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What Will You Be Talking About on Capitol Hill?
By Amanda Stratton, Manager, Grassroots & Advocacy Outreach

In just over a month, AIA members from across the nation will descend on Washington, D.C. for the 2013 Grassroots Legislative and Leadership Conference. During part of the conference, the attendees will get the chance to meet with their members of Congress to discuss issues important to the AIA. If you are attending Grassroots, you may already be wondering what those issues will be, and AIA Advocacy has the tools you need to prepare for your meetings!

The talking points for the congressional meetings, which will be released later this month, will follow the five-point legislative agenda for the 113th Congress released earlier this month. The five priorities that AIA members will focus on are:

1. Help Small Businesses Create Jobs

2. Repair and Strengthen our Buildings

3. Build Sustainable, Resilient and Vibrant Communities

4. Reform Government to Build Better with Less

5. Invest in the Next Generation of Design Leaders


These congressional meetings are particularly important as policymakers will face a number of critical decisions in March, including whether to extend, change or cancel the budget sequestration that was delayed in early January as part of fiscal cliff negotiations. Being informed about AIA priorities when talking to your legislators will help them remember you and your colleagues when they face these decisions.

The full talking points for the visits will be released later in February. This release is a little later than usual due to the fact that Advocacy staff are waiting to see if issues are further addressed by congressional leaders. Also keep in mind that as things develop in Washington over the next few weeks, there is always the possibility that these priorities will change.

AIA Advocacy staff held a series of briefing calls in January to go over the federal agenda in detail in advance of the conference. Attending Grassroots and missed the calls? Luckily, there are several options available to you to catch up. Attendees can watch a recorded version of one of the January webinars on their own time, and staff will also be reviewing the presentation again on our regularly scheduled monthly advocacy call on February 21 at 4pm Eastern.

Whatever option you choose, being informed about the AIA federal agenda before your Capitol Hill meetings is essential. Prepare yourself to make a difference by watching the federal agenda webinar today.


For more information on the agenda and how you can share it with your elected representatives, click here.

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This content is published by the AIA Government and Community Relations Department, 1735 New York Ave., NW, Washington, DC, 20006. To contact the AIA’s Government & Community Relations team, send an email to govaffs@aia.org.