Lobbying in Washington D.C. for the Jobs Bill and Financial Regulatory Reform

I was a little nervous, but with SEIU staff and Herman with me, it wasn’t as intimidating as I feared. We worked the halls of Capitol Hill tirelessly, often attending early morning briefings and hearings and making impromptu visits with key legislators.  I met U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis at a House Education and Labor Committee hearing, after which we were introduced to Committee Chair George Miller by Saralee Todd.
We also met with House staff from the offices of Diane Watson, Judy Chu, and Xavier Becerra. In the Senate we had meetings in the offices of Banking Committee Chair Chris Dodd, Dianne Feinstein, Barbara Boxer and Mark Warner of Virginia.
I learned and accomplished a great deal. I saw how bills are created, where they start and how we can make an impact on that bill as regular citizens. The elected officials and their staff were very attentive and not only did I feel like my voice was being heard, I felt like I was making an impact on their decisions.
I urge my co-workers to join COPE and lobby our representatives, whether at the Federal, state or local level. As individuals or as an entire union our active participation can affect millions.