Government affairs

We’re bracing for a lot of activity on Capitol Hill in the 115th Congress, which means it’s important for us to begin the new year with strong relationships on both sides of the aisle. With lawmakers having already been sworn in and with an aggressive agenda ahead for civil servants, now’s the time to work on local relationships with your members of Congress.

We have always said that the U.S. Postal Service is not partisan. We need friends—rural and urban, red state and blue state—to be our allies. One way we can gain such friends is by simply sharing our stories with lawmakers who may be unaware of postal issues.

Whether it is six-day mail delivery, door delivery, service standards or postal reform, you are the local expert. Members of Congress can rely on your stories and personal input to help them make decisions in Washington.

The easiest way to put a face on the work that letter carriers do is by scheduling a meeting with your members of Congress and by sharing NALC’s issues. This is particularly important if you have a member who is new to Congress. Check out the congressional calendar to see when members will be home, and schedule your meeting well in advance. Many members of Congress also host town halls; to see a list of such events, click here.

Before you meet, do your research. Review your representative’s policy positions and press releases, and search the internet to see what they have been up to. Be prepared to relate NALC’s issues using your personal story, and leave behind a fact sheet. And always schedule a follow-up meeting for when they’re in the district next.

Your letter carrier congressional liaison can help. Get in touch with him or her to discuss how you can coordinate meetings with your representatives or to learn where your representatives stand on NALC’s issues. If you are unsure who your members of Congress are, click here to find your representative and click here to find your senators.

Be sure to use resources provided by NALC for activists. These include downloading the NALC Member App, signing up for e-Activist e-mail alerts and using our bill tracker to follow relevant legislation.