Capitol Hill 101: Tips for Educating on the Hill Andrew Coats

1 Agenda Political Landscape on Capitol Hill Legislative Forecast for 2016 Basics of a Hill Visit Understanding Your “Ask” Questions

2 Disclaimer

3 Political Landscape 54 REPUBLICANS 44 DEMOCRATS 2 INDEPENDENTS

Senate Results

5 What does this mean for rural health care issues in the Senate?

6 Barbara Mikulski (D-MD)Thad Cochran (R-MS) Senate Appropriations Committee 6

7 Patty Murray (D-WA) Roy Blunt (R-MO) Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, HHS, Education, and Related Agencies 7

8 Senate Committee on Health Education Labor & Pensions 8 Patty Murray (D-WA)Lamar Alexander (R-TN)

9 Ron Wyden (D-OR)Orin Hatch (R-UT) Senate Committee On Finance 9

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11 Senate Seats Up in 2016

12 Political Landscape Democrats 247 Republicans

13 What does this mean for rural health care issues in the House of Representatives?

14 Nita Lowey (D-NY)Hal Rogers (R-KY) House Appropriations Committee 14

15 Rosa DeLauro (D-CT)Tom Cole (R-OK) House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, HHS, Education, and Related Agencies 15

16 Committee on Ways and Means 16 Sandy Levin (D-MI)Kevin Brady (R-TX)

17 Committee on Energy & Commerce 17 Fred Upton (R-MI)Frank Pallone (D-NJ)

18 Basics of a Hill Visit Understanding Your Audience Understanding Your Role Understanding Your Ask

19 Meeting with a Member Members put in a honest day’s work Assume they know nothing about the meeting – ie: person on the plane Be personal in conversation – share stories All politics is local

20 Meeting with a Hill Staffer Hill Staffer demographics and their role in a congressional office Be prepared to meet anywhere Present yourself as a resource Expect the meetings to be brief

21 Your Roll in the Hill Meeting Present yourself as an educator for your state office of rural health – Summarize the state of rural health in your state – Describe how the SORH benefits the state? – Detail the impact SORH have on rural hospitals and health care facilities Present yourself as a resource to the member/staff – Offer to follow-up with additional documents or anything rural health related that was discussed – Ask if they’d be interested in receiving a your newsletter or having the member follow your Twitter or Facebook feed.

22 Your “Ask” At some point in the meeting, make your “ask” clear IF the member or staff say YES – Ask if they would follow-up with the committee chairman or ranking member with a letter of support If the member/staff says NO or does not commit – Ask if you can follow-up with more materials to further educate them on the subject

23 What is the Ask? Congress must increase funding by $5.5 Million for the State Offices of Rural Health – Rural health providers and populations need SORHs to do more – SORH has not received an increase in appropriations in more than 5 years – Additional funding would enable SORHs to develop alternative services which meet the unique needs of the state’s rural community and health providers.

24 Questions you may be Asked Why do you need the additional funds? What would the additional funds be used for? Why does the federal government have to provide funding, why can’t the state do it?

25 HAVE FUN!

Please visit the Hall Render Blog at or visit to sign up to receive Hall Render alerts on topics related to health care law. This presentation is solely for educational purposes and is not intended as legal advice or as a substitute for the particularized advice of your own counsel and should not be relied upon as such, as the advice appropriate for you will be dependent upon the particular facts and circumstances of your situation. The transmission or receipt of this information, or the exchange of questions and answers, does not create an attorney-client relationship. Copyright © 2015 by Hall, Render, Killian, Heath & Lyman, P.C. All rights reserved. Denver | Detroit | Indianapolis | Louisville | Milwaukee | Philadelphia | Washington, D.C. Andrew Coats Hall, Render, Killian, Heath & Lyman, P.C. | 1050 K Street N.W., Suite 350 | Washington, D.C