Resources
Take advantage of the resources that SCCS has to offer when you’re lobbying your Congressmen or organizing students on campus to be effective advocates. Once you’ve covered the basics in our advocacy guide, check out this section to see what the SCCS library can offer. If you have suggestions for additional materials in this section or questions on the information included, please feel free to contact the National Coordinator in DC.
Contacting Congress - This section contains sample materials specific to this semester’s advocacy focus, orphans and vulnerable children. Blank SCCS letterhead is included in this section if you’re working on a related project. If you are contacting members of Congress about a different issue, you can also find generic form letters here. Feel free to use any of the sample materials as given, or tailor them to the project you’re working on or the member of Congress you’re lobbying.
About Congress and Members of Congress - Not sure which member of Congress to contact or how globally minded they are? Before you call an office, it’s important to know the legislator’s background in child survival, international relations, and even domestic health care and children’s rights so you know how to frame the issue. It is equally important to know their major areas of focus, so be sure to note the committees that they are on. Check out this section for lists of Congressmen and their committees, records of SCCS interaction with Congressmen, and an explanation of the budget process.
Useful links
Contacting Congress: Search by zip code to find contact information for Senators and Representatives
Project Vote Smart: Find the voting records of your members of Congress
Library of Congress: Official Congressional site for information on bills, floor speeches, and more -- beware of information overload!
Global Health Council: Keep up to date with global health initiatives in the House and Senate
Senate and House of Representatives: Official websites
Getting information about your member of Congress and his or her previous support of child survival and international health issues will assist you as you begin to cultivate a relationship with his or her office. Knowing what legislation or initiatives your member of Congress has supported will help you most effectively lobby his or her office to increase child survival funding and visibility of the issues.
