Masonry Magazine September 1979 Page. 10
Government
Relations and the
Mason Contractor
continued from page 9
MCAA's attention and concern. The agencies are not included here because it is assumed that, for the most part, MCAA members will not be asked to make their views known to the regulators on an individual basis, and that when it is necessary for mason contractors' positions to be presented to regulatory agencies, such presentations will be prepared and made by MCAA officers and staff.
How Congress Works
The business of Congress is legislation, and both the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate rely on Committees to do a great deal of necessary legislative work. It is when a bill is before a Committee that there usually is the best opportunity to have it changed.
Legislation normally goes through either five or six steps. The first step is the drafting of the bill, which may be done by a Congressman, his staff, an executive agency, the White House, or a private individual or group.
The second step is to have the bill introduced, and this can only be done by a Congressman or Senator. When it is introduced, a bill is labeled, numbered, printed and referred to a Committee.
Committee action is the third step in the process. It can include hearings, by either the full Committee or a Sub-committee, "mark-up" (the changing of a bill before a Committee vote is taken), and a Committee vote and report. A Committee may have a bill under its control for only a few weeks, or as long as several months.
Once a Committee reports a bill, it is scheduled for floor action, at which time the bill is approved as reported, or approved as amended, or defeated.
If a bill is approved, it goes to the other chamber for action. Unless the other chamber has already begun considering companion legislation, the bill will once again be referred to Committee.
When the second chamber acts on a bill already approved by the other house, one of two things happens: If the bill is approved in identical form to the one approved by the other chamber, the legislation goes to the White House. But if the second chamber changes the bill and the other chamber refuses to accept the change, then it must go to a Conference Committee representing both houses so that differences between the two versions of the bill can be worked out. Once the Conference Committee has reported an agreed-upon bill, both houses once again must approve it.
A Congressionally-approved bill becomes law only if the President signs it, or holds it for 10 days without taking action. If a bill is vetoed, the House and the Senate can by a vote of two-thirds of their members override the veto.
The legislative process offers many opportunities for citizens and groups to influence the content and shape of bills. But the most important for that purpose are: 1) when a bill is being drafted, 2) when it is before a Committee, and 3) when it is before a Conference Committee. These are the times when mason contractors will be best able to have an influence on legislation that affects them.
Communicating Your Views on Legislation
There are at least seven major considerations you should keep in mind if you wish to communicate effectively with a Congressman or Senator.
► Know Your Legislator. The first is to know your Senators and Congressmen. Don't wait until you have a specific issue in mind. Get to know them as soon as possible, and maintain your acquaintance with them by visiting them in Washington or when they are back home.
► Know Your Legislator's Staff. More often than not, a Congressman or Senator will rely on a member of his staff to gather information about legislation. You should get to know these staff people. Most important are the legislative assistant, administrative assistant, and the staff member in charge of the legislator's home district office.
► Be Active Politically. Play a role in the politics of your state or district. By doing so, you'll come to know the people who are influential, and, more importantly, they'll come to know you. There are many ways to be politically active. You can take part in the work of a political party. You can serve in campaign positions. And you can see that a business or professional group of which you are a member is politically involved.
► Learn to Talk Effectively to Your Legislator. Sounds simple, but some obvious things often are overlooked. One is a matter of tone: Don't threaten, demand or beg. As a businessman, you have the right to express your views and to ask your legislator to support those views. But most legislators will react negatively if they feel you are belligerent or uncivil.
Another important point is credibility-your credibility and that of your industry. Your legislator will make a judgment as to whether you are a credible representative of your point of view and your industry. One way to lose your credibility is to make statements which cannot be factually backed up. Be sure you are factual.
Another is to say that you will do something, and then fail to produce. Once lost, credibility is hard to regain.
Some other points: Don't assume your legislator knows the background of every issue; fill him in, but don't bore him with too much detail, or with arguments that are too technical. Submit written documents to take care of the need for detail and for technical discussion. Make sure your legislator knows continued on page 32