Preparation for Congressional Visits

Thank you for being an advocate!

Agenda 1. Navigating Capitol Hill 2. The Meeting 3. Preview of the Issues 4. How to Prepare 5. Questions?

Navigating Capitol Hill

House Office Buildings The House Office Buildings are: Rayburn – 4 digit room numbers starting with a 2. The floor number is the second digit. Room 2354 would be on the 3 rd floor. Longworth – 4 digit room numbers starting with a 1. The floor number is the second digit. Room 1523 would be on the 5 th floor. Cannon – 3 digit room numbers. The floor number is the first digit. Room 343 would be on the 3 rd floor. The buildings are connected through tunnels

Senate Office Buildings The Senate Office Buildings are: Hart Dirksen Russell Hart and Dirksen are connected at each level. You can reach Russell through an underground tunnel or by going outside (note, you will have to go through security again).

What are the issues?

Physician Assistant Education Public Health Initiatives Act of 2015 (HR 3943)HR 3943 Student Loan Repayment for Certain Physician Assistants. Faculty Positions in Physician Assistant Education Program Loan Repayment. Physician Assistant Primary Care Provider Loan Repayment. Extends Authorization of Appropriations to Support Faculty Development and Disadvantaged Students. Reauthorizes of the Primary Care Training and Enhancement Program. Grants for Research on Physician Assistant Education.

Physician Assistant Higher Education Modernization Act of 2015 (HR 3944)HR 3944 Increases Loan Limits for Physician Assistants Under the Federal Direct Loan Program. Makes Physician Assistants Eligible for Certain Loan Forgiveness. Grants for Physician Assistant Programs at Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Predominantly Black Institutions. Physician Assistant Post-baccalaureate Opportunities for Hispanic Americans. Grants to Rural Serving Institutions of Higher Education for Physician Assistant Education Programs. Improves Physician Assistant Education Programs.

Your job? When meeting with a Representative (House) Ask your Member of Congress to Cosponsor the Legislation. When meeting with a Senator (Senate) Ask your Member of Congress to be an original sponsor and introduce a Senate companion bill to HR 3943/HR 3944.

Congressional Meetings Advocating 101

Pre Meeting Figure out where your legislator’s office is located. Refer to maps and schedules Be prepared to wait in security lines. Expect legislative meetings to last 15 minutes or less and to be held anywhere. Strive to arrive to each Hill office a few minutes early for last minute meeting review/ to meet your group. Be prepared for the legislator not to attend and to pass the meeting responsibilities onto his/her key legislative staff.

Steps for a Successful Meeting 1. Introduction Plan ahead of time. Decide who will lead the introduction – introductions should be led by the PAEA member with the “hometown connection” when possible. Tell them about PAEA, where you practice, and what you do. Share your personal story or anecdote about a previous meeting you may have had with the Member of Congress.

Steps for a Successful Meeting 2. Background Provide basic details about the organization immediately following your introduction, as some legislators may be unfamiliar with PAEA, its mission and its membership:  PAEA is the only national organization representing physician assistant educational programs in the United States.  Currently, all of the accredited programs in the country are members of the Association.  PAEA has 196 programs across 46 states – with 7,556 graduates from PA programs in 2014!  Nearly 1 in 3 PAs work in primary care and 37% work in underserved communities Provide information about your institution, PA program, students, faculty and graduates.

Steps for a Successful Meeting 3. Use stories and statistics to make it real Use statistics, especially those applicable to a lawmaker’s district and/or state. Get personal with the legislator/staff and relay real stories about how your students, your program and the public are being or could be affected by:  Student loans/ debt  Faculty development opportunities  Clinical rotations  Federal funding for PAs

Steps for a Successful Meeting 4. Make the request Present PAEA requests for this meeting  Refer to talking points as a guide Remember to focus the impact of these requests on PA education and the impact it has on the public at-large.

Steps for a Successful Meeting 5. Conclusion Thank the legislator or staff for his/her time. Convey your interest in serving as his/her PA education resource. Invite them to visit your program if possible. Provide your contact information, preferably in the form of a business card. Ask for their card as well (important for sending Thank You s). Groups should have a designated “closer” for the presentation to wrap up and make closing statements.

Steps for a Successful Meeting 6. Follow up Send a thank you , including a short summary of your position. PAEA will provide a template. Provide any additional request for information in your follow-up. Contact your legislators or their staff every few months to check-in and keep your name fresh in their minds. Work with legislators to visit your institution and conduct tours of your PA program. Volunteer to serve as a resource to your legislator on PA education issues.

The Meeting Tips Connect yourself to the district. Let them know you are a constituent! Find common ground. Clearly state your position as meetings can be short. Stick to the issues at hand. Use the talking points/one-pagers provided in your folders and speak from personal experience. Share your personal story. Back up personal story with facts and figures. If you don’t understand something ask for clarification!

The Meeting (cont’d) It’s okay if you don’t know the answer! Don’t make it up; instead, use as opportunity to connect again. Be mindful of assumptions. You will most likely meet with a staffer instead of the Member of Congress: This can be a good thing as staff are the experts on the issue and have the ear of the Member of Congress. The meetings will last from minutes; be concise!

DO: DO present the need for what you’re asking the legislator to do. Use data or cases you know. DO relate situations in his or her home state/district. DO learn the legislators’ position and ask why they take that position. Member’s website Can be found through Senate.gov, and house.gov Opencongress.org Do’s and Don’t for Congressional Visits

DO: DO admit it when you don’t know the answer and offer to find out the answer and get back to them. DO develop relationships with legislative staff. DO thank the legislator or staff and follow-up. Do’s and Don’t for Congressional Visits

DON’T: DON’T overload a legislator/staff with too many issues. DON’T confront, threaten, pressure, or beg. DON’T be argumentative. DON’T use medical jargon. Use terms they would understand. DON’T expect Members of Congress to be specialists. Do’s and Don’t for Congressional Visits

DON’T: DON’T make promises you can’t deliver. DON’T overstate the case. Legislators/staff are very busy and are apt to lose attention if you are too wordy. DON’T be offended if you have to meet with a staffer. DON’T mention campaigns or campaign contributions/work. This is strictly a legislative meeting and these two areas (legislative and campaigns) are legally separated Do’s and Don’t for Congressional Visits

How can you prepare?

Gather information about your program. program length, costs, percent into primary care, innovation training models, rural initiatives, etc. Research your legislators and their position on issues. Bring extra business cards. Figure out where your legislator’s office is located. Be prepared to talk about your job. You won’t be quizzed on the in’s and out’s of legislation; this is an opportunity for you to share about your role, how great PA education is. And remember…

Remember! 1.You are the expert. 2.We are here to help you make the visit effective and memorable. 3. Have fun!