Capitol Hill Day 2005
Frequently Asked Questions
Posted March 15, 2005
Q: When and where is Capitol Hill Day?
A: Capitol Hill Day is April 10-11 in Washington, D.C. Foundation staff and many volunteers will stay at the Washington Terrace Hotel, located at 1515 Rhode Island Ave. NW, Washington, D.C., 20005 (six blocks north of the White House).
Q: What is the schedule for Capitol Hill Day?
A: On Sunday evening (April 10) there will be a welcome reception for Foundation staff and volunteers at the Washington Terrace Hotel with light hors d'oeuvres beginning at 5:30 p.m. The schedule on Monday follows:
7:30-9:00 a.m. Breakfast and opening remarks (hotel)
9:00 a.m. Bus departs for Capitol Hill
9:30-11:30 a.m. Capitol Hill visits (House of Representatives)
Noon-1:00 p.m. Lunch (Capitol Hill)
1:15-4:45 p.m. Capitol Hill visits (Senate)
5:00 p.m. Bus returns to Washington Terrace Hotel
Q: Who schedules my meetings with congressional offices?
A: The National Psoriasis Foundation will schedule all meetings with congressional offices.
Q: Who will I be meeting with in each congressional office?
A: Most likely you will meet with a "legislative assistant"—a congressional aid responsible for crafting health care policy for his or her boss. Some volunteers may meet with a chief of staff, and a few may meet their senator or representative.
Q: When will I receive my meeting materials?
A: You will receive a registration confirmation and preliminary information by March 25. Upon arrival in Washington, D.C., you will receive your Capitol Hill Day meeting schedule (including names of staffers and office locations), specific talking points for your meetings, and information packets to leave behind after each meeting.
Q: How will I know what to do on Capitol Hill Day?
A: We will train you! The last week in March, the Psoriasis Foundation will conduct a training session by phone for all Capitol Hill Day volunteers. Additional on-site training will be provided in Washington, D.C. Stay tuned for details and the date of the March phone training.
Q: Will I be in meetings by myself or with other Capitol Hill Day volunteers?
A: We try to schedule meetings in groups. All volunteers from a particular state will meet their two senators as a group. All volunteers from a particular congressional district will meet with their representative as a group. If you are the only person from a particular state or district, we will try to team you up with another volunteer for your meetings.
Q: What is our agenda? What do we hope to accomplish in our meetings?
A: Our 2005 public affairs agenda serves as a general guideline for our meetings. Download the 2005 public affairs agenda (191k PDF). In the meetings, you should explain how serious and frustrating psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis can be, provide a brief description of your experience with psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis and encourage Congress to increase research funding. The Foundation will provide more specific details with your registration confirmation and upon your arrival in Washington, D.C.
Q: Who are the key members of Congress that we need to reach?
A: First of all, each volunteer should focus on his/her own members of Congress. We need to reach all 535 members of Congress because you never know where we might find our "champion." But we also want to make sure that we reach the members of the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education. These two subcommittees set funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
The best way to reach members of Congress on these two subcommittees is to get volunteers from their states and districts involved rather than having volunteers from outside their states and districts contact them. Like all members of Congress, they are most interested in what their constituents have to say. The success of these efforts will depend on the number of people who participate.
Q: What can I do between now and Capitol Hill Day to support our efforts?
A: Find out what you can about your senators (www.senate.gov) and representative (www.house.gov). What are their positions on general healthcare issues? Write a letter telling them about yourself, psoriasis and/or psoriatic arthritis and encourage them to increase research funding. Practice telling your personal story in a brief (2-3 minute) but emotionally impactful way. Recruit people to join us in Washington, D.C.
Q: What is our agenda once we return from Capitol Hill Day?
A: Capitol Hill Day is only one day so it's important to stay in contact with your members of Congress throughout the year. The Foundation will send updates and action alerts to volunteers when important issues come up. Use the information and resources at www.psoriasis.org to help you stay up to date and in contact with your members of Congress. Additionally, at the National Psoriasis Foundation® 2005 National Conference Aug. 5-7 in Boston, Mass., we will hold a training session specifically for advocacy volunteers.
Also in August, we are tentatively planning to hold another "lobby day." In August, Psoriasis Awareness Month is held, Congress is in recess, and members of Congress are back in their home states and districts meeting with their constituents. It will be a great time for volunteers to meet with members of Congress in their own communities. Stay tuned for more information.
Q: When will we be able to see the results of our Capitol Hill Day efforts?
A: Volunteers at Capitol Hill Day 2004 developed relationships that helped us secure appropriations report language encouraging the NIH to support additional research into the role genetics plays in psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. However, the effort to secure additional research funding for better treatments and a cure is a long-term effort.
This year, we once again hope to secure report language from the Appropriations Committees. We also want to give each congressional office a greater understanding of the serious impact psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis can have on peoples' lives.
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