2005 Visit to Capitol Hill FAQ

Why participate in the Visit to Capitol Hill?
Whom will my appointment be with?
How do I get a Visit to Capitol Hill appointment with my member of Congress?
Can you ensure that I meet with my member of Congress and not just a staff person?
How will I know what to say?
What materials will I be given?
Will I miss any Annual Conference sessions?
What's it really like?

Why participate in the Visit to Capitol Hill?

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The upcoming tax reform debate initiated by President Bush can have significant consequences. Brian H. Graff, Esq., APM, ASPPA Executive Director states, “Most concerning to ASPPA is that many of the reform options under consideration could have a detrimental effect on benefits provided by employer-sponsored retirement plans.” A coordinated response is needed. Members of Congress respond to constituents, contributors, and technical experts. You are the first part; your membership in ASPPA PAC and ASPPA takes care of the next two. Your voice matters. You must show up in numbers to demonstrate the importance of the impact current tax reform proposals will have on the retirement system.

Whom will my appointment be with?

Your appointment will be made with one of your three members of Congress. There are four key pension committees in Congress — two in the House, two in the Senate. One side deals primarily with labor issues, the other tax issues. If one of your members of Congress sits on one of these committees, ASPPA will schedule an appointment with that person. In other situations, ASPPA will review your members to see which has shown the greatest interest in tax and/or labor issues and schedule an appointment with the appropriate member.

How do I get a Visit to Capitol Hill appointment with my member of Congress?

First, register online for the Visit to Capitol Hill. Your registration provides the information needed for the ASPPA office to make an appointment for you. Congressional offices typically get back to us within two weeks of the appointment date. You will be informed of your appointment date as soon as it is set. On the appointment day, you literally just have to get on the bus, arrive and talk about your work. Only Annual Conference attendees may participate.

Can you ensure that I meet with my member of Congress and not a staff person?

No. ASPPA always asks to meet with the member of Congress, but it can never be guaranteed. Most of the time, congressional meetings (even with lobbyists) occur with the member’s staff person dealing in the subject at hand. In fact, this is the person you want to educate. Members of Congress depend on their staff to educate them on the myriad of issues they must deal with.

How will I know what to say?

Speaking from your knowledge of the pension industry and its benefits to working Americans is more than adequate to educate members of Congress. There are things you know and understand as private pension professionals that only you can communicate as a constituent. Members of Congress must know that their actions have consequences to constituents.

What materials will I be given?

ASPPA will provide you with a 2005 Visit to Capitol Hill briefing packet. Pick it up at the Visit to Capitol Hill booth across from the registration area as soon as you can when arriving at the Conference. It will contain your appointment time, its location, the names of others attending the meeting, the person(s) you are meeting with in the Congressional office, a summary of the tax reform issue, handouts for you to leave with your member’s office, a map of Capitol Hill and a sample thank you letter for you to send when you return home.

Will I miss any Annual Conference sessions?

No. ASPPA makes your visit very easy for you. The Annual Conference scheduled an extended lunch break to allow your visit to the Hill without missing anything. You literally just have to get on the bus, arrive, and talk about your work to one of your members of Congress, then get back on the bus to return for the next Annual Conference session.

What’s it really like?

As Thomas C. VanDeGrift, MSPA, a 2001 and 2003 participant states, “It feels good to know that you are participating in a group activity, something important.”

Scott Donnellan, CPC, QPA, QKA, another 2001 and 2003 participant writes: “It was really interesting to go to the House and Senate office buildings and walk down the corridors where so much happens. I think that going to Capitol Hill is a duty, as well. So much is happening right now that will affect retirement policy, and it is up to us to educate the staffers on the real issues. If we don’t take the opportunity to give Congress input, then we can’t really complain about the results if they pass laws we don’t like. I think it’s our privilege and our duty to help Congress pass good laws by giving them the benefit of our expertise. It’s fun, it’s interesting—and it really is important for us to all get involved.”

Cynthia Ellner, a 2003 participant states, “Reducing to sound bites the extremely complicated details of your workday may seem like a hard task. But it matters. Today it matters a great deal. The President’s desire for tax reform could completely annihilate our profession.”