How to Schedule & Conduct Meetings with Congress

For citizens aiming to get Congress to understand their views, congressional staff report the best way is to invite their boss to attend an event or visit a group in the district or state. August recess is an excellent time to do this, but many staff also report significant variance in the acumen, skills and practices of groups requesting meetings. In this commentary, Brad Fitch offers some clear guidance based on a recent CMF survey of House District Directors.

Fly-in season is almost upon us again! The annual Capitol Hill ritual mostly runs from January to about June, with thousands of associations, nonprofits and corporations flying supporters in to meet with members of Congress and their staffs. Groups invest enormous resources in these events and the meetings dominate the schedules of congressional offices.