United Way Worldwide

Presidents Day Congressional Visits: February 20-24, 2017

Resources for Effective Advocacy on Healthcare and Tax Reform
Members of Congress are returning home the week of February 20 - 24. Our elected officials use this
time to visit with constituents and gain a pulse of their communities before heading back to
Washington. Congress is actively working on repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act and
once in a generation comprehensive tax reform. Given how much is happening in Congress (and
how rapidly), it is essential for the United Way network to leverage the Presidents Day Recess to
educate Members of Congress on whats at stake for your community, particularly around healthcare
and tax reform.

POLICY PRIORITIES FOR RECESS

With a presence in every district and state, the United Way network has unparalleled reach and a
powerful voice, aligned together. When it comes to public policy, building a majority is key, and the
shared, collective ask is how we get there. We recommend focusing your Presidents Day efforts
around the following healthcare and/or tax reform positions:

Healthcare: Ensure any replacement plans avoid disruptions to our healthcare system and do no
harm to working families and local economies. Any changes to our healthcare law must improve on
existing healthcare coverage and leave intact consumer protections for all Americans. (See p.5)

Tax Reform: Build on what works in the tax code by protecting and expanding refundable tax credits
and charitable giving incentives in tax reform.
Protect the Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit and expand EITC for workers not
raising children at home. (see p.6)
Protect the full value and scope of the charitable deduction and expand incentives to give by
making the charitable deduction available all, including those who take the standard deduction.
(see p. 7)

OPPORTUNITIES FOR ACTION

You can visit your Member of Congress this recess through a meeting at his/her local office, hosting
your member at a site visit, or showing up at a town hall meeting.
Meeting at your Senator or Representatives local office: Call your local office to ask for a
meeting the week of February 20-24. Identify a Board Member, executive, or volunteer
who could join to reinforce the importance of the ask. See pages 2-4 for additional info on
setting up a visit, meeting request templates, and what to expect.
Site Visit: Invite your Senator or Representative to visit your United Way. In particular, inviting
your Member of Congress to a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) site can be a powerful
setting to discuss our tax reform priorities.
Town Hall Visit: Some Members of Congress will be hosting town halls or constituent coffees
the week of February 20-24. Check your Representative or Senators website for posted
information or call the local office directly to ask they will be more than happy to share that
information with you. In this setting, you will be with a group of constituents with diverse
interests. You will need to prepare a succinct position and question to raise in the group setting.
See the Issue pages (p. 5-7) for sample town hall questions.

Resources in this Toolkit:

See You At Home! 5 Steps to Schedule a Congressional Visit (p.2)
Constituent Meeting Invite Template (p.3)
Preparing for Your Visit (p.4)
Background on the Issues and Asks (p. 5-7)
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See You At Home!

First and foremost, legislators want and need to hear
from you. They want to hear from you because they want
to win your support and to keep a good rapport with their
constituents. They need to hear from you because
Washington can be a vacuum; it is your place to provide a
boots-on-the-ground perspective they may be lacking.
You are the expert on your issue, and can offer a unique
standpoint and context. Follow these 5 simple steps to
schedule a meeting with your Member, or their staff,
in your home district.

1. Find Your Office

To find the district office for your Member of Congress (MOC), visit House.gov or Senate.gov . By
entering your zip code, youll be able to access the website for your MOCwhere they will have all
of their office locations listed.

2. Know Your Content

When calling the office to schedule an appointment, you may be asked what the topic of discussion
will be. Familiarize yourself with the issues (see pages 5-7). You can be brief and say that you
want to share about the local work your United Way is doing in the community and also discuss key
priorities in healthcare and tax reform.

As you prepare for the visits, remember that your unique value-add is that you offer a local
perspective and you are an expert on the community. Be sure to start collecting stories or brush up
on your community impact statistics before going into your meeting. For the tax reform
conversation, data on your VITA results and the impact of charitable donations will be helpful.

3. Make the Call

Place a call to your MOCs office using the phone number provided on the website, and ask to
speak to the scheduler.

4. Let the Office Know Youre a Constituent

When connected with the appropriate staff for scheduling an appointment, lead with the fact that
you are a constituent of the Member; this sends you to the front of the line! Follow with the
framing you decided in Step # 2.

The staff that you speak with will instruct you on the process their office uses to schedule meetings.
You may be able to set the appointment over the phone, or you may have to submit a specific form
through their website. If you are instructed to email the office, feel free to use the Template District
Meeting Request (p.3) we have provided.

Request a meeting with the Member, but dont dismiss the importance of being scheduled with key
staff.

5. Follow-Up
A few days before your meeting contact the office to confirm the time, location, and list of
attendees. Be sure to make The Ask during your meeting, and follow-up with staff about any
questions they may have during your discussion.

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CONSTITUENT MEETING REQUEST TEMPLATE

DATE: (DATE)
TO: Office of The Hon. __________
CC: (District Director or Regional Director)
FROM: Name, United Way of X
RE: Constituent Meeting Request

SENATE REQUEST: Consult the Senators website to find the location of the nearest regional office to your
United Way.

Dear Senator LAST NAME,

We are writing to request a meeting with you when you are visiting the NAME OF REGIONAL OFFICE TOWN
regional office during the Presidents Day Recess, February 20-24. The purpose of this meeting is to share
about some of the recent work United Way is leading in NAME OF COUNTY/SERVICE AREA and to discuss
key priorities for our community such as affordable & quality health coverage, tax credits that help working
families, and charitable giving incentives as Congress debates healthcare and tax reform.

Attending this meeting will be name(s) and title(s) of meeting attendee(s).

Please do not hesitate to contact ___________(name, email address and number of the person responsible)
with any questions about our meeting request. I will follow up with your office within a week on this request.

Thank you very much for your consideration.

Sincerely,
Name
United Way of X

HOUSE REQUEST

Dear Representative LAST NAME,

We are writing to request a meeting with you the week of February 20 - 24 when you are home in the District.
The purpose of this meeting is to share about some of the recent work United Way is leading in NAME OF
COUNTY/SERVICE AREA and to discuss key priorities for our community such as affordable & quality health
coverage, tax credits that help working families, and charitable giving incentives as Congress debates
healthcare and tax reform.

Attending this meeting will be name(s) and title(s) of meeting attendee(s).

Please do not hesitate to contact ___________(name, email address and number of the person responsible)
with any questions about our meeting request. I will follow up with your office within a week on this request.

Thank you very much for your consideration.

Sincerely,
Name
United Way of X

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Preparing for Your Visits

If you have secured a visit over Presidents Day Recess, please reach out to
Caitlin.Carey@uww.unitedway.org to share the news. The UWW policy team wants to
support you as you prepare!

Goals for In-District Visits

Build or strengthen relationships with Members of Congress
Position United Way as an expert on the community and partner for the Member
Make the Collective Ask(s)

Sample Meeting Agenda

Note: If you are with a group, meet outside the office to discuss each persons role and talking points
for the meeting.
1. Introduce yourself, share connections, ask about staff
2. United Way network & context of visit (Visiting with Members before they head back to
Washington)
3. Your United Way: lift-up 1-2 local/state highlights
4. Transition to key messages on the issues
5. Ask for Members support on our issue and the latest outlook
6. Offer to be a resource and thank them!

Expectations
Most meetings will last 20-30 minutes
Even if scheduled with the Member, you may meet with staff or Member might walk in halfway
through the meeting (STAFF ARE IMPORTANT!)
Pictures are welcomed bring a camera or use your phone
Dress is business professional

After Your Visits

Take a moment to share about your visits on social media Post photos and tag your Members!
They love the press.
o Use your post to reinforce the ask you shared. Ex. Thanks @RepJuana for
championing #EITC and charitable giving in tax reform! #LiveUnited
o Use Hashtags: #EITC, #ExpandEITC, #LiveUnited
Immediately capture important notes and relay the information to United Way Worldwides policy
team so we can be sure to learn from your insights. Email or call Caitlin Carey at
Caitlin.Carey@uww.unitedway.org or 817-291-2314.
Send thanks & follow-up to the offices

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Background on the Issues and Asks

HEALTHCARE
Internal Use
THE BASICS
Healthcare coverage is a fundamental building block for individuals to succeed and thrive. It is not only
a health issue, but a basic financial stability issue. Lack of affordable healthcare can harm working
families already struggling to make ends meet. A heathy workforce is more productive and helps
businesses to be profitable and local economies to thrive. Local hospitals are more profitable and
solvent because they do not have to waste millions in uncompensated emergency room care.
Moreover, a repeal of healthcare laws without replacement will have significant destabilizing effects on
the health insurance industry and our broader healthcare delivery system.

WHAT MUST BE PROTECTED

We believe Congress must carefully consider the impact any proposals to repeal and replace current
health laws will have on individuals and families. Any replacement plans must improve on current
coverage and protections for all Americans.
Healthcare coverage must remain affordable and attainable for all Americans.
Insurance plans must continue to provide a full range of benefits, including preventive care,
maternal and pediatric care, prescription drug coverage, hospitalization care, and mental
health and substance abuse.
All consumer protections must be left intact, including prohibition of coverage for pre-existing
conditions, prohibition of life-time caps, imposing cost differentials based on gender, health
status or age, and allowing children to remain on their parent health plans until age 26

Sample ASK for Congressional Visit: Will you work to ensure any changes to our healthcare
laws improve on existing healthcare coverage and leave intact all consumer protections for all
Americans?

Sample ASKS for Town Hall: With 20 million additional people receiving coverage and in many
cases, life-saving care, the stakes are high. How will you ensure that changes to ACA will keep
healthcare coverage affordable and attainable?

Thousands of local residents have chronic conditions like diabetes or asthma. Will you promise
to keep the prohibition on pre-existing conditions in place?

For additional information, contact Dave.Wallace@uww.unitedway.org

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TAX REFORM EITC & Child Tax Credit

Internal Use
The Basics
The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is a refundable federal tax credit for lower-income working
people that encourages and rewards work, offsetting federal payroll and income taxes. The amount of
the EITC depends on a recipients income, marital status, and number of children. The EITC is broadly
considered our nations most effective pro-work, anti-poverty tool. Only those who work are eligible,
allowing them to keep more of what they earn to pay for things like transportation to get to work and
childcare for their kids. The Child Tax Credit is similarly structured, and together these critical credits lift
millions of people out of poverty and bring back billions of dollars to local communities, supporting
local economies.

The Challenge
Currently, lower-income working Americans not raising children at home are eligible for little to no
EITC. Young workers age 21-24 are entirely ineligible if they do not have children. In fact, 7.5 million
Americans are taxed into poverty, largely because they are excluded from this pro-work, anti-poverty
credit. So while the EITC is one of the most effective tools we have to help working families keep their
heads above water, it excludes millions of workers.

The Solution
Congress can expand this common sense policy for workers not raising children at home by increasing
the size of the EITC for this group and lowering the age of eligibility to 21. Proposals with bipartisan
support would help 13 million workers and some go even further.

To read more about the American workers that would benefit from an expansion to the EITC,
including specific professions and state by state data, please see the Supporting American
WorkersThe Earned Income Tax Credit one pager. (Feel free to print and bring to your
visit!)

Sample CONGRESSIONAL VISIT Asks

For HOUSE MEMBERS: Will you speak up to protect the EITC and Child Tax Credit in tax reform?
Will you ask leadership and your colleagues on the Ways and Means Committee to expand the
EITC for workers not raising children at home in tax reform?

For SENATORS: Will you speak up to protect the EITC and Child Tax Credit in tax reform?
Will you ask leadership and your colleagues on the Senate Finance Committee to expand the
EITC for workers not raising children at home in tax reform?

Sample ASK for Town Hall: The Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit help thousands of
local families keep more of what they earn at tax time, pumping millions into our local economy.
Will you ensure the EITC and Child Tax Credit are protected in tax reform, and better yet, fight
to expand the EITC for workers not raising kids at home - the only group of workers actually
taxed into poverty?

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For additional information, contact Megan.Tracz@uww.unitedway.org or

Caitlin.Carey@uww.unitedway.org
TAX REFORM Charitable Giving Incentives
Internal Use
Although the economic outlook is improving, the recession and drawn-out economic recovery have
resulted in significant cuts to federal and state funded human service programs. Many low- and
moderate-income families have been left out of the recovery altogether. Middle class workers both
support and rely on help from United Way and its nonprofit partners. The need for a robust nonprofit
sector and government recognition of the sectors vital role in our society is now more apparent than
ever. Nonprofit organizations provide critical services that contribute to healthy, educated and
economically stable communities. Strong nonprofits that are supported and valued by government can
address the complex issues facing their communities and spur opportunity for all.

Americans overwhelmingly trust charities and they support tax policies that create incentives for
charitable giving. A recent survey commissioned by Independent Sector indicates that 88% of voters
believe that it should be easier for people to deduct charitable contributions from their taxes. While
Americans are primarily motivated to give for altruistic reasons, tax incentives allow more people to
give more. Similarly, businesses can provide more support to charities when tax policies create giving
incentives.

United Way strongly supports policy initiatives that seek to strengthen communities by enhancing the
nonprofit sectors capacity to serve through tax policy. United Way seeks to protect the full value of
existing federal tax incentives by advocating against proposals that limit the charitable deduction (for
example, by imposing a floor or cap). Further, United Way seeks to expand charitable giving incentives
to millions of middle-class workers who do not itemize their taxes.

Sample CONGRESSIONAL VISIT Asks

For HOUSE MEMBERS: Will you speak up to protect charitable giving incentives in tax reform? Will
you ask leadership and your colleagues on the Ways and Means Committee to expand
charitable giving incentives for middle-class workers who do not itemize their taxes?

For SENATORS: Will you speak up to protect charitable giving incentives in tax reform?
Will you ask leadership and your colleagues on the Senate Finance Committee to expand
charitable giving incentives for middle-class workers who do not itemize their taxes?

Sample ASK for Town Hall: Nonprofit organizations serve a vital role in our community from ensuring
children have safe and enriching after-school activities to helping veterans find housing and a
stable job. We know that people give for the right reasons, but the tax code impacts how much
they give. In tax reform conversations, will you commit to protecting the charitable deduction,
and even grow incentives for people to give more to local organizations doing so much good
here at home?

For additional information, contact Steve.Taylor@uww.unitedway.org