Reach Out and Touch Your Congressmembers and Senators

Reach Out and Reach Out and TouchTouchYour Your

Congressmembers Congressmembers

and and SenatorsSenators

MeetMeetYourYour

CandidatesCandidates

Checklist – Checklist – Chapter Emphasis Chapter Emphasis

on on RepresentativesRepresentatives

Chapter Checklist:Chapter Checklist:

U. S. House CandidatesU. S. House CandidatesPre-Meeting

• Coordinate with Federation legislative officer and with other chapters in House District

• Tentatively plan meeting around recess schedule

• For Incumbents: contact District Office Scheduler

• For non-Incumbents: contact Candidate scheduler

• Confirm appointment before meeting date

Chapter Checklist:Chapter Checklist:

U. S. House CandidatesU. S. House CandidatesMeeting Planning

• Assemble the group of officers & activists who will meet with Candidate• Have group meet in advance of appointment• Provide candidate questionnaire to group• Review questionnaire• Pick spokesperson & assign other speaking roles• Bring extra questionnaires for the Candidate

Chapter Checklist:Chapter Checklist:

U. S. House CandidatesU. S. House CandidatesAt Meeting

• Introduce yourselves – name, chapter, title• When explaining, assume Candidate knows nothing• Discuss fundamentals of candidate questionnaire issues• Avoid abbreviations (GPO/WEP, CSRS, FERS) or jargon• Relate personal stories about the issues

Post – Meeting• Thank you note• Provide Candidate follow-up answers• Report details of meeting in next newsletter• Report to State Legislative Chair

3 Key Talking Points3 Key Talking Points

Health Care

Entitlements Commission

?

District 1: Jay Inslee District 1: Jay Inslee (18,761)(18,761)

Committee: Energy and Commerce

Sub-Committee:

Communications Technology & the Internet

Committee: Natural Resources

Sub-Committees:

National Parks, Forests & Public Land

Water and Power

Select Committee: Energy Independence and

Global Warming

District 2: Rick Larsen District 2: Rick Larsen (10,718)(10,718)Committee: Armed Services

Sub-Committees:

Seapower and Expeditionary Forces

Strategic Forces

Committee: Budget

Committee: Transportation & Infrastructure

Sub-Committees:

Coast Guard & Maritime Transportation

Highways & Transit

Railroads, Pipelines & Hazardous Materials

District 3: Brian District 3: Brian Baird/OpenBaird/Open(13,001)(13,001)Committee: Science & TechnologySub-Committees: Energy & Environment (Chair) Research & Science Education

Committee: Transportation & InfrastructureSub-Committees: Coast Guard & Maritime Transportation Water Resources & Environment

District 4: Doc Hastings District 4: Doc Hastings (14,429)(14,429)Committee: Natural Resources (Ranking Member)

District 5:District 5: Cathy McMorris-Cathy McMorris-Rogers (17,114)Rogers (17,114)

Committee: Armed Services Sub-Committees: Air & Land Forces Oversight & Investigations ReadinessCommittee: Education & Labor Sub-Committees: Early Child, Elementary & Secondary Education Health, Employment, Labor & PensionsCommittee: Natural Resources Sub-Committee: Water & Power

District 6:District 6: Norm DicksNorm Dicks

Committee: Appropriations (2nd Ranking) Sub-Committees: Defense (Chair) Interior, Environment & Related Agencies (Chair) Military Construction, Veterans Affairs & Related Agencies

District 7:District 7: Jim McDermott Jim McDermott (11,737)(11,737)

Committee: Ways & Means Sub-Committees: Income Security & Family Support (Chair) Trade

District 8:District 8: Dave Reichert Dave Reichert (10,148)(10,148)

Committee: Ways & Means Sub-Committees: Oversight Trade

District 9:District 9: Adam Smith Adam Smith (17,679)(17,679)

Committee: Armed Services Sub-Committees: Air & Land Forces Terrorism & Unconventional Threats & Capabilities (Chair) Committee: Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Sub-Committee: Technical & Tactical Intelligence

Senator Patty Murray Senator Patty Murray (147,414)(147,414)Committee: Appropriations

Sub-Committees:

Energy & Water Development

Labor, Health & Human Services

Education Related Agencies

Military Construction, Veterans Affairs & Related

Agencies

Transportation, Housing & Urban Development &

Related Agencies (Chair)

Committee: Budget (#2)

Committee: Health, Education, Labor & Pensions.

Committee: Rules & Administration

Committee: Veterans Affairs

Senator Maria Cantwell Senator Maria Cantwell (147,414)(147,414)

Committee: Commerce, Science & Transportation Sub-Committee: Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries & Coast Guard (Chair)Committee: Energy & Natural Resources Sub-Committees: Energy (Chair) Public Lands and Forests Water & PowerCommittee: Finance Sub-Committees: Energy, Natural Resources & Infrastructure Health Care International Trade, Customs & Global Competiveness Taxation, IRS Oversight & Long-Term GrowthCommittee: Small Business & EntrepreneurshipCommittee: Indian Affairs

Recess PeriodsRecess Periods

Memorial Day Recess: 29 May – 7 June

Independence Day Recess: 3-12 July

Summer Recess: 9 Aug – 10 September (August 17 – State Primary) (November 3 – General Election)

CBO Summary:CBO Summary:The Impact of The Impact of

Trust Fund Trust Fund Programs on Programs on

Federal Budget Federal Budget Surpluses and Surpluses and

DeficitsDeficits

CBO Summary:CBO Summary:The Impact of The Impact of

Trust Fund Trust Fund Programs on Programs on

Federal Budget Federal Budget Surpluses and Surpluses and

DeficitsDeficits

CBO SummaryCBO Summary“While currently federal budget is in deficit, federal trust fund programs (Including CSRS Trust Fund) as a group appear to be running a surplus.”

“Combined income of the trust funds is estimated to exeed cumulative expenditures by $3.4 trillion over next 10 years.”“However, much of trust funds income comes not from sources outside the government, but from credits from one governmental account to another, or intragovernmental transfers.”“If one considers only the portion of their income that represents receipts to the government, the projected deficit is 1.2 trillion over next 10 years.”

CBO Summary (2)CBO Summary (2)“Trust fund accounting is designed to show legal measures of spending authority and outlays, not the government’s receipts and expenditures for such program.”

“Currently, trust fund measures of income and expenditures are distorting the effects that the programs have on the federal budget. “

“Their apparent surplus relies on both actual receipts and the government’s promise to pay money to itself.”

The Significance of Intragovernmental Transfers for the Social Security, Medicare, and Civil Service Retirement Trust Funds in Fiscal Year 2003 (In billions of dollars)  

Trust Fund Intragovernmental Surplus or Surplus Transfers from Deficit (-)

or Deficit General Fund to Excluding Trust Fund Intragovernmental Transfers

Social Security 171 95 76

Medicare 27 105 -78

Civil Service

Retirement 35 81 -46

Total 233   281   -47   Source: Congressional Budget Office.

Note: Numbers do not always sum to totals because of rounding.

Portrayal of Trust Fund Programs' Surpluses or Deficits, 2002 to 2012 (In billions of dollars) Source: Congressional Budget Office.

The Bi-Partisan Bills:The Bi-Partisan Bills:

- Invest Money from Unused - Invest Money from Unused Annual Leave into One’s TSP Annual Leave into One’s TSP

- The Telework Act- The Telework Act

““Bi-Partisan Bi-Partisan Budget Budget

Commission”Commission”

National Commission on Fiscal National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform Responsibility and Reform

First meeting: April 27Voting Deadline: Dec 118 Members: Bruce Reed, Erskine Boles, Alan SimpsonOpen to Public and on C-Span