How roofing contractors can influence the legislative process
by Julie Wilkie
Increasing government intervention in small business has become one of the roofing industry's most pressing problems. Every day, elected officials and other government leaders make decisions that can affect a roofing contractor's business and personal life.
To help lawmakers better represent roofing contractors' needs and those of the industry, contractors must regularly communicate their views on key business- and industry-related issues to government representatives. To do this effectively, a contractor first should understand the basics of the legislative process.
The legislative process
The federal legislative process begins when a congressional representative introduces a bill in the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives. Depending on the chamber in which the bill was introduced, the Senate majority leader or speaker of the House and parliamentarian receive the bill and refer it to a committee.
The committee chairman and members then determine which subcommittee—if any—is to receive the bill. A bill usually receives its most thorough consideration at the subcommittee level. For example, a subcommittee may hold hearings to allow witnesses to express their support or opposition to a bill. If a bill dies (i.e., it is not acted upon), it typically does so at the committee or subcommittee level.
If a majority of a subcommittee approves a bill, it moves to the full committee where it again must be approved by a majority vote before being slated for debate on the Senate or House floor.
After a bill is passed by one chamber, it is sent to the other for discussion and approval. Once the Senate and House have approved a bill, members from both chambers are appointed as conferees to work out any differences in the House and Senate versions of the bill. The result of their efforts is a conference report. When both legislative chambers approve a conference report with a majority vote, a bill has been passed by Congress.
The bill then is sent to the White House for presidential action. If the president signs the bill, it becomes law; if sent back unsigned to its originating chamber (i.e., either the Senate or House), the bill has been vetoed. For a bill to become law at this stage, two-thirds of both the Senate and House must vote to override the veto.
If a bill does not pass during a congressional term, which lasts two years, it cannot carry over to the next Congress. The bill must be reintroduced during the next Congress and go through the entire legislative process again.
Communication
To ensure that key issues affecting the roofing industry receive due consideration from the government, roofing contractors must communicate with their representatives at federal, state and local levels. Following are some practical ways for roofing contractors to express their views to government officials.
Letters
One of the most effective means of communication is letter writing. A roofing contractor may find that he can organize his thoughts more clearly in a letter, thereby making a more convincing argument. A letter also demonstrates to a recipient that a roofing contractor was concerned enough about a particular issue to put his thoughts down on paper.
Following are a few pointers a roofing contractor should keep in mind when writing a letter to a congressional representative or other government official. A roofing contractor should:
- Write the letter on business stationery. Formal stationery appears more professional and clearly provides a contractor's name and address should the recipient wish to reply. If business stationery is not available, a roofing contractor should type his name and address at the end of the letter under his signature.
- Clearly identify the issue. In the letter, a roofing contractor should explain why he is concerned about a particular issue (e.g., how he thinks it will affect his business, community or family) and use specific examples to illustrate his concerns.
- Understand and be familiar with the issue. NRCA's Washington, D.C., office periodically sends out legislative alerts to keep roofing professionals informed of key legislative issues. These alerts often include sample letters that can be rewritten on company letterhead and enhanced with personal thoughts and feelings. This is an effective, quick way for a contractor to produce an insightful, informed letter.
- Communicate at key stages of the process. Obviously, a letter written after a bill's passage will have no chance of influencing the bill's outcome. Instead, a roofing contractor should write a letter when legislation that could affect him either is being considered at the committee level or is on the Senate or House floor for debate.
Telephone calls
Another constructive way for a roofing contractor to express his concerns about an issue is to call a congressional representative directly. Unlike a letter, a telephone call gives a contractor an opportunity to immediately learn more about a representative's stance on an issue and exchange concerns and ideas with him or his staff members.
Typically, a contractor will speak to a staff member rather than a congressional representative. Staff members serve as key advisers to congressional representatives, so it is important that a contractor understand an issue and be prepared to defend his views when meeting with staff members.
Face-to-face meetings
A face-to-face meeting typically is the most powerful way to communicate a point—and also involves the most preparation and effort. The key to successful lobbying, especially if it takes place in person, is to be prepared to express views and defend positions on a particular issue. A roofing contractor should organize his thoughts beforehand and take some brief notes and supporting materials, if applicable, with him to a meeting. Supporting materials can include newspaper articles and previous legislation.
Congressional representatives appreciate opportunities to address audiences and answer questions. However, they are under strict time constraints and receive numerous requests for meetings. To make the most of a face-to-face meeting, a roofing contractor may want to gather several other contractors from his area who have similar concerns and arrange a group meeting with a congressional representative or staff member.
To arrange a meeting with a congressional representative when Congress is in session, a roofing contractor should contact the representative's office in Washington; when Congress is not in session, congressional representatives usually are in their state or district offices. If a meeting with a congressional representative cannot be arranged, a roofing contractor should suggest meeting with the appropriate staff member who follows the issue.
Conclusion
As constituents, roofing contractors can influence the legislative process. Therefore, they should express their concerns to the people who need to hear them the most—key leaders and elected officials at all government levels. If they don't, contractors face the possibility of abiding by legislation that adversely affects their businesses and the industry.
Julie Wilkie is a free-lance writer from Arlington, Va., and was an NRCA lobbyist for more than six years.
Helpful resources
- For more information about the legislative process, roofing contractors should call NRCA's Washington, D.C., office at (202) 546-7584 or visit the association's Web site at www.nrca.net. NRCA's Washington office also can assist roofing contractors in scheduling appointments with representatives.
- For information about the status of federal bills, contractors should visit www.nrca.net or thomas.loc.gov, which features bill summaries, committee reports, a congressional schedule and various links.
- For information about state legislative issues, roofing contractors should contact Derrick Peavy, NRCA's state advocate manager, at (847) 299-9070, ext. 256, or e-mail dpeavy@nrca.net.
- For telephone numbers of congressional representatives, roofing contractors can call the U.S. Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask to be connected with a representative's office.
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