Visit with your lawmaker during the August and October recesses

As it does every year, Congress will step away from the nation’s capital for its August recess, and that presents a great opportunity for credit unions to make connections with lawmakers in their home districts. This is one of the best ways to explain the credit union difference, stress the importance of regulatory relief, and offer your expertise when they need an industry perspective.

This year, Congress will be back in their home districts during October as well, so don’t forget to set aside some time then too.

“Local-level meetings with lawmakers can be some of the most impactful,” said Jim Phelps, EVP/chief advocacy officer for Cornerstone. “They usually have more time to visit with constituents in the district than when they're in Washington, D.C. Sustained engagement throughout the year, especially back home, is one of the key factors in strengthening our political capital.”

Some ideas for political engagement over the congressional recess include:

• Calling your congressional representative’s local district office to schedule a meeting. You can find the information on your representative’s website. If they are not available, ask to meet with a staffer with responsibility over financial services issues. Building relationships with key staff is important too.
• Joining with other credit union leaders in your local chapter to make a visit. This can occur at the district office, or you can invite them to one of your credit unions for a meet and greet. This is an opportunity to tell them about the good work your credit union is doing in the community and discuss legislative issues that are impacting your membership.
• Hosting a lawmaker at your chapter meeting. Chapter meetings present an opportunity to showcase the collaborative nature of credit unions, enable your membership to learn about new developments in Congress, and share stories about issues impacting your credit union.

Watch for impending news from Cornerstone about legislative briefings for the August and October recesses. During the briefings, we’ll provide talking points about our priority issues to inform your discussions with elected officials.

If you do plan to meet with lawmakers, please provide a recap of the meeting so we can share it with Leaguer readers. Send your stories to media@cornerstoneleague.coop.