Congressional District Liaisons

Main task as a lead chapter is to make sure members are informed. It is responsible to help members with legislative development.

Lead Chapter has expertise.  It translates the development of strategy and makes sure the strategy is understood by members.

Lead Chapter maintains legislative advocacy which serves its members, other chapters, the Federation and community.  Good communication skills are required for all leaders, but legislative leaders must possess outstanding communication skills and the capacity to articulate pros and cons of legislative advocacy.

Mobilizing:  Lead Chapter’s goal is to meet face to face with elected officials as often as possible but an annual meeting is a must.  Use this meeting (meetings) with legislators to make NARFE’s point and to garner support for the issues. This is the most effective means of communication with a legislator and sometimes influence the way a legislator votes.

Composition of attendees (Chapters’ members) is important.  Attendees must be articulate, well informed, diverse, and come from the district of the legislator.  The Congressional District Leader (CDL) will prepare the attendees and coordinate statements so each person in the group has one or more points to raise during the presentation to the legislator. The CDL will assure that members are familiar with all aspects of the issues to avoid any miscommunication between the members and the legislator.

• Lead chapter assist with keeping Chapters focused on NARFE’s mission statement and motivated to do their best to achieve it:
  • Get results
  • Influence
  • Spread the passion
  • Inspire members and others

Impact:  Since 2015 only 8 of the 13 congressional legislators have had meetings with NARFE:  Adams, Budd (2017), Butterfield, Holding, Jones, Pittenger, Price, Rouzer.  We believe lead chapters we will be able to meet with all the legislators or members of their staff once a year.

I) Congressional District Leaders must practice advocacy–the process designed to affect change. This process of change can sometimes be time consuming, requires sacrifices, patience, involvement, and giving one hundred percent. Advocacy consists of a series of activities undertaken with the aim of changing policies, practices and attitudes. Congressional District Leaders engaged in advocacy and seeking to influence changes in local, county, state and federal government need to accept the risk that the change they are advocating can come much later, or even that nothing has changed.

II) Congressional District Leaders must know that advocacy often involves specific lobbying of Legislative Representatives. Legislative Advocacy is a complex and sensitive task and Congressional District Leaders must approach it very well prepared. It is targeted activities and mainly consists of direct influence on Legislative Representatives.

III)  Well-planned advocacy is especially important because the Congressional District Leaders represent the chapters and district. Congressional District Leaders must be capable of properly expressing interests of those on whose behalf they advocate.

IV) Congressional District Leaders must mobilize chapter members, federation members and people in the communities in their activities in a way that they are encouraged to support their issues, and then take actions towards fulfillment of common goals (financial security, healthcare security, environment security etc.). Mobilizing expands the base of support, extending from those which are directly affected by the issues to convincing others that this issue is important for them as well.

I) Congressional District Leaders