ATSI Members Take to Capitol Hill for the TAS Industry
On November 18, many of your colleagues visited Washington, D.C., to participate in the 2019 ATSI Hill Walk. The goal was to educate Congressional Members on the importance of our industry and make them aware of issues that affect ATSI members.
ATSI’s Washington Legislative Counsel, Dave Wenhold, prepared two full days of total immersion in advocacy training and Hill visits for the attendees. Additionally, Dave coordinated a private, and very exclusive, ‘behind the scenes’ tour with a Hill staffer. This tour included visiting the Capitol Dome, the crypt where George Washington was laid to rest, Statuary Hall, the Old Supreme Court chamber in the Capitol (circa 1800), the Senate cloakroom, an explanation by the US Senate Bill Clerk on how a bill makes its way through their office, and so much more. ATSI members even got to stand on the floor of the US Senate, which was amazing! This tour was a once in a lifetime opportunity to see things that the average citizen would never get to see.
After the tour, the attendees went back to the hotel for a full afternoon of training and discussion of the issues they would be lobbying on. The sessions consisted of informational seminars that would allow the attendees to be the best advocates possible. We had training on Politics 101, Tactics to Effectively Lobby Congress, Understanding our Initiatives, information from someone that actually ran for Congress on what it takes to get elected, a briefing from a high ranking Capitol Hill staffer on how to convey information to staffers, and finally, Hill instructions for the following day.
On Tuesday, November 19, your ATSI peers jumped into cabs and made their way to the Hill for our day of advocacy. Attendees met with their respective House and Senate representatives, armed with data and messages in support of ATSI’s positions on the Federal Universal Service Fund (FUSF), HIPAA, and education on what a TAS is, and more importantly, what we are not! Attendees were also encouraged to bring up other small business issues important to them and their business.
Throughout the day, ATSI members attended their meetings, took photos with staffers and Congressional Members, and did drop-in visits to other offices. Thank you for everyone who attended and took time out of their busy schedules to advocate for all of the industry!
If you are interested in visiting YOUR Member of Congress in your home district or in Washington, DC, please contact Dave Wenhold at [email protected]. For more information about how to advocate for issues that are important to you, visit the ATSI website HERE.
Thanks again to everyone that attended!
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