What is AIHA asking for?
AIHA would like members to schedule meetings with their U.S. Senators and Representatives. Most of these meetings will be held online, however, in-person meetings are also an option.
Will AIHA be paying for transportation to Washington, DC or otherwise compensating AIHA members for meeting with Members of Congress?
Unfortunately, no. AIHA encourages members to set up online meetings with their Members of Congress. Alternatively, AIHA members may wish to meet with their Members of Congress in their local offices or on Capitol Hill if they live within driving distance to Washington, DC.
Will AIHA help me schedule meetings with my Members of Congress?
Absolutely! Sign up for the Congressional Advocacy Week and request AIHA staff assistance via a short survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/RBRZSKP
If I want to set up my own meetings with my Members of Congress, how can I do so?
Visit https://www.aiha.org/advocacy, input your ZIP Code under Find Officials and click the arrow. Call the Capitol Phone number, state that you’re a constituent, ask to speak with the scheduler and explain that you’d like to schedule an online meeting with your Member of Congress sometime between September 25 and September 29 to discuss congressional support for workplace and community health and safety. Alternatively, if you’d like to schedule an in-person meeting, now is the time to do so.
A friendly note that September is a particularly busy time in Congress, so it’s entirely likely that you’ll end up meeting with a congressional staff member. Don’t be discouraged if this happens, however, as congressional staff are the people who actually write the legislation and advise Members of Congress how they should vote, so they are very influential!
What issues will AIHA be focusing on during the Advocacy Week?
We’ll focus on the importance of encouraging more students to pursue careers in occupational and environmental health and safety (OEHS) and supporting funding for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), and the Rebuild America’s Schools Act, which is a bicameral bill that would improve the learning and working conditions of schools, including indoor air quality.
Where can I sign up to participate in the Virtual Congressional Advocacy Week?
Sign up via a short survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/RBRZSKP
Will there be any special events held during the Advocacy Week?
Absolutely! Here’s the schedule of events.
Monday, September 25
An online issue briefing with AIHA Government Relations staff focused on supporting:
- Federal funding for OSHA
- Federal funding for NIOSH
- Passage of the Rebuild America’s Schools Act
An invitation to the online issue briefing will be sent to everyone who signs up to participate in the Virtual Congressional Advocacy Week.
Tuesday, September 26
An in-person congressional briefing on Capitol Hill focused on indoor air quality, school infrastructure, and occupational and environmental health and safety.
Thursday, September 28
A webinar featuring a panel of reporters who cover education and infrastructure issues who will discuss how they choose what stories to cover, what issues to investigate, and how we can work with them even more effectively to further raise awareness of our key priorities.
An invitation to this webinar will be sent to everyone who signs up to participate in the Virtual Congressional Advocacy Week.
Once again, where can I sign up?
Right here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/RBRZSKP
Who should I contact if I have additional questions?
Mark Ames, AIHA’s Director of Government Relations at mames@aiha.org or (703) 846-0730.