Go tell it on the Mountain (or at least on the Hill!) - (Resolve to ACT!)

CONCERNED WOMEN FOR AMERICA.ORG ^ | JANUARY 5, 2005 | LANIER SWANN

[CHARLITE]

Imagine: After months of prayer and preparation during campaign season, you wake up the day after the election and realize that all your hard work has actually paid off. You participated in the voting process and made a difference! Your candidates won! You played a vital role in our Republic and influenced the outcome of Election 2004!

No need to imagine. It’s real.

Such is the reality here in Washington, D.C., after the elections last November 2. Not every man and woman who supports the pro-family movement may have won their campaigns, but most of them did. The beauty of the victories is this: Social conservatives are filling the halls of Congress due primarily to the fierce efforts of grassroots activists like the members of Concerned Women for America (CWA). Just think, when the doors open to the first session of the 109th Congress, legislation will be introduced and you will have yet another great opportunity to play a role in defining our nation’s newest laws!

This year, the pro-family movement has tremendous hopes for the many bills that will find their way to the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate. Members of Congress are already making plans to re-introduce significant legislation aimed at protecting families, mothers, children and, of course, the unborn. While there is indeed a new socially conservative majority in Congress gearing up to fight for the passage of these bills, there is still so much work to be done! Pro-family groups like CWA are counting on grassroots activists like you to ensure that every single important piece of legislation clears the House, clears the Senate, and lands on the President’s desk to be signed into law.

In other words – we need you!

This year, as issues strike a chord with you, make your voice heard. Call your U.S. senators and elected representative. Write to them. Send them a short, sweet, simple e-mail. Whatever it takes, let them know exactly how you feel.

Our government was founded on the principle “of the people, for the people and by the people.” That means our representatives and senators are public servants that the people elect to work for them. This is such an important thought to keep in mind as we move into a critically important year in Washington, D.C. Whether you are in the Washington suburbs or in the farthest reaches of Alaska, you can speak loudly from anywhere!

Each and every member of Congress notes the communications received from their constituents. You may at times wonder how a short call can make any difference, but it truly does. Staff members keep tallies of the number of calls, letters, e-mails, and faxes that come in from their home towns and home states. Many times, during meetings, a senator or representative will ask his staff, “What are we hearing back home on this bill coming up for a vote?” The staff will have the opportunity to share with their boss exactly what they are hearing from people like you!

So as you’re considering your New Year’s resolution, make a resolute decision to play an active part in the legislative process this year. When the President signs a bill into law you’ve actively lobbied on, you can take pride knowing that your voice did indeed make a difference!

Lanier Swann, CWA’s director of government relations, previously served on Capitol Hill in the offices of Rep. Walter P. Jones Jr. (R-North Carolina) and Sen. Elizabeth Dole (R-North Carolina).

Concerned Women for America
1015 Fifteenth St. N.W., Suite 1100
Washington, D.C. 20005
Phone: (202) 488-7000
Fax: (202) 488-0806