The next month is an important opportunity to meet with members of Congress in their home districts and advocate on behalf of the accounts receivable management industry.
8/5/2019 9:00
August marks district work periods for members of Congress, making now a great time to connect with your local representatives or join town hall meetings and community events.
“I think any time you can find common ground directly with legislators on an issue … it goes so long for building bridges and a long-term relationship. They will remember that,” Andrew Madden, ACA International’s vice president of state and government affairs, said in a recent episode of ACA Cast “All Politics is Local” with Board Member Anita Manghisi, IFCCE. Manghisi is an active advocate and president of Independent Recovery Resources in Patchouge, New York.
ACA has resources available on its Advocacy Resource Center including an association fact sheet, research and an advocacy booklet. You may visit congress.gov to plan an agency tour and find your local representatives.
“It’s critical to engage each and every one of our members regardless of the size shop you have to advocate and lobby with your local legislators,” Manghisi said on ACA Cast. "I would suggest that you just reach out to your legislators [and] make an introduction. You need to get involved because you have the information, you’re the one that is going to tell the story.”
Once you become an advocate and get involved, it goes beyond your company, Madden explained. It’s the start of a continued connection with your state and federal legislators.
Connecting with legislators now is also an opportunity to stay in contact throughout the year, plan visits during other recesses from Washington and attend their local events for constituents. If a meeting isn’t available during this work period, stay in contact with staff at your local representative’s office to schedule a meeting during the next break, likely at the end of the year. And, be sure to visit your representative’s official website for background information and an updated list of their critical issues.
The U.S. House of Representatives has started its district work period through Labor Day, while the Senate will break starting the week of Aug. 5.
ACA hopes that members will contact legislators to demonstrate the strength of the industry and while discussing challenges and changes needed on the regulatory and legislative front lines.
And, on the regulatory side, ACA is working diligently to compile feedback from members to file a comprehensive comment letter on the industry’s behalf in response to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s rule proposal to modernize the severely outdated Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. Join our campaign to weigh in on the rulemaking before the Sept. 18 comment deadline.
For additional information and resources for meetings with your member of Congress, ACA’s Vice President of Congressional and Political Affairs Rae Ann Bevington may be reached at [email protected] or (202) 810-8899, or ACA's Vice President and Senior Counsel, Federal Affairs Leah Dempsey may be reached at [email protected] or (202) 810-8901. For state advocacy information, contact Andrew Madden at [email protected] or (202) 547-2681.
Visit the U.S. House of Representatives’ website and ACA’s Advocacy Resource Center for additional information on how to connect with your member of Congress. House and Senate calendars are available at congress.gov.
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