Involving Congregations in Advocacy Now (ICAN)
an ELCA guide to developing an advocacy ministry within your congregation
The How-tos of Advocacy
In this section:
 "I
can't Get to my legislator, now what?"
Legislators are extremely busy. They often don’t
have enough minutes in a day to meet with all of the constituents
who wish to see them. Each Member of Congress has staff to assist
him/ her during a term in office.
Remember legislators have staff at both their home/
field office and where they meet. To be most effective in
communicating with Legislators, it is helpful to know the titles and
principal functions of key staff.
Commonly Used Titles:
Administrative Assistant or Chief of Staff:
The Administrative Assistant reports directly to the Legislator.
They usually have overall responsibility for evaluating the
political outcome of various legislative proposals and constituent
requests. The Administrative Assistant is usually the person in
charge of overall office operations, including the assignment of
work and the supervision of key staff.
Legislative Director, Senior Legislative
Assistant, or Legislative Coordinator:
The Legislative Director is usually the staff person who monitors
the legislative schedule and makes recommendations regarding the
pros and cons of particular issues. In some offices there are
several Legislative Assistants and responsibilities and interests of
the member. An office may include a different Legislative Assistant
for health issues, environmental matters, taxes, etc.
Press Secretary or Communications Director:
The Press Secretary’s responsibility is to build and maintain open
and effective lines of communication between the member, their
constituency, and the general public. The Press Secretary is
expected to know the benefits, demands, and special requirements of
both print and electronic media, and how to most effectively promote
the member’s views or position on specific issues.
Appointment Secretary, Personal Secretary, or
Scheduler:
The Appointment Secretary is usually responsible for allocating a
member’s time among the many demands that arise from Legislative
responsibilities, staff requirements, and constituent requests. The
Appointment Secretary may also be responsible for making necessary
travel arrangements, arranging speaking dates, visits to the
district, etc.
Caseworker:
The Caseworker is the staff member usually assigned to help with
constituent requests by preparing replies for the member’s
signature. The Caseworker’s responsibilities may also include
helping resolve problems constituents present in relation to federal
agencies, e.g., Social Security and Medicare issues, veteran’s
benefits, passports, etc. There are often several Caseworkers in an
office.
Other Staff Titles:
Other titles used in a congressional office may include: Executive
Assistant, Legislative Correspondent, Executive Secretary, Office
Manager and Receptionist.
Remember these people are often young and want to
make a difference. They are more accessible, yet still have a lot of
influence. They may be extremely interested in your point of view to
broaden and deepen their knowledge on an issue.
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