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Scheduling Meetings
The Office of Federal Relations is happy to arrange meetings for you with the Washington Congressional Delegation or federal agencies.
Find scheduling instructions here
The University of Washington is legally required to disclose all lobbying activities to the U.S. House and U.S. Senate on a quarterly basis. You are responsible for reporting any lobbying activities by the stated deadline via the Lobbying Disclosure Form on the Federal Relations website, regardless of whether the Office of Federal Relations assisted in planning your meetings.
Meeting with Congressional & Agency Staff
Congressional and agency meetings provide an excellent opportunity to raise awareness of a federal issue, to engage Members and staff about a federal problem or potential federal solution, as well as promote the excellent work and successes happening at UW. The Federal Relations staff wants to work with you prior to your meetings to help hone your message and to maximize impact. As you prepare for discussions with staff, we hope that you will keep several things in mind. Most meetings will be short – no more than 20-30 minutes from entry to exit – and are held in a small space, such as a small conference room, small office, or, in Congress, the front reception area or even the hallway, depending on the availability of space.
Please keep in mind, these meetings are not computer-presentation friendly environments. Generally, there is neither the time, space, or technology available. Instead of computer presentations, use short handouts that you can leave behind to reinforce or emphasize the point of your meeting. Federal Relations can provide guidelines on how to create impactful one-page handouts.
The vast majority of Congressional staff are in their mid-20’s and mid-30’s. This is the norm in Congress. In addition, please keep in mind that most staff— unless they are specialists hired to work for one of the committees on a specialize subset of issues—are generalists, meaning that they are responsible for covering a wide range of issues; do not expect them to know or get into the details of the issue you would like to discuss or have in-depth knowledge of specific funding or grant announcements. As such, we recommend you avoid using acronyms and overly technical terms. With respect to agency staff, they are the policy and substantive experts within that specific, narrow area. In general, they are more versed in the details and technical aspects of the issue which you are interested in discussing and have a significant understanding of specific past and future
federal budgets, programs, and grant announcements. However, they do not engage with Congress regularly, and Congress determines federal funding levels and policy.
It is not uncommon for your Congressional or agency visits to start early in the day or end just before you need to leave for the airport. The Office of Federal Relations is more than happy to store your luggage while we are on the Hill. Your Hill schedule may have extended breaks. The Office of Federal Relations is fully equipped with a conference room and Wi-Fi, where you are more than welcome to work during longer breaks between meetings.
Guidelines for Hill Meetings
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- PRINTING HANDOUTS: Federal Relations is happy to assist with printing your handouts. Please email them to our office in advance of your meeting day.
- WEATHER: Please check the weather report for Washington, DC, prior to hopping on a plane and pack accordingly. DC’s seasons are very different than Seattle’s. Be prepared for very cold winter and extremely humid summer.
- DRESS CODE: Washington, DC, is a formal city in which business attire is expected for all meetings, whether on the Hill, at a federal agency, or with private sector entities. The Capitol campus is large, and you should expect to do a lot of walking, so please choose footwear accordingly.
- ID REQUIREMENTS: You may be required to show a government-issued photo ID at security checkpoints in the Capitol and at federal agencies. If using a driver’s license, it must be REAL ID compliant (i.e., a Washington State Enhanced License).
- BRING IT OR LEAVE IT?: You will pass through airport-like security screening upon entering federal buildings. You can bring a bag and a laptop, but we recommend limiting the amount of “stuff” you carry on the Hill to necessities. Please leave food, drinks, and liquid cosmetics like lotion or perfume at your hotel or risk having to throw it out in the Capitol building itself. There are ample cafeterias and vending areas throughout the Capitol complex at which you may purchase food and beverage.
Questions?
Asked to testify before Congress? Questions about federal funding opportunities? Our office is here to help.