March/April 2015
A revamped congressional advocacy program is preparing ReMA members more thoroughly to advocate for the recycling industry on Capitol Hill—and back home.
By Katie Pyzyk
Advocating on behalf of the scrap recycling industry is an important part of ISRI’s mission. The association has a full-time government affairs staff as well as two lobbying firms—to reach lawmakers on either side of the aisle—dedicated to bringing your concerns and requests to Congress, but they can’t do it alone. That’s why ReMA members long have played a part in the legislative process, and that role has only become more important in recent years. To make this member advocacy more effective and rewarding, ReMA launched a revamped advocacy program this year that gives you a chance to get involved in supporting the industry on a deeper, more personal level.
To establish the new ReMA Industry Advocates program, the ReMA government affairs staff examined the annual congressional fly-in ReMA has hosted for nearly a decade. Typically you arrive in Washington, D.C., in conjunction with an ReMA governance meeting. You receive a short briefing on the most urgent industry issues before the staff escorts you to Capitol Hill. You and nearly 100 other ReMA members make dozens of visits with senators and representatives over the course of one day, then your involvement in the advocacy process slows until the next year.
The government affairs team believed a better process might exist. Taking note of several research studies indicating that individuals and small groups learn and perform better than large groups, the team concluded that groups of about 25 people are optimal. The staff fine-tuned the details to build a more robust advocacy program consisting of a small, well-trained group of ReMA members capable of presenting to Congress the scrap industry’s biggest ideas and issues. This group’s members also will become go-to contacts for providing continuing advocacy assistance to ReMA throughout the year.
Creating Stronger Bonds
A primary goal of the ReMA Industry Advocates program is to create a more personal, memorable experience for both IIA program participants and legislators. Meeting just a few people at a time allows lawmakers to remember the faces associated with this grassroots effort and to see the human side of the industry, leaving a stronger impact than large, less personal crowds might. When such interactions occur, “we tell members, ‘Do you know what you did? That member of Congress had never heard of you before you went in there,’” says Billy Johnson, ISRI’s director of political and public affairs. “Now when we need him on our side, he’ll remember you.”
Smaller groups also make the experience less overwhelming for program participants, and they allow more one-on-one interactions between participants and the ReMA staff. That means an experienced staff member immediately can step in to coach you if you lose your train of thought or need help getting your message across.
The smaller IIA group also allows ReMA to step up its training for program participants. Rather than simply getting briefed shortly before the big day on Capitol Hill, participants will receive in-depth online and in-person training throughout the year. The training will address the legislative process as a whole, including how bills get introduced and passed; the IIA program’s role; and what happens at each step. It will help IIA participants feel fully prepared when speaking with senators and representatives about the pressing issues affecting the scrap industry.
ISRI staff members also will explain in detail ISRI’s positions on key pieces of legislation. As Johnson points out, many ReMA members know how they personally feel about important topics, but they might not be as well-versed in ISRI’s board-approved position statements and talking points. Everyone needs to speak with the same voice to be effective and influence change, Johnson says, and the intensive IIA training process will help make that happen. “We’re a $90 billion industry. We have more than 130,000 employees working in every single congressional district in America,” Johnson says. “We’re training our members to understand this and bring the message back to Congress.”
Advocacy will not stop after IIA participants leave Washington and head back to their home states. The staff will encourage them to continue cultivating the relationships they initiated during the Capitol Hill visit to build long-term credibility. Follow-up could be as simple as a note thanking the lawmaker for making time to meet during the fly-in, or it could involve something larger, like inviting the representative or senator to tour a scrap processing facility. It is important to make sure the scrap industry stays on legislators’ minds all the time, especially when they introduce new bills that could affect industry operations, Johnson says.
The ReMA government affairs staff will offer continuing education throughout the year to keep IIA members’ skills sharp, and the staff may call on program participants during the year for advocacy assistance on big issues when they are at crucial stages of the legislative process. A staff member might ask you to call a lawmaker to convey ISRI’s stance on a piece of legislation coming to a vote, for example. Staying involved over the long term sends a powerful message and shows dedication to improving the scrap industry. Such commitment and perseverance sometimes is the indication legislators need that you are serious about the cause, and they should cast their vote to support the scrap industry.
Making a Difference
Why should you consider becoming an ReMA industry advocate? It puts you in a select group of people keeping senators and representatives informed and potentially influencing legislation that helps the scrap industry.
The continual participation of members from around the country will make ISRI’s lobbying efforts memorable, Johnson says. “Most people in America think, ‘Oh, I won’t make any difference at all.’ That is absolutely wrong,” he says. “There are very few people who actually come to Washington and advocate on their own behalf.”
You don’t have to be willing and able to write a large check, either. “People hold more clout than they think,” Johnson says. Members of Congress need votes and support to keep their positions, he explains, so they work hard to keep their constituents back home pleased. You are one of those constituents whose support they crave. They want to hear your issues.
IIA members are chosen based on how well the locations of their homes and businesses align with legislators on whom ReMA is concentrating due to the lawmakers’ membership on certain committees and willingness to support recycling. The government affairs team also looks for program participants who feel comfortable speaking at length about some of these issues. The focus areas for 2015 remain familiarizing Congress with the scrap recycling industry and improving its understanding that scrap is a valuable commodity, not waste. ReMA also continues working on strategies to combat metals theft and to ensure fairness and consistency in metals theft legislation.
Becoming an ReMA industry advocate does take some commitment, but ISRI’s government affairs team also wants participants to have fun. They learned that bringing large groups to Capitol Hill did not give everyone the extraordinary Washington, D.C., experience he or she deserves. Keeping the group to about 25 people will yield extra opportunities for memorable encounters with senators and representatives. Having adequate time to share personal stories with lawmakers and pose for photos with them makes the experience more meaningful. “It’s an incredible experience,” Johnson says, “when we can do these extra things for our members, but we can’t do it when we have 125 ReMA members in town and we may be doing more than 200 meetings.”
If you’re not an ReMA industry advocate, you’ll still have the opportunity to do in-person lobbying on the federal level as part of new chapter fly-ins ReMA is launching this year. Those fly-ins also will consist of small groups whose members will receive training from the ReMA staff. ReMA members interested in participating in a chapter fly-in should contact their chapter president.
ISRI already has chosen the first group of IIA participants, but the organizers expect the program will experience some turnover in participation from year to year. Ideally, participants will make at least a one-year commitment. To be considered for the program, contact Billy Johnson at 202/662-8548 or billyjohnson@isri.org.
Katie Pyzyk is a Scrap contributing writer.