Congressional Visits

Your registration for ACEP’s Leadership & Advocacy Conference includes a valuable opportunity to meet with your Members of Congress and their staff on Capitol Hill. These visits are a critical component of LAC when emergency physicians just like you can educate Congressional offices on key emergency medicine issues, seek the support of your elected officials for specific bills or legislative initiatives, and show appreciation for their past support of the profession and your patients.

ACEP works closely with Advocacy Associates who will be scheduling visits for all registrants. You will not need to contact your legislators’ Capitol Hill offices directly regarding your appointments.

Helpful Hints for Capitol Hill Meetings

On Tuesday morning before the Hill visits, you will receive advocacy training and a briefing on the issues to ensure that we all carry a consistent, coordinated message to Congress on issues important to emergency medicine and our patients.

Know your lawmaker
The first step to successful visit is to know your lawmaker. This information will be provided on your Hill Visit schedules onsite. You should be familiar with:

• Your lawmaker's political party.
• Legislative committees he or she serves on.
• Leadership positions he or she holds.
• Voting and co-sponsorship record on issues of importance to EM.
• Personal facts (such as hometown, previous profession).

Address by title and last name

• "Senator" is always correct.
• "Representative" is always correct.
• "Congressman" is acceptable for a male -"Congresswoman" is acceptable for a female.
• "Mr. Chairman" or "Madam Chair" are appropriate — and show respect for a leadership position.

Staff are important — they are the "gateway" or "steel door" to the Member

• Often better versed on issues than Members.
• Young, but highly educated.
• Typically stay to meet with constituents when Members leave.
• Gain seniority quickly and often move from one Member office to another.
• Sensitive about their place in the hierarchy.
• A negative impression will get back to Members — Don't make a bad impression with them!

Time is crucial!

• Be on time; Call ahead if you are running late. However, expect delays!
• Members may be called for a vote at any time.
• Emergency meetings or negotiations may intrude.

Stay on message

• Congressional offices are VERY busy and meet with many people each day — don't waste their time!
• Keep the message simple. Briefly and succinctly talk about how an issue affects your practice and patients; give specific examples.
• Be credible. Members/staff often look to us as a source of education. Don't misrepresent facts; don't misstate an opponent's position.
• Be sure to give the “leave behind” folder with ACEP issue papers to your lawmaker or to the staff person you are meeting with.

Other tips to a successful meeting

• Encourage questions. Afterward, follow up with any information that your lawmaker requested during the meeting, or if you are unable to provide it, let ACEP staff know so that we can follow up for you.
• Find out your lawmaker's position on an issue. Make your meeting an open exchange of ideas; be straightforward, but courteous in expressing your views.
• Ask for something specific. For example, "I hope you will co-sponsor H.R. 2433, the “Reducing Medically Unnecessary Delays in Care Act of 2025," or “please consider the facts and reconsider your position on this bill.” Many lawmakers complain that many constituents never make it clear what they want. Thank the member or staff if they are already supporting issues that you are discussing.
• Thank the member for his or her time, even if he or she did not agree with you.
• Wrap up the meeting in about 15 minutes.

Follow-up

• Email, write or call legislators and staff to thank them for their time (if they don’t provide their business card, you can usually find them out at the front desk of the office). Remind them of anything they may have agreed to do and send additional information.
• Share the results of your meetings on the app and with your ACEP Government Affairs staff. Share insights you have gained about legislators' concerns and ask colleagues back home to get involved.
• Find out when the legislators will be in your home district hosting town hall meetings or forums and organize a group to attend. Ask if they have a health care advisory panel or group you can participate in back home.
• Maintain communication with legislators and their staff through letters, phone calls and visits.
• Follow your legislators’ Facebook, Twitter or other social media accounts.

Finally,

NEVER discuss individual or ACEP’s political contributions through NEMPAC with the Member of Congress or their staff in the legislative office. It is against federal election laws to discuss campaign contributions of any form in a federal office. 

Continue Your Advocacy After LAC

Five Ways to Get Involved Anytime, Anywhere

Advocacy is standing up and sharing your story for emergency medicine and our patients. Having your voice heard is not only important to the specialty’s future, it’s easier than you may think!

ACEP has created five simple ways to get involved in addition to attending the Leadership & Advocacy Conference:

1. Join the ACEP 911 Network - the premier grassroots network for emergency physicians. By signing up at www.acepadvocacy.org, you will receive a weekly email detailing what’s happening in Washington, DC on federal legislative and regulatory policy impacting emergency medicine.
2. Use the Advocacy Action Center - enter your address for information about your federal and state officials including bios and official websites, and use the easy tool to send them messgaes about pending legislation.
3. Raise Your Voice - policymakers want to hear from you! ACEP’s PR team can help you craft and share opinion pieces and letters to the editor about the College’s priority advocacy issues. Share how potential legislation may impact you, the profession and your patients. For more information contact pr@acep.org.
4. Host an ED Tour - invite legislators and local officials for a tour of your emergency department and show them the challenges you face every day in providing care to thousands of their constituents. Exposing your elected officials to the people, places and health care delivery system that their legislation impacts is the best way to build lasting and meaningful relationships. For more information, contact jslade@acep.org.
5. Become an ACEP Spokesperson - join ACEP’s Spokespersons’ Network and represent the College and emergency medicine. Receive communication training from ACEP’s PR team that will equip you to speak about ACEP’s clinical and policy positions to the media and general public. For more information contact pr@acep.org.

If you have questions or concerns about the Capitol Hill Visits during LAC25, please contact ACEP's Senior Director, Political Affairs Director and Grassroots Advocacy Jeanne Slade.