Congressional Visits
Congressional Visits
Join Catholic Relief Services in a nationwide effort to advocate for our global family during Spring Recess! This key period—when members of Congress will be working from their home states or districts—is an opportunity to meet with your legislators on critical humanitarian issues.
Click on the blue dropdown bar in each section to view additional information.
Registration
Registration is now open. Sign up by Feb. 18 so you can receive important communications and resources to support your meetings. View the registration form in Spanish.
If you’re interested in leading a legislative visit, CRS will hold a Meeting Leads Training on Jan. 21. Please register for Spring Visits ahead of this date to receive a link for the training session.
* Please only fill out the registration form if you are 18 years of age or older. If you are a CRS High School Club member participating in visits, your CRS Club Advisor must fill out the form on behalf of your club.
Legislation
Legislative Ask
Legislative ask coming soon.
Why Advocate this Spring?
As people of faith, we seek systemic change through just policies and legislation that uphold human dignity and foster a world where all people can thrive. We can achieve this through consistent and sustained advocacy, steadily building strong bipartisan support in Congress to address global poverty and its root causes.
We know it takes time and energy to build support across the political aisles, which is why we view advocacy as a marathon, not a sprint. Every action is important, not just for the immediate win but for creating lasting solutions that benefit our entire human family. Every letter, phone call or visit is one more opportunity to strengthen relationships with lawmakers and demonstrate why an issue is important to you
Relationship building is an essential skill everyone can use to influence decision-makers and turn them into champions for addressing the world's most urgent humanitarian challenges. As the 119th Congress convenes in 2025, your Spring Recess visits will help establish or nurture relationships with lawmakers and set a solid foundation for building strong bipartisan support in Congress.
State of Play
Coming soon.
Meeting Preparation
Please review the legislative resources in preparation for your meetings:
For meetings with new members of Congress:
- CRS Legislative Backgrounder (View in Spanish)—coming soon.
- Legislative Meeting Talking Points—coming soon.
For meetings with continuing members of Congress:
- CRS Legislative Backgrounder (View in Spanish)—coming soon.
- Legislative Meeting Talking Points—coming soon.
Preparing for Visits
We recommend visits take place between Feb. 21 and April 30. This time period is an ideal opportunity to connect with members or their staff. Virtual meetings are encouraged for Senate visits if traveling for an in-person meeting may not be ideal. Consider reaching out to legislative offices early February to begin scheduling meetings.
- Meeting Lead Checklist in English (View in Spanish)
- Congressional Office Outreach Email Template—coming soon.
- Bilingual Congressional Visits Planning Worksheet
Legislative Materials
We recommend emailing the respective Send Ahead/Leave Behinds to congressional offices prior to your visit, in addition to handing staff a printed copy during an in-person meeting.
For meetings with new members of Congress:
- CRS Send Ahead/Leave Behind—coming soon.
For meetings with continuing members of Congress:
- CRS/USCCB Chart of Accounts—coming soon.
After Visits are Complete
Step 1: Log Your Visits: Prior to your meeting, designate a specific person who will be responsible for reporting the congressional visit back to CRS, preferably a chapter member or club advisor who has access to the CRS Chapter Community. That person should include insights, lessons learned and meeting notes when reporting. This helps us better track which offices have received visits so we can provide appropriate follow-up, if necessary.
- Guidance for Reporting Congressional Visits—coming soon.
Step 2: Send a Thank You: The meeting lead or a designated person from your group should send the email as soon as possible after your visit.
- Thank You Email Templates—coming soon.
Learning Opportunities
You are invited to join or watch the recording of these events to learn more information and to continue building your skills as an advocate and leader.
Meeting Leads Training
This one-hour training is for anyone interested in leading a legislative meeting during Spring Recess, or to learn more about how to lead a visit.
Tuesday, Jan. 21
8 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT / 5 p.m. PT
Join on Zoom
Meeting ID: 859 0692 6521
Passcode: CRS2025 (case sensitive)
To connect by phone, dial 1-305-224-1968.
One tap mobile: +13052241968,,85906926521#
CRS National Chapter and Club Conference Call
This one-hour call in February is open to all Spring Recess participants, regardless of being a chapter or club member.
Saturday, Feb. 8
8 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT / 5 p.m. PT
Join on Zoom
Meeting ID: 891 4740 8754
Passcode: CRS2025 (case sensitive)
To connect by phone, dial 1-301-715-8592.
One tap mobile: +13017158592,,89147408754#
Spring Recess Q&A Sessions
These optional one-hour sessions are an opportunity to ask questions from CRS Government Relations staff about the legislative asks or about conducting effective legislative meetings.
Wednesday, Feb. 19
Noon ET / 11 a.m. CT / 9 a.m. PT
Thursday, Feb. 20
8 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT / 5 p.m. PT
Join on Zoom
Meeting ID: 860 8418 4618
Passcode: 848235
To connect by phone, dial 1-301-715-8592
One tap mobile: +13017158592,,86084184618#
Federal Budget and Appropriations
- The Federal Budget and Appropriations Process Video.
- Sean Callahan, President and CEO of CRS: Written Testimony to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Conducting Effective Meetings
- Getting Past Gatekeepers: Congressional Schedulers’ Advice for Meeting Requests Video.
- How to Meet with Your Member of Congress.
- How to Meet with Your Member of Congress Video Training.
- 5 Quick Tips to Avoid Sounding Scripted.
- House District Directors on the Do’s and Don’ts of In-State Meetings Video.
- Strategies to Influence Undecided Lawmakers Video.
Building Relationships
- Congressional Champion Scale.
- Building Relationships with Members of Congress Workshop.
- How to Build Relationships With Lawmakers Back Home Video.
Communicating with Congress
- What Congress is Looking for in Constituent Communications Video.
- Perceptions and Use of Social Media on Capitol Hill Video.
How Congress Works
Questions
Thank you for joining in this united effort to enact change in our world! If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to your CRS staff contact or email [email protected].
