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March, 2006

Tips for Visiting and Calling District Offices

Thank you for choosing to help Save the American Worker! Thank you doing the right thing. Grassroots support and activism are vital to winning the battles in Congress right now. The Senate is just another front we must cover in this war against those who desire profit over national security and exploitation of immigrant labor over solving the labor situations of American workers. We must have your help to win this battle!

Rikki Horton (former Director of the House Immigration Reform Caucus)

On Monday, March 20th, please contact the nearest district office for BOTH of your Senators. (We have provided a listing of all the offices for all the Senate Members by state.) One of several things can be done during this phone call:

1. You can voice your opposition to any guest worker/amnesty proposal, especially since no real enforcement has yet to take place.
2. You can ask the Senator's schedule. Would there be an opportunity to stop in while they are in the District Office closest to your home?
3. You can request a brief meeting with the Senator while they are in the state for the St. Patrick's Day recess.

Important: Keep calling everyday to voice your opinion against guest worker/amnesty and for enforcement.

Simple and effective tips for phone calls:

1. Ask the person's name and write it down.
2. Express how you feel in the most convincing manner without being confrontational or argumentative.
3. Present your message clearly, simply and get to the point. Know what you want the Senator to do and ask them to do it.
4. Maintain a professional demeanor even if the person you are speaking with seems disinterested or hostile. Facts can control an argument better than emotions.
5. Ask again for the Senator to take action.
6. Let the staff know that you will be following up. Whether following up is another phone call or a visit to the office, let them know you are watching to see what action the Senator takes.
7. Using the person's name that you got at the beginning of the call; tell the staffer you will be calling them back (specifically) to track the Senator's actions. (This will create greater responsibility for that particular staffer and will generate more of your comments going directly to the Senator.)
8. If the Senator or the staff express something with which you agree, or if your Senator is a strong supporter of true immigration reform, thank them! Thank them for doing what is right and being a true statesman, a true leader.

Once you have established a meeting time with either the Senator or the appropriate staff, here are some helpful tips.

Simple and effective tips for office visits:

1. Be punctual, early is better than late. If, for some unforeseen reason, you run late call immediately.
2. Prepare materials for the visit such as the postcards provided for the Save the American Worker Week. Or, you can bring anything else you feel you would like to share regarding immigration reform that will support your position and/or provide additional background material.
3. Know as much as you can about the Senator. Try using this information while lobbying the Member to grab his/her attention and to achieve the most convincing argument.
4. When successful, it's possible to convince supporters to become more active, uncommitted Senators to become passive supporters, and opponents to be less enthusiastic in their pro-mass illegal immigration policies. (We have seen evidence to support all of the above.)
5. Know what you want the Senator to and ask them to do it.
6. Maintain a professional demeanor.
7. Be factual and honest. Summarize your three most important points at the beginning and end of the meeting.
8. Ask the Senator again to take action and oppose any guest worker amnesty.
9. Never argue motivations, only the merits of the issues.
10. Let the Senator know that you will be following up. Whether following up is a phone call or another visit to the office, let them know you are watching to see what action the Senator takes.
11. Again, Senator expresses something with which you agree thank them!
12. At the conclusion of the meeting, thank the Senator or staff for the meeting and the time they have given you.

Lastly, be sure to follow up on your phone call and/or your office visit. It is important for the Senators to know that they will be held accountable. This war is too costly to lose for the United States.