Make Your Voice Heard on Capitol Hill
‘Speak Up, Be Heard: How to Advocate with Clarity and Impact’ In New Family Business Magazine, Family Enterprise USA Podcast
Family Enterprise USA’s Pat Soldano, Capitol Hill Insiders Discuss How to Effectively Advocate for Policies that Impact Your Business, Family, and Community
A new podcast from Family Business Magazine features experts from Family Enterprise USA and the legal and government affairs firm, Brownstein, about effectively advocating for policies that impact family-owned businesses, hardworking families, and their communities.
The 60-minute podcast, hosted by Family Business Magazine’s Publishing Director, David Shaw, is joined by Pat Soldano, President of Family Enterprise USA and FEUSA Action; Ed Royce, former Member of the House of Representatives and current Principal Public Policy at Brownstein; and Russ Sullivan, Chair of Brownstein’s National Tax Policy Group.
The panel discussion offers guidance on becoming a more effective advocate, including preparing for legislative meetings, communicating your message clearly, and building long-term relationships that drive impact.
As host Shaw says in the introduction, “Advocacy requires more than passion, it requires preparation, communication skills, and strong relationships with policymakers.”
In the discussion, panelists detail how effective advocacy can influence public policy, create meaningful change, and develop strategies for meetings with legislators and policymakers. The experts also detail how to best approach representatives and the ‘do’s and don’ts’ of advocacy.
“The key to advocacy is to know what your key issue and related messages are at the beginning, have an ‘ask,’ and then build and sustain long-term advocacy relationships with your lawmakers,” says Soldano.
Royce, a former House Member, says “we all have the right to advocate, it’s part of our system to have an educated citizenry.”
The best way to reach lawmakers is with direct, in-person meetings, according to the panelists.
“When reaching out to your representatives, whether on Capitol Hill, or in district offices, the door opener is you need to know what you want to accomplish,” says Brownstein’s Sullivan. ”House members and staff members are very savvy and can handle all forms of communication, whether you call, send an email, or visit in person,” he says. “They look forward to the meetings.”
“You want to be part of the solution,” says Soldano. “You have to be directly engaged with lawmakers, many are new to Capitol Hill, have no history to harmful tax legislation, and need to be educated,” she says. “There’s no need to be intimidated, they work for us.”
According to research, America’s family-owned businesses contribute $7.7 trillion annually to the U.S. gross domestic product, accounting for 83.3 million jobs, or 59 percent of the country’s private workforce.
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The need for fact-based reporting of issues important to family owned businesses and protecting a lifetime of savings has never been greater. Now more than ever, successful families and family owned businesses are under fire. That's why Family Enterprise USA is passionately working to increase the awareness of issues important to family owned businesses built on hard work, while continuing to strengthen our presence on Capitol Hill. The issues we fight for or against with Congress in Washington DC include high income tax rates, possible elimination of valuation discounts, increase in capital gains tax, enactment of a wealth tax, and the continued burden of the gift tax, estate tax and generation skipping tax.
Family Enterprise USA promotes generationally owned family business creation, growth, viability, and sustainability by advocating for family businesses and their lifetime of savings with Congress in Washington DC. Since 2007, Family Enterprise USA has represented and celebrated all sizes, professions and industries of family-owned enterprises and multi-generational employers. It is a bi-partisan 501.c3 organization. Family foundations can donate.