Use the resources below to find and contact your elected representatives on Capitol Hill and urge them to support Informatics initiatives and research.
Calls to Action
- Protect Americans from Harmful Research Cuts at NIH - Full letter
- Support the ASTP - Talking points
- Protect the National Library of Medicine - Talking points
Tips to Engage Your Elected Representatives
Engage Your Member via Email
- Introduce yourself and explain that you are a constituent of their district/state.
- When crafting a message, think about why you are looking to engage with them. What is your “ask”?
- This could be a request to support funding for a key agency or program, vote for or against an upcoming piece of legislation or amendment, or engage the Administration to encourage or oppose an executive action.
- If AMIA has talking points on the issue you’re interested in discussing, please use them as a reference.
- Include specific information, anecdotes, and stories. Personal and local stories are best – how do these policies or funding impact you, your community, or your patient population? Why is this issue important to you?
- Offer to provide further information if needed on the topic.
- Keep it short – just a paragraph or two is usually all you need to get your point across.
Engage Your Member via a Phone Call with Staff
- Thank them for taking the time to speak with you and be courteous.
- Introduce yourself and explain that you are a constituent of their district/state.
- Explain why you are meeting and be clear about what issue you are advocating for or concern you have.
- This could be a request to support funding for a key agency or program, vote for or against an upcoming piece of legislation or amendment, or express your appreciation or concern with an executive or congressional action.
- If AMIA has talking points on the issue you’re interested in discussing, please use them as a reference.
- Specific information, anecdotes, and stories are useful for policymakers in these discussions, but be brief. Most calls are expected to last just a minute or two, and staffers are mainly taking tallies of how many people are calling in support or opposition on an issue. Personal and local stories are best – how do these policies or funding impact you? Why is this issue important to you?
- Offer to provide further information if needed on the topic.
- Thank them for their time.
- If you go to voicemail, remember to be polite and leave a message.
- Avoid prolonging the meeting beyond its natural conclusion, using jargon, or arguing with the staffer.
Find Your Elected Representatives
Find your Senator
