A Secret of the Best Lobbyists (and How You Can Use It)
If you were to field trip over to Capitol Hill one morning and look at who's waiting in the security line, you may see some well-dressed folks, their coiffed hair somehow unimpacted by the day’s humidity.
These dapper people pass through the magnotrometers and walk sure-footedly towards their destination. No need to look at a map or directional signs; they will not have to ask the Capitol Police where Longworth House Office Building 1126 is.
Many of these sprucely-attired folks once worked in these labrythine buildings as underpaid Congressional staffers. Now, they are well-paid lobbyists for Fortune 500s or 100s or trade associations representing those captains of industry.
These lobbyists know the weak stats Congress puts up (some 2% of bills passed); they may have even had a hand in blocking some of those 98% of bills.
They know how petty, unproductive, and uninspiring Congress can be. But they also know something essential:
If you don’t talk with Members of Congress, the folks on the other side of your issue will. As has been said, If you’re not at the table, you may be on the menu.
Now here’s something useful for us to remember: Politicians like to be liked. In fact, they actually need to be liked; their job security depends on it.
U.S. House Members get re-hired every two years and Senators every six. If a politician does something we don’t like, there’s a decent chance they heard from people saying, in effect, If you do this, we’ll like you.
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Members of Congress have the power to pass federal laws, impose taxes, provide for the common defense, fund the government. But the Constitution does not grant them the power to read our minds. They need to hear from us.
Perhaps you're thinking, "I’ve called 100s of times and it’s like asking the weather to change. It makes no difference."
That’s a singular kind of frustrating. I wish it weren’t that way for you. But don’t give up the fight. Let me offer up a few things that may help your efforts.
First: here are two high-impact, low-time commitment ways to make your voice heard with politicians, borne of my six years working in Congress.
Second: highly partisan issues may be hard to move a politician on, though still worth making your opinion known. But there are plenty of less politicized issues that the politician might not yet have a firm stance on. We can let them know, in effect, If you do this thing I’m asking about, I’ll appreciate you for it.
Congress becomes irrelevant if we treat it as irrelevant. If politicians don’t have constituents holding them accountable, they may well do what lobbyists, their party leadership, or donors egg them on to do.
Making our voice known does not guarantee it will impact a politician. But keeping our voice to ourselves guarantees a politician doesn’t know where we stand. Let’s not leave that power on the table.
Know someone who could benefit from this democracy pick-me-up? Please do forward this newsletter along to them, with my great gratitude!