Day on the Hill – Lobbying Visit Issue Review and Preparation

Wednesday, July 22, 2015

What we’ll cover…

• Basic logistical questions• Issues background• What to expect, what you’ll

hear, etc.

Tomorrow’s Schedule8am Final briefing and Q&A8:45am Buses leave hotel for Capitol Hill9:15am Group photos in front of the U.S. Capitol10:00am Lobbying visit to Senate offices12:00pm Lunch/Debriefing1:30pm House lobbying visits3:00pm Buses leave Capitol Hill for Hyatt 3:00pm Free time

U.S. Capitol and Congressional office buildings

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3-4

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Senate buildings (Russell, Dirksen, Hart):1st digit of room number = floor number

Cannon Bldg: 1st digit of room number = floor number

Rayburn and Longworth buildings:2nd digit of room number = floor number

Getting around• You will need to go through metal

detectors• Dirksen and Hart buildings are connected,

so you don’t need to go outside• All the House and Senate office buildings

have maps on the walls• If you’d like to go underground from the

Senate side to the House side, ask a receptionist in your last Senate office visit if someone from the office (perhaps an intern?) could take you

Lobbying visit tips

• Decide ahead of time who’s going to say what! (Who’s going to cover which issues and which points, who’s going to start off the meeting, etc.)

• Allow time for getting from A B! Call ahead to the next office to let them know you’re running late, if necessary; the receptionist should be able to help you with this.

How do I do a “drop off”?• Walk in the office and introduce yourself to the

receptionist• Explain that you had wanted to meet with a staff

person to talk about X• Ask if that staffer might have a minute to talk

YESNO

1. Leave the handout and your business card

2. Get one of the staffer’s cards, and follow up later

Great! Have a quick (~5 minute) meeting

Remember ONE thing above all else…

RELAX!Finance & Business Development

Remember…

• YOU are the issue expert!• YOU are the constituent!• YOU know why these issues are

important!• YOU know how your community is

being affected.

Finance & Business Development

Finance & Business Development

What the debate on Medicare coverage of counselors is about these days

It’s not about policy. Both the House and Senate have passed the bill language twice in the past 10 years

(Senate = 2003, 2005; House = 2007, 2009)

H.R. 2759 and its Senate companion

• Bipartisan legislation to cover LPCs and MFTs under Medicare

• Does not change Medicare’s benefit package: only medically necessary services are covered, under same terms and conditions as apply now (i.e., bill doesn’t cover marriage counseling)

• Covers LPCs and MFTs at same reimbursement rates as clinical social workers (75% of MDs)

• 2009 CBO Estimate: $100 million over 5 years, $400 million over 10 years

Slide 13

Enrollment in Medicare is projected to grow rapidly in the next 20 years

(Source: MedPAC Data Book, June 2012)

The “Ask”: Medicare• Ask your SENATORS to cosponsor

Senator Barasso’s bill. This is bipartisan, extremely low-cost legislation which has been passed twice by both the Senate and House, but has not yet become law

• Ask REPRESENTATIVES to co-sponsor H.R. 2759, the House version of the bill

What’s a “cosponsor”?• A member of congress is the sponsor of a bill

when he or she is the one who introduces it

• A member cosponsors a bill by asking the bill’s sponsor to add their name as a cosponsor. Cosponsoring a bill is the only concrete, verifiable way of indicating support for a bill before it comes up for a vote

• Often, legislation doesn’t come up for a vote unless and until it has a lot of cosponsors

Slide 16

(Only Senators can cosponsor Senate bills, House members cosponsor House bills)

Medicare: Possible Q’s from StaffQ: What’s this cost?

A: CBO (2009): $100m/5 years, $400m/10

Q: Who opposes this?

A: No one.

Q: Would this cover marriage counseling?

A: No.

Q: Do you have a payment mechanism?

A: We are examining several proposals that our staff will be speaking to you about in the next few weeks.

The VA “ask”• The VA should add counselors to their

training program under the Office of Academic Affiliations. This program is a proven pathway to a career in the VA.

• Tell your Senators to co-sponsor S. 1676 which calls on the VA to include counselors in the training program AND allows doctoral degrees to be recognized.

Elementary & Secondary School Counseling Program (ESSCP)

• ONLY federal program focused on helping school districts hire more school counselors

• Grants support activities based on local needs, including students’ personal, social, emotional and educational needs through individual, small group, and classroom group counseling

• The Senate Appropriations Committee is allocating ~$49 million for the program, we need to make sure that remains intact!

Elementary & Secondary School Counseling Program (ESSCP)

• ESSCP is the only federal program that helps school districts hire more counselors.

• Grants support activities based on local needs, including student’s personal, social, emotional and educational needs.

• The Senate Appropriations committee is allocating ~$23.3 million.

FINAL REMINDERSWear comfortable shoes. You’ll probably be walking about 1.5 miles over the course of your lobbying visits. Taxis are an option, if you need one.

Bring your business cards!!

Send a thank you e-mail with deadlines!!!