Members of Congress and their staff tell us that hearing from a group of people, or someone who can speak on behalf of a group of people, is an effective way to communicate concerns as well as let the office know a group of people are paying attention. FCNL encourages Meetings or churches to "welcome" new members of Congress who represent the Meeting's area. In recognition that Meetings have varied practices and processes for "actions" such as this, FCNL is simply providing a template for a letter that can be used by Quakers in whichever way is best for the specific community.
FCNL recommends the letter be shared physically, whether in the mail or by visiting a local office, as well as by email. If you do not have an email contact for the office, please reach out to us and we can provide one.
FCNL is happy to provide light support, as well as a copy of the Meeting's submission for Policy Priorities for the 119th Congress if that is helpful. Contact Quakers@fcnl.org with any questions.
Goals of the welcome letter include:
- Make the new legislator and their office aware of Quakers they represent in Congress
- Introduce FCNL and encourage the office to seek out FCNL as a trusted resource on policy matters
- Inform the new office of the policy priorities of the Meeting or Church
- While not in the template, consider an invitation to the legislator or their staff to visit the Meetinghouse