01.
Clear
Know what you want to say before the meeting and be sure of your facts. Don’t make the conversation about your feelings or frustrations. Rather go armed with the facts that support your position.
Tips for the Citizen Advocate
Clarity with Charity: When meeting with a member of Congress or a staffer remember the three C’s.
01.
02.
Courteous
Your message will be most effective if delivered in a pleasant and polite way. Be sure and thank the member or staffer for his or her time before you leave. As Cardinal Dolan recently wrote, “we who present the pro-life message must always strive to be better messengers.
03.
Concise
Get right to your most important point. Keep to two or three topics. If given an opportunity, ask your member to explain his or her position.
Resources to Know Before You Go:
- Cardinal Dolan’s Letter: http://www.usccb.org/news/2016/16-008.cfm
- The Abortion Non-Discrimination Act (ANDA) came very close to the finish line but, it was not included in Congress’s end-of-year funding legislation. However, our recent efforts to enact conscience protections demonstrated, through the record-breaking number of grassroots messages sent to Capitol Hill, that the American people care deeply about our cherished right of conscience. We are not discouraged. Make sure your members know this is an urgent legislative priority. The fact sheet and the video below will help you tell the story.
Watch “Stand With Cathy” https://youtu.be/uknxrMI61WI
- “Planned Parenthood: Setting the Record Straight” http://usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and-dignity/abortion/upload/PPFA-fact-sheet-2015.pdf
