2024 Edition - Advocacy Handbook for Social & Behavioral Science Researchers

Am I allowed to advocate? “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.” --First Amendment to the U. [...] Each year of a Congress is called a “session,” referred to as either the first or second session of the Congress (e.g., 2024 is the 2nd session of the 118th Congress and 2025 is the 1st session of the 119th Congress). [...] While it is always worth trying to schedule a meeting with the Member of Congress, you will more likely be scheduled to meet with a member of the staff—do not be discouraged! Congressional staff are crucial to keeping the Member informed about the topics in their portfolio and may actually be more knowledgeable about the particulars of the issue you have come to discuss. [...] The Committees generally aspire to send the bills to the floor before the month-long August recess, but in recent years that has been the exception, not the rule. [...] Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and the Food and Drug Administration), the Department of Education (including the Institute of Education Sciences), and the Department of Labor (including the Bureau of Labor Statistics).