It’s August, and that means that members of Congress are back in their home states and districts. This is a great time to try to connect with them and advocate for the Spina Bifida community!

While their schedules may be full, it doesn’t hurt to try and find a time to talk your representative or senators. Go by yourself or even better, organize a small group to visit.

Here are some simple steps to follow:

1. Look up your representative and your senators using this congressional directory.
2. Locate their district or state office(s) on their individual website. Note that many have more than one local office, so find the one closest to you.
3. Call the office and request a meeting. If you aren’t sure what to say, say something like this: “Hi, my name is [name], and I am a constituent of [member of Congress]. I know Congress is in recess, and I was hoping I could meet for a few minutes with [member of Congress] locally while [he/she] is back home this month. How do I go about scheduling a meeting?”
4. The person answering the phone may give you instructions on how to request a meeting. You may need to fill out a form or contact a scheduler. Make sure to write down whatever you need to do.
5. Whether they ask you to submit a form or send an email to someone, there is important information to include. You should provide:
   1. Your full name (and those of others joining you)
   2. Where you live in the district or state
   3. A brief description of the issue that you wish to discuss. For example: “[I/We] would like to discuss Spina Bifida, one of the most common, permanently disabling birth defects compatible with life, and the challenges that people with Spina Bifida face in accessing quality, affordable healthcare in [your state]. We want to encourage [member of Congress] to support policies that will make it easier for people with Spina Bifida to find the healthcare they need, including supporting additional funding for the CDC’s National Spina Bifida Program.”
6. Make your request stronger by including information on Spina Bifida specific to your state. Our state fact sheets have information on Spina Bifida in every state, and we have a fact sheet on the National Spina Bifida Program as well. You can download and print these and share them with your member of Congress when you meet.
7. It may take several days to find out if your meeting will be scheduled. Be patient. Once your meeting is secured, confirm whether it is with the member of Congress or a staff person. We encourage you to take the meeting either way.
8. If you are able to get a meeting, use the opportunity to share some information about Spina Bifida, the challenges people in our community face accessing quality, affordable healthcare, and areas of policy where you would like their support. Here is a link to some talking points you can use, but please, feel free to share whatever you think is important to you. Your own personal stories and challenges you or people you know have faced are the most powerful, so use them!
9. If you’re able to get a meeting, please make sure once it’s over to thank them publicly using your social media channels. Try to get a picture to post, too.
10. Share any pictures and meeting summaries with us, so we can spread the word, too. You can email those to us at [email protected].

Local meetings like this are an opportunity to continue raising awareness and pressing our case for more investments in Spina Bifida care. You can make a difference!