Fighting for Local Government Priorities on Capitol Hill

NLC is laying the groundwork for Capitol Hill Advocacy Day, which takes place on March 15 during NLC’s Congressional City Conference. More than 250 meetings have been arranged for local officials to speak with their Congressional representatives about city priorities.

With a new president and Congress, now is the time to raise the voice of cities and make their priorities heard. (Getty Images)
With a new president and Congress, now is the time to raise the voice of cities and make their priorities heard. (Getty Images)

This post was co-authored by Michael Wallace and Ashley Smith.

Thousands of local officials will soon arrive in Washington, D.C. for NLC’s 2017 Congressional City Conference. Among the members of Congress scheduled to meet with conference attendees are seven new senators, 55 new representatives, and 91 former local elected officials. To lay the groundwork for successful meetings, NLC lobbyists have met in advance with these offices, alongside top leadership, over the last two months.

From January 3, when the new Congress was gaveled into being, to now, NLC lobbyists have taken 135 Congressional meetings with 120 members of Congress and their staff; and 11 meetings with Congressional committee staff from nine House and Senate committees. Among outcomes related to specific policy issues, these meetings served to educate Congressional offices on cities’ bipartisan priorities and reinforce NLC as the voice of America’s cities on Capitol Hill.

The Congressional City Conference takes place March 11-15. While in Washington for the conference, you’ll learn from political and issue experts on how federal action may impact your city in the months and years ahead, and have the opportunity to speak up for cities during meetings with your Congressional delegation.

Start your conference experience by attending NLC’s Federal Advocacy Committee meetings on Sunday, March 12 to learn more about our policy development process and how the committees are leading NLC’s advocacy efforts. Federal Advocacy Committee meetings are not just for committee members – they are open to every local official registered to attend the conference. And during workshops on March 13 and 14, you’ll hear about the most pressing topics facing cities and learn about federal plans and proposals. Topics include:

  • Infrastructure plans and funding
  • Possible changes to the Affordable Care Act and impacts to cities
  • New technologies and strategies for your police force
  • Considerations when pursuing public private partnerships
  • How to effectively advocate for your city in Washington

During the general sessions, you’ll hear from political analyst and former White House Director of Communications Nicolle Wallace and bestselling author J.D. Vance. Finally, on March 15, join city leaders from across the country as we advocate for city priorities during NLC’s Capitol Hill Advocacy Day. Register today to join us and learn more about the conference here.

We look forward to seeing you and city leaders from around the country in our nation’s capital!

You can get to know more about NLC’s advocacy team of lobbyists and grassroots professionals through the “Meet Your City Advocate” blog series and by attending one of NLC’s seven Federal Advocacy Committee meetings at the conference.

About the authors:

mike_wallace_125x150Michael Wallace is the Interim Director of Federal Advocacy at the National League of Cities. Follow him on Twitter @MikeWallaceII.

 

Ashley Smith is the Senior Associate for Grassroots Advocacy at the National League of Cities. Follow Ashley @AshleyN_Smith.