WELCOME TO

WASHINGTON

Information to help you navigate

the Hill like an insider
Welcome to Washington

Thank you for joining us in Washington, D.C. for the 2017

Parkinsons Policy Forum!

This slide deck provides you with background information on

the lawmaking process and how business is conducted on
Capitol Hill. We hope this makes you feel more comfortable
going into your Hill Day meetings.

At the Forum we will provide you with talking points on specific

policy issues to raise with your members of Congress.

We look forward to seeing you in Washington!

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CONGRESSIONAL
COMPOSITION
The Senate

In 2016 the Republican Party lost one seat but maintained

a 52-48 majority
Control of the 114th vs. 115th Senate

Democrats Republicans Independents

Control of the 114th Senate (2014-2016) Control of the 115th Senate (2016-2018)

44 54 46 52

44-2-54 46-2-52
Republican Senate Majority Republican Senate Majority

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The House

In 2016 Republicans retained control of the House

Control of the 114th vs. 115th House

Democrats Republicans Independents Vacant

Control of the 114th House (2014-2016) Control of the 115th House (2016-2018)

218 Needed 218 Needed

for Majority for Majority

186-246 194-241
Republican House Majority Republican House Majority

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THE LEGISLATIVE
PROCESS
Key Budget Terms

Mandatory spending, or entitlement spending, is not controlled by annual

appropriations; the government allocates funds to all who are eligible
Mandatory Spending
regardless of cost to the Treasury; includes Social Security and Medicare

Discretionary spending, or appropriated spending, must be renewed each

Discretionary Spending year in order for the programs to continue operating; includes Defense
and Education

Passed by the Senate and the House, sets overall spending limits but does
Budget Resolution not decide funding for specific programs

Legislation used when the House and Senate have not agreed on a budget
Deeming Resolution
resolution; establishes enforceable budget levels for a budget cycle

Legislation that permits a government agency to continue to operate at

Continuing Resolution existing funding levels if a new appropriations bill to fund its operations
has not been adopted by the start of the fiscal year (October 1)

Full passage of appropriations bills through both chambers by the start of

Regular Order
the fiscal year on October 1

Combined package of appropriations bills that leadership in both

Omnibus Bill
chambers negotiate in order to pass a comprehensive budget

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How a Bill Becomes a Law

Representative Senator
Introduces bill in the House Introduces bill in the Senate

House committee/subcommittee Senate committee/subcommittee

Bill is debated and amended Bill is debated and amended
Simple majority needed to proceed Simple majority needed to proceed

House floor Senate floor

Bill is debated and amended Bill is debated and amended
Speaker must allow a floor vote 3/5 majority needed to end debate
Simple majority needed to pass Simple majority needed to pass

Final votes/conference committee

If both chambers pass an identical bill, the bill is sent directly to the president
If each chamber passes a similar bill with some differences, a conference
committee is formed to reach compromise and combine the bills

President
The president can sign bills that have been passed by both chambers into law
The president can reject a bill with a veto; Congress can override a veto by
passing the bill in each chamber with a 2/3 majority

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Legislation in the Senate

Bill is ignored by full Bill fails passage in Bill fails passage in full
committee subcommittee vote committee vote

Introduced to chamber Sent to committee Sent to subcommittee Sent back to committee

Sent to House
Full Senate vote Amended Debated on Senate floor Placed on legislative calendar

Poison pill Senate majority leader

Bill fails final vote in full Bill is filibustered during
amendments sabotage declines to place bill on
chamber debate on Senate floor
final passage the legislative calendar

The Senate relies on unanimous consent to operate efficiently; therefore, individual senators have the power to delay or
prevent a bills passage by creating additional procedural hurdles, including filibusters.

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Legislation in the House

Bill is ignored by full Bill fails passage in Bill fails passage in full
committee subcommittee vote committee vote

Introduced to chamber Sent to committee Sent to subcommittee Sent back to committee

Sent to Senate
Full House vote Debated on House floor Amended Placed on legislative calendar

Bill sent back to Poison pill Speaker of the House

Bill fails final vote in full
committee with a amendments sabotage declines to place bill on
chamber
motion to recommit final passage the legislative calendar

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Bills Continue to Face Hurdles
After Passage

If the law is challenged in court, a

judge can rule to prevent
enforcement with an injunction
and may eventually strike down
the law

Signed by president Enacted Executive orders or signing

statements can prevent a law
from being enforced as originally
intended

President vetoes bill, Congress

can override veto with a
supermajority vote Analysis
Even if a bill manages to pass both chambers of Congress, the
president can use vetoes, executive orders, or signing statements to
prevent the bill from being enacted or enforced
Opponents of the bill, including those outside of the legislative
process, can prevent the law from being enacted by mounting a
successful legal challenge

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Authorization v. Appropriation
Authorization
What it does Establishes federal programs
Who does it Congressional committees with jurisdiction
over specific subject areas write the
legislation
How it works Authorization legislation authorizes the
expenditure of funds from the federal
budget; it may specify how much money
should be spent on a program, but it doesnt
actually set aside the money or elaborate on
where the money to pay for the budget will
come from
The committees are supposed to review
programs before their expiration to
determine how well they are working
Appropriation
Outlines how money will be spent on federal
programs during the next fiscal year
There are 12 appropriations subcommittees
in each house of Congress; they are divided
among broad subject areas and each writes
an annual appropriations measure
After subcommittees in the House and Senate
mark up appropriations bills in response to
the Presidents budget, the House and Senate
must pass the same version of an
appropriation bill to give a program funding
It is very possible for programs to be
authorized but not funded
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Authorization Process

In order for a program to be funded, it must first be authorized

House and Senate House and Senate each If the bills are not the same, a
Committees draft pass version of the Conference Committee resolves any
authorization bills authorization bill differences and sends the bill back to
the floors

Authorization is sent to White

House; President passes or vetoes

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Appropriations Process

Once a program is authorized it can be funded through an

appropriations bill

President sends budget House Appropriations House considers, Senate Appropriations

proposal to congress Committee marks up bill amends, and Committee marks up bill
and sends to House floor passes bill and sends to Senate floor

White House signs House and Senate Joint Senate and House Senate considers,
or vetoes the bill vote on final bill conference work out amends, and passes bill
differences between two bills

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LEGISLATIVE
COMMITTEES
 House Appropriations Committee

Responsible for all discretionary spending legislation in the House

30 Republicans
Rodney Frelinghuysen (NJ) Mario Diaz-Balart (FL)
Harold Rogers (KY) Charles W. Dent (PA)
Robert Aderholt (AL) Tom Graves (GA)
Kay Granger (TX) Kevin Yoder (KS)
Michael K. Simpson (ID) Steve Womack (AR)
John Culberson (TX) Jeff Fortenberry (NE)
John Carter (TX) Thomas J. Rooney (FL)
Ken Calvert (CA) Charles J. Fleischmann (TN)
Tom Cole (OK) Jaime Herrera Beutler (WA)
David P. Joyce (OH)
22 Democrats
David G. Valadao (CA) Nita Lowey (NY) Debbie Wasserman Schultz
Andy Harris (MD) Marcy Kaptur (OH) (FL)
Martha Roby (AL) Peter Visclosky (IN) Henry Cuellar (TX)
Mark E. Amodei (NV) Jos Serrano (NY) Chellie Pingree (ME)
Chris Stewart (UT) Rosa DeLauro (CT) Mike Quigley (IL)
David Young (IA) David Price (NC) Derek Kilmer (WA)
Evan Jenkins (WV) Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA) Matt Cartwright (PA)
Steven Palazzo (MS) Sanford Bishop (GA) Grace Meng (NY)
Dan Newhouse (WA) Barbara Lee (CA) Mark Pocan (WI)
John R. Moolenaar (MI) Betty McCollum (MN) Katherine Clark (MA)
Scott Taylor (VA) Tim Ryan (OH) Pete Aguilar (CA)
C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger
(MD)

Committee chair (R)

Subcommittees of Note: Committee ranking member (D)

Chair (R): Kay Granger

Defense
Ranking (D): TBA
Labor, Health and Human Chair (R): Tom Cole
Services Ranking (D): TBA

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 Senate Appropriations Committee

Responsible for all discretionary spending legislation in the Senate

16 Republicans 15 Democrats

Thad Cochran (MS) Lindsey Graham (SC) Shelley Moore Capito (WV) Patrick Leahy (VT) Jeff Merkley (OR)
Mitch McConnell (KY) Roy Blunt (MO) James Lankford (OK) Patty Murray (WA) Christopher Coons (DE)
Richard Shelby (AL) Jerry Moran (KS) Steve Daines (MT) Dianne Feinstein (CA) * Brian Schatz (HI)
Lamar Alexander (TN) John Hoeven (ND) John Kennedy (LA) Richard Durbin (IL) Tammy Baldwin (WI)*
Susan Collins (ME) John Boozman (AR) Marco Rubio (FL) Jack Reed (RI) Christopher Murphy (CT)*
Lisa Murkowski (AK) Jon Tester (MT)* Joe Manchin (WV)*
Tom Udall (NM) Chris Van Hollen (MD)
Jeanne Shaheen (NH)

Committee chair (R)

Subcommittees of Note:
Commerce, Justice, Science and
Related Agencies
Defense
Labor, Health and Human
Services, Education and Related
Agencies
Committee ranking member (D)
Speculated 2018 retirement
* Up for reelection in 2018
Chair (R): Richard Shelby (AK)
Ranking (D): Jeanne Shaheen (NH)
Chair (R): Thad Cochran (MS)
Ranking (D): Richard Durbin (IL)
Chair (R): Roy Blunt (MO)
Ranking (D): Patty Murray (WA)

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 Senate Health, Education, Labor
and Pensions (HELP) Committee

Deals with a large swath of issues pertaining to these policy areas

12 Republicans 10 Democrats + 1 Independent

Lamar Alexander (TN) Rand Paul (KY) Orrin Hatch (UT) * Patty Murray (WA) Tammy Baldwin (WI) *
Michael Mike Enzi (WY) Susan Collins (ME) Pat Roberts (KS) Bernie Sanders (VT) * ** Christopher Chris Murphy
Richard Burr (NC) Bill Cassidy (LA) Lisa Murkowski (AK) Robert Bob Casey Jr. (PA) * (CT) *
Johnny Isakson (GA) Todd Young (IN) Tim Scott (SC) Al Franken (MN) Elizabeth Warren (MA) *
Michael Bennet (CO) Tim Kaine (VA) *
Sheldon Whitehouse (RI) * Maggie Hassan (NH)

Committee chair (R)

Subcommittees of Note:
Children and Families
Employment and Workplace
Safety
Primary Health and Retirement
Security
Committee ranking member (D)
Speculated 2018 retirement
* Up for reelection in 2018
Chair (R): Rand Paul **Independent that caucuses with the Democrats
Ranking (D): Bob Casey Jr. *
Chair (R): Johnny Isakson
Ranking (D): Al Franken
Chair (R): Mike Enzi
Ranking (D): Bernie Sanders * **

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House Energy and Commerce
Committee

Oversees telecommunications, consumer protection, food and drug safety, public health research,
environmental quality, energy policy, and interstate and foreign commerce

31 Republicans 24 Democrats

Greg Walden (OR) Gregg Harper (MS) Larry Bucshon (IN) Frank Pallone (NJ) Jerry McNerney (CA)
Joe Barton (TX) Leonard Lance (NJ) Bill Flores (TX) Bobby Rush (IL) Peter Welch (VT)
Fred Upton (MI) Brett Guthrie (KY) Susan Brooks (IN) Anna Eshoo (CA) Ben Ray Lujn (NM)
John Shimkus (IL) Pete Olson (TX) Markwayne Mullin (OK) Eliot Engel (NY) Paul Tonko (NY)
Tim Murphy (PA) David McKinley (WV) Richard Hudson (NC) Gene Green (TX) Yvette Clarke (NY)
Michael Burgess (TX) Adam Kinzinger (IL) Chris Collins (NY) Diana DeGette (CO) Dave Loebsack (IA)
Marsha Blackburn (TN) Morgan Griffith (VA) Kevin Cramer (ND) Mike Doyle (PA) Kurt Schrader (OR)
Steve Scalise (LA) Gus Bilirakas (FL) Tim Walberg (MI) Jan Schakowsky (IL) Joe Kennedy (MA)
Robert Bob Latta (OH) Bill Johnson (OH) Mimi Walters (CA) G.K. Butterfield (NC) Tony Crdenas (CA)
Cathy McMorris Rodgers(WA) Billy Long (MO) Ryan Costello (PA) Doris Matsui (CA) Raul Ruiz (CA)
Buddy Carter (GA) Kathy Castor (FL) Scott Peters (CA)
John Sarbanes (MD) Debbie Dingell (MI)

Committee chair (R)

Subcommittees of Note: Committee ranking member (D)

Chair (R): Michael Burgess

Health
Ranking (D): Gene Green

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MEETING TIPS
Advocacy in Washington Influences
the Governing Bodies

Congress and the White House create Citizens influence governing behavior
laws and regulations to govern citizens by participating in advocacy efforts

&
Show Support
Ask for Change
Tell Stories
Share Ideas
Provide Information

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Yes Members of Congress Actually
Want to Hear From You
Guide to Reaching Out to Members of Congress:
Members highly value staying in
touch with constituents
Constituent conversations guide policymaking
Reelection hinges on their ability to serve the
constituents who vote them into office
Members trust their staff to help them listen
to constituents, so advocates should not be
surprised if they meet with staff in lieu of a
member
Members find personal and engaging
content more persuasive than form letters
Individual letters and e-mails can have
greater influence on member decision-
making than formal letters
Advocates should focus on sending more
personal messages to their members of
Congress to capture the individual voice or
perspective
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Meeting with Members of Congress
What to remember when conducting a meeting with a member of Congress
Be on time
Arrive no more than 5 minutes before the
meeting; members are rarely available to meet
earlier and Hill offices are too small to
accommodate lingering constituents
Inform the scheduler if you are going to be late in
case another meeting time must be arranged
Be flexible
Prepare to meet with either the member or the
members staff; treat both with equal respect
If the member arrives in the middle of your
meeting, continue as usual; and the member will
ask questions if needed
Stay on topic
Raise only the issue you scheduled to discuss
with the member and the members staff to keep
the meeting focused and persuasive
Quick takes
Advocates can leverage face-to-face meetings with members of
Congress and their staff to communicate their positions and build
enduring relationships with their representatives
However, meetings are brief and members are busy; advocates should
keep the tips below in mind to get the most of their meetings
Keep politics out of it
Do not discuss elections or campaign support in
your meeting; it intimates that the member is
for sale
Respect the members political views and
relationships outside of the issue at hand
XYZ ISSUE
REPORT
Leave behind brief information
Leave behind a 1-2 page briefing with data points
on the issue discussed with the members office;
the document should serve as a helpful resource
for staff as the issue moves through Congress
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Preparing for Face-to-face
Meetings with Members of Congress

Prepare your 90-second introduction

- Sentence one: Your name, where you live

- Sentence two-four: Your story in a few
sentences
- Sentence five: Why our asks are important to
you and how they will impact your life

When there are several meeting participants,

there may not be a lot of time for introductions.
A quick memorized intro will help get your
message across quickly.

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Understanding Hill Staff

It is not uncommon
for members to
Member of Congress show up halfway
Visitors may not realize how highly overscheduled members are; they average 70-hour weeks through a meeting
when in D.C., often achieved by double-booking meetings or leave part of the
way through

Chief of Staff
Visitors may not expect how often chiefs are in communication with a member; the tight bond means that
chiefs are often delegated to speak for the member to constituents
Meetings are most
often scheduled
Legislative Director with and run
Visitors may not expect that LDs tend to be specialists in the policies of the committees on which through one or
the member serves; they may focus less on other areas more of these
staffers

Legislative Assistant
Visitors may not expect that LAs are very young; their average age is under 29

LCs and SAs may

join in meetings as
Legislative Correspondent/Staff Assistant a junior staffer or
Visitors may not expect that LCs and SAs tend to be even younger than LAs, often recent college note-taker
grads

Because members of Congress are often running from meeting to meeting to vote, staffers will often have
more time to devote to a meeting, and be more capable of affecting any takeaway.

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During a Hill Meeting

Meetings are 15-20 minutes

Constituent takes the lead
Thank the staffer or member for their time (get the
staffers business card)
Go around with introductions; if youre a constituent,
tell them where youre from
Get to the asks quickly - be direct
If you get a yes, move on!
If you are asked a question you dont know the
answer to, say you will get back to them and do!

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During a Hill Meeting (cont.)

Consider the audience

Is the member a Republican or a Democrat?
Does the member hold a leadership position?
Is the member on any relevant committees?
Is the member especially interested in health care or
Parkinsons issues?
Have they recently sponsored any relevant legislation?

This information will be on your schedule, and its

important to incorporate into your messaging.

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During a Hill Meeting (cont.)

Expect anything!
Meetings can be with a member of Congress or
their designated health staffer
You may meet in the hallway or while walking
between rooms
Staffers have busy schedules and may run late
If youve said everything, wrap it up!
Thank them for their time and tell them youll be
following up!

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Follow-up

Steps to take following a meeting with a member of Congress

Send a thank you message

Quick takes
Send a follow-up e-mail several days after meeting with a member
Keep the message brief, thank the office for their time, and remind the Advocates can become
office of the issue at hand
Leave a link to a reliable source of information on the issue for the office trusted resources for
to reference lawmakers by following up
and keeping in touch with
Attend events in the district them after face-to-face
meetings
Attend town hall meetings or other public events in the district to build a
stronger relationship with your representative
Advocates should consider
Find opportunities to engage in policy matters in the district and serve as a following the steps to the
trustworthy resource to earn visibility for your issue left to position themselves
as effective and
Stay in touch trustworthy advocates for
their issue
Do not over-communicate with members of Congress, but do pass along new
information about your issue as it is released
Communicate with your representative in a respectful and informative
manner to gain the representatives respectfor you and your points of view

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