No Excuses: Senator Voinovich
August 31, 2009 by Karl Bach, Senior Regional Field Organizer
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Meeting face to face with lawmakers is an important way to share your story, but you can have a similar impact by sitting down to talk with congressional staff. Staff provide feedback to lawmakers letting them know how constituents feel and will often make recommendations about federal legislation. At your meeting make sure to collect contact information and send a follow up note like the one below. This is a great way to create a dialogue with the office and make an impression. These staff members may even become members of Congress one day! Lisa in Cleveland sent this thank you note after a meeting with Voinovich’s office. This is the second meeting HRC members have held with Voinovich’s staff in Ohio:
Dear Ms. Downing, Many thanks, again, for meeting with us this morning to discuss LGBT legislation that's been introduced during this session of Congress. We're quite grateful for Sen. Voinovich's vote in support of the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Act. . Voinovich), Lisa Hazirjian, ][ As I trust you can now appreciate, I personally am deeply invested in the passage of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), S. 1584, which was introduced in the Senate earlier this month. ENDA has been referred to committee in both the Senate and House, with hearings expected this fall. We ask for Sen. Voinovich's support of this vital piece of legislation, and we thank you for conveying our stories and our hopes to the Senator, along with our gratitude for all he has done for the city of Cleveland and the state of Ohio in his many years of public service. Please do not hesitate to contact me by email or phone if I can provide any further information to you or the Senator. Sincerely, Lisa Hazirjian (for myself, Joy Binder, Suzanne Hamilton, and Max Thomas)
To learn more about how to set up a meeting with your members of Congress please visit the No Excuses toolkit and don’t forget to tell HRC when you have scheduled your meeting.
