Recommitting to Advocacy

By Dr. Mark Lutschaunig, Director of the GRD

Now that we have a new Congress, it's time for you to recommit to getting involved. Why?

As we all know, the US Senate and House of Representatives are focused, almost exclusively, on the economic crisis in our country. The GRD staff is cognizant of the failing economy's impact on the veterinary profession, and is closely monitoring the stimulus package as it moves through Congress. However, other legislation that we care about most is on temporary hiatus. But that doesn't mean we can just sit back and wait for Congress to refocus.

In fact, now is the perfect time for all of us – the veterinary community, its friends and allies – to reenergize and refocus on building the relationships with members of Congress and their staff that will bring positive results in the months ahead. Trust me when I say that now, more than ever, your congressional representatives would love to hear from their constituents ... especially if you are supportive and positive. If you can offer solutions ... rather than just griping about the problem ... they want to hear from you. And, as a profession, we have a number of solutions to offer.

What does it mean to recommit to getting involved? For starters, have you contacted your U.S. Representative or Senator since the November elections? How about since the new Congress began last month? Or perhaps you have a new Senator or Representative who just took office. Have you called or visited the district office to introduce yourself to the Member's staff or even to the Member himself?

We can't emphasize enough how important these introductions and follow-up meetings are. Members want to hear from the veterinary community. They rely on us for education and insight on issues affecting us. They look to us for guidance on issues pertaining to animal and public health, animal welfare and small business. We are their direct link to these sectors.

Whether or not you supported or voted for a particular U.S. Senator or Representative, take the important step of congratulating them on their election and pledging to provide scientific information on critical issues. And don't let party affiliation or preconceived notions about a Member's ideology prevent you from building a relationship. Our allies exist on both sides of the ideological and party aisles, and every Senator and Representative is a potential friend of the veterinary community.

What else can you do? This year, maintaining and growing our grassroots advocacy network will be more important than ever. Members of Congress like to know that a particular issue or piece of legislation has broad support, and the only way we can do that is by recruiting members for the AVMA's Congressional Advocacy Network (AVMA-CAN) who will respond to action alerts. When a Member of Congress receives thousands of emails on a legislative proposal, it becomes difficult for them to ignore those voices.

As I've said before, the only way we'll grow AVMA-CAN to substantial numbers is for every current AVMA-CAN member to encourage their family, friends, clients, neighbors and colleagues to join the network. The pitch for getting them to join is simple: with the click of a mouse or the lifting of a phone, they can make a huge impact on issues that affect them – such as food safety, bioterrorism and maintaining public health. Who can object to that? Send them to this link to join: http://www.avma.org/advocacy/get_involved/avmacan.asp

Are you ready to recommit to advancing our legislative agenda or are you going to sit idly and hope for the best, regardless of the consequences? Now is the time for us all to pull together and roll up our sleeves on behalf of veterinary medicine.

For more information, contact Dr. Mark Lutschaunig.