Take Action: Save SNAP, Medicaid, and More

Connect with other local advocates

There is power in numbers! If other NETWORK advocates from your district sign-up to participate, we will do our best to get you all connected. We also encourage you to think about who in your personal network you could invite to join you in your advocacy! Invite fellow constituents who are passionate about the issue—and in full support of NETWORK’s position on it.

• While it is good to have some issue experts in the room, NETWORK will provide you with all of the background you need on a bill to have a successful visit.
• Invite constituents from a variety of backgrounds, such as faith leaders, heads of organizations, people who work in direct service, and people who are directly affected by the issue.

Prepare your materials

For visits, NETWORK has created the following documents for you:

• Leave behind and talking points on Medicaid
• Leave behind and talking points on SNAP
• Leave behind and talking points on detention and deportation

Read below to download and print the documents for your lobby visit. You will share the leave behinds them with the staff you meet. The talking points are internal documents that are only for you and your group.

Prepare for your lobby visit

The most important thing to remember about your lobby visit is that it is a conversation between you and your Member of Congress and/or their staff person. During your visit, you will be making important policy asks and sharing your stories, and you will also be listening carefully to their responses and their thoughts about the legislation. Here are some tips to help you prepare for this conversation:

• Think about why you are going on this visit. How is your faith compelling you to speak out on these issues? Why is it important to you that Congress doesn’t cut funding for Medicaid and SNAP? Who in your life will be hurt if they lose Medicaid coverage or access to food? What will happen to your community, friends, and/or family if Congress triples the funding for immigrant detentions and deportations?
• Research your Representative. Have they spoken out against anything in the budget reconciliation plans, or at least expressed concern? Is there anything that may make them sympathetic to your perspective?
• Review NETWORK’s leave behinds and talking points.
• If you’re going with a group, assign roles, including who’s speaking to which issues and who’s taking notes.
• Practice your talking points and make sure that your stories are succinct and compelling.

During the visit

Dress professionally and arrive early so you and your group can gather on time. Have people BRIEFLY share their name and where they are from, name the groups or organizations you represent and how many people are involved in each.

Start with something positive about the elected official, even if it is thanking them for a bill that is completely unrelated to the issue you are talking about during your visit or simply thanking them for their work—it’s a tough job!

• Explain your reason for the visit: to discuss your concerns about the Budget Reconciliation proposal.
• Express your concerns about cuts to Medicaid and SNAP, and the increase in spending on detentions and deportations. Be sure to share your faith perspective and personal stories.
• Have each person briefly explain why they support or oppose the bill, using a personal story to illustrate their points.
• Listen carefully to responses from your Representative and/or staff.
• Make the ask: "Say “no” to any budget reconciliation bill that cuts Medicaid and SNAP to pay for tax cuts for the ultra-wealthy and immigrant detentions and deportations.
• Listen carefully for your Representative’s position and respond to any pushback or concerns.
• Repeat the ask.
• Share the leave behind documents.
• Thank them for their time. Be sure to get a business card from the staff person.

Finishing touch and follow-up

• Get a group photo with your elected official, or staff person, so NETWORK can share it on social media. Make sure you get names!
• Debrief with your group—what went well? What did we hear? What did we learn?
• Send a thank-you email to the staffers within 24 hours of the meeting with the leave behinds attached. Include the ask and any information you promised to send.

Report back to NETWORK

As you know, we here at NETWORK love to see you in action. Please remember to send us photos of you visiting the office, and, if it’s appropriate, include the person that you met with—especially if you do get a few moments with your Representative. And be sure to use NETWORK's report back form. Fill out the form here!