Be a Public Health Advocate

Are you, your Section or other APHA group planning a trip to Washington, D.C.? Make visiting your members of Congress part of your trip! You also can visit your members of Congress when they are in their home office, or you can write letters and make phone calls to support public health.

Visit our Speak for Health campaign page for tools and resources to help you make the most of your advocacy efforts.

Meeting tips

How to contact a congressional staffer (PDF)

Sample email to request a meeting if you are setting up your own meeting (PDF)

Tips for meeting with your members of Congress (PDF)

Get the Facts on Advocacy at APHA provides answers to frequently asked questions

Follow these Do's and Don'ts when you visit Capitol Hill

Top 10 Rules of Advocacy

Find your members of Congress by zip code

Senators    |     Representative

Materials for your visit

Check out APHA's priorities, Fact Sheets, Reports and Issue Briefs and our State Fact Sheets on key public health statistics in your state.

More resources

• APHA Congressional Vote Record (APHA members only)
• Congress.gov: search for how your members of Congress voted on public health bills
• Updated July 2012 CDC guidance: Anti-Lobbying Restrictions for CDC Grantees (PDF)
• Public Health Advocacy: The Legal Basics (ChangeLab Solutions)
• ChangeLab Solutions webinar: Complying with anti-lobbying rules (July 2012)
• Washington, D.C.'s Metro Map
  • For meetings in the Senate, take the metro to the Union Station stop.
  • For meetings in the House, take the metro to the Capitol South stop.