How League lobbies

National Voter, Jan-Feb, 2003 by Linda C. McDaniel

As Webster's dictionary defines it, to advocate is to plead in favor of. Practiced on the political landscape, advocacy involves making phone calls, writing letters and sending e-mails, working in coalitions, testifying before committees, meeting with elected officials and hammering out practical and workable solutions.

All of these techniques--sometimes more and sometimes less--are the very nuts and bolts of the League's advocacy campaigns.

What sets the League's brand of advocacy apart from that of other interest groups is what our members and state and local Leagues do in their local communities. It begins with the League's relationships with our Representatives and Senators, and the community as a whole through coalition work, letters to the editor, forums and debates.

The League's 82-year reputation as an agent of change in the public interest means people want to know what we think. Interest groups, public policy groups, legislators, Hill staff and the media turn to the League on many issues, particularly in the areas where the League has expertise and a long-standing commitment. That strong foundation built by our membership and Leagues across this nation over the years is our reservoir for action at the national level.

This doesn't mean that our advocacy victories have come easily or quickly. Lobbying success is a complicated path, winding and often retracing its steps with many different strategic decisions along the way. The more pressure points the League can reach with its message, the greater its chances of influencing the outcome of the debate. Success on an issue can entail many years of work and determination, as with campaign finance reform where the efforts began more than 25 years ago. On the other hand, success can come in less than two years on an issue like election reform where the immediate crisis situation presented by the 2000 presidential election pushed congressional action.

The League's influence and impact on the content of legislation is often behind the scenes--no, not in smoke-filled rooms, but rather at national conferences, coalition meetings, briefings with legislators or their staff and meetings with key decision makers. These are where the pros and cons of legislation are debated and compromise achieved. The League is welcomed to the table because we have the power to get things done--both in public and private.

It was the LWVUS board of directors that worked together with a group of scholars to map out a workable solution for closing the loopholes in America's campaign finance laws five years ago. This work laid the foundation for the ultimately successful McCain-Feingold campaign finance reforms signed into law last March. The League believes working in coalitions is a valuable and effective way to move forward on bringing about change.

Two examples of our major commitments are the coalitions on campaign finance and election reform. Coalitions provide the opportunity to share competencies, knowledge and influence. "Lobbying in the nation s capital doesn't mean just lobbying members of Congress," stated former LWVUS President Becky Cain. "It also means working with other organizations--and occasionally lobbying them, too." Developing an effective strategy means coalition members must discuss and debate issues as a whole group, and separately. The individual concerns and priorities each coalition member brings to the whole body must be addressed. Sometimes it takes negotiations just to keep the coalition together.

Another arrow in our advocacy arsenal is the League lobbying staffs relationships with Representatives and Senators and their staffs. Advocacy director Lloyd Leonard and senior lobbyist Betsy Lawson nurture relationships with legislators and their staffs through continuing discussions about an array of issues. The League's seasoned advocacy team relies on their years of experience to chart strategy on a piece of legislation. Coalition meetings, offering new legislative language and heading off weakening amendments are frequent routes lobbyists must consider with each burgeoning advocacy campaign. Ultimately, Leonard and Lawson work on behalf of the League to strengthen legislation and make good public policy.

A fair amount of the advocacy work is done directly in the public eye. Testifying before congressional committees and participating in media events are opportunities to take a case directly to the American public. Once again the League has built an impressive track record. In just the final months of the debate on election reform, the League was quoted more than three times in major stories written for The New York Times, and by the Associated Press and in NPR coverage, as well as numerous other press outlets.

The League Lobby Corps, an integral part of our lobbying efforts, helps augment the reach and visibility of our lobbying effort. It was organized in 1971 and is made up of 20 members who live in the Washington, DC area. Lobby Corps members are briefed by a staff lobbyist once a month and go to Capitol Hill to lobby on a timely League legislative priority. Their presence and contact with members of Congress has an invaluable impact on advocacy work at the national level.