Every August, members of Congress return from Washington, D.C., to their congressional districts to meet with constituents. This is a great opportunity to contact your representatives and senators and have them meet with you and your employees, visit your facility or shop, and learn about the issues that matter to the bicycle industry and your business.

Doing so is easy: choose a date, send an email, and share your story.

PeopleForBikes put together talking points to help you own your backyard and engage with your members of Congress.

HOW TO CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVES

1. Find out who represents your business in Washington by entering your address information on house.gov.

2. Identify a date and time that works best for you. The office will offer alternatives if need be. You can plan for a 30-minute to 1-hour meeting, but the office will likely respond with a narrow window.

3. Email PeopleForBikes Director of Federal Policy Chris Bell (chris@peopleforbikes.org) for the direct contact information for your members of Congress.

• Primary option: Send an email to that contact.
• Secondary option: Call their district office to follow up on that request.

4. Sample Email/Phone Call Script.

5. Note: Members of Congress have busy schedules, so it is possible they will send one of their staff on their behalf. This is common practice, and it is still a success.

HOW TO PREPARE FOR THE MEETING

1. Plan an agenda. Some options to consider:

• Host a sit-down conversation between your member of Congress/staff and you/your employees.
• Offer to tour your facility and show them how your company works.
• Go for a bike ride! Identify a route accessible to your business.

2. If you would like to discuss policy issues, PeopleForBikes prepared talking points for each of the below topics.

• Trade and Tariffs
• Domestic Bicycle Production
• E-Bikes vs. E-Motos
• Infrastructure
• Outdoor Recreation

SAMPLE RUN OF SHOW

1. 5 minutes: Introductions

2. 20 minutes: Explore your facility or shop. Weave in talking points.

3. 15 minutes: Go for a bike ride. Be sure to grab a photo.

4. 10 minutes: Final discussion, including any policy “asks” (see talking points resource).

OUTCOMES

• The most important thing is to get your member of Congress or their staff to your facility and meet you and your employees.
• Educate your member of Congress and staff on your business.
• Build a relationship with your member of Congress and their staff. Offer your name and contact info, and keep them up to date.
• Discuss policy issues if you wish.

BEST PRACTICES

• Keep PeopleForBikes in the loop — we are happy to help along the way. Please email Chris Bell (chris@peopleforbikes) if you are able to secure a meeting or if you have any questions.
• Be flexible and prompt to work with the member’s schedule.
• Refer to members as “Senator Jones,” “Congressman Smith,” etc., unless told otherwise.
• Business casual attire should be appropriate.
• Offer to take photos before, during, or after the meeting. It is likely that the member of Congress will have a staffer accompanying them for photos as well.
• Keep the discussion high-level. Generally speaking, steer the discussion towards policy asks and impacts on the community when appropriate.
• Highlighting economic impacts always gets the attention of members. (Examples: Number of jobs, number of people served in communities, cost increases due to tariffs.)
• If a member has questions or seems interested in a topic, offer to follow up with more detail in writing. This is a good opportunity to educate the member/staff and also forge a deeper connection with the office.

After the meeting:

• Follow up with any outstanding items (answers to questions, etc., as mentioned above).
• Thank the member for taking time to meet with you. PeopleForBikes can help draft this note, if helpful.