How to Set Up a Meeting with Your Congressional Representatives

Thank you for committing to take action for wild horses and burros and ensuring that your members of Congress hear your concerns about the mismanagement of the BLM’s Wild Horse and Burro Program. Every citizen has one Representative in the U.S. House of Representatives and two U.S. Senators. Arranging a meeting with the local district offices of these officials is the easiest and most effective way to make your voice heard. Members of Congress and their staff give priority to scheduling meetings with their constituents, so it is important that you do this outreach directly.

We’ve created the following guide to outline the process.

1. Finding Your Local Office

You should pick the office that is closest and most convenient to you. You can find your Representative here, and your Senators can be found here. Go to their websites to locate their district office locations.

2. Initial Outreach to Schedule the Meeting

Each office has a different procedure for scheduling constituent meetings. The best thing to do is to call the main number of the local office and politely inquire about the best way to go about scheduling a meeting.

Sample Phone Script: “Hi, My name is [name] and I’m a constituent of [Member of Congress or Senator]. I’m calling to schedule a meeting to discuss federal wild horse and burro policy. Could you please let me know the best way to schedule a brief meeting with the [Member of Congress or Senator] or a member of [his/her] staff?”

Very often you will be directed to fill out an online request. If so, follow the instructions from the office and complete the form, arranging the meeting at a date and time convenient for you.

3. Follow-Up to Confirm Your Meeting

The key to scheduling your meeting is following up with the staff in your Member’s office to ensure that they received your request and process it. Offices receive calls both at the district and the DC office, asking to speak to the scheduler, and confirming that your request was received.

4. Get Support for Your Cause

If you are able to secure a meeting, email [email protected] and AWHC can help put you in touch with other advocates in your area to join with you!

5. Attending the Meeting

Once the meeting is confirmed, it’s important to maximize your time during the meeting. We can prepare talking points and handouts to assist you in making a case for change. Be sure to review them before the meeting and use them as a guide during.

6. Document the Meeting

Before or after the meeting, ask the staffer to take a photo of you in the congressional office to document your visit. Be sure to send this to us later, or tweet it to us and tag @FreeWildHorses so we can know right away. Be sure to thank the staffer for his or her time and say that you will be following up with the American Wild Horse Conservation (formerly American Wild Horse Campaign).

7. Let Us Know How the Meeting Went

Collect the business cards of the staffers you meet. Copy this information down, along with any notes that you took in the meeting and share with us.

We’re here to help. If you need additional assistance or pointers, email us at [email protected] with the subject “Setting Up A Meeting”.

Good luck. Thank you for standing up for America’s wild horses and burros!