, 370 7, 398 11, 768 5 738 5 4, 873 5, 950 10, 823 6 502 6 4, 410 6, 394 10, 804 7 424 7 4, 626 9, 803 14, 429 8 516 9 310 8 4, 018 7, 597 11, 615 9 2, 916 10, 436 13, 352 39, 801 72, 605 112, 406 4751 District http: //www. narfetn. org/legislation. html 4/16/2007

Questions ? ? ? ? ? Thanks for you attention and Participation 4/16/2007

Tennessee Federation of Chapters 4/16/2007