Lame duck session is about to begin, and it should not come as a surprise that this will be a particularly heated lame duck session. Government funding, stock trading, Iran, and judicial confirmations are just a few items on the long list of issues for this lame-duck session—and that is just at the federal level. Some state legislatures have lame duck sessions, too! We get it—after election season, it’s easy to hole up, shut off your political brain for a while, and eat your feelings. But get ready, we are about to go into a lame duck legislative session. Now is the time to be prepared for the short- and long-term legislative and advocacy fights ahead.
As we prepare for advocacy campaigns this year and next, here are some advocacy strategies for both the upcoming lame-duck and full legislative sessions.
Define your short-term advocacy goals: Start with a plan. What do you need to accomplish in the next few weeks to set your advocacy organization up for the future? Pass a bill? Develop a strategic relationship with a future committee chair? Build capacity in a region or a specific district? Define an issue as a funding priority? Clarifying your short-term advocacy goals early and being as specific as possible will help you develop an advocacy plan to get where you need to go for a lame duck session.
Do a planning session with your team: If you need thoughts on this, drop us a note here. Remember, a lame duck session moves fast.
Know what else is moving: Lame duck sessions don't allow a lot to move at once, so make sure you understand the real priorities. In a lame-duck session, you are not only competing with the folks on the other side of your issue, but also with other issues on the table.
Understand the players: Who are the key drivers of legislative priorities for the lame duck session? Do you have a chance to move anything? Make sure you power map the key players you need to engage.
Define your long-term advocacy goals: Although you may be working to pass a specific bill during the lame duck period, most advocacy work during the session will focus on short-term gains for long-term, ongoing fights that aren’t bound by the legislative season or a 1-year timeline. Play the long game and integrate your strategy goals and metrics with your short-term goals. Know that a lame duck session will sometimes set you up for a future battle.
Grow your advocacy assets: Develop relationships and advocacy capacity for the next session. Think about how you can leverage the lame-duck session to build the infrastructure you need for both the short and long term, specifically lists, supporters, and budget. There are many tactics, from virtual lobby visits to harnessing click-to-call technology to a list of potential advocates, or even featuring on a site like Pandora. You can also use a petition strategy to build district-level sign-ups for the short and long term, which could be very useful in capacity building.
Create a plan: Creating a written plan with timelines and benchmarks for success for the lame duck session and how it connects to your strategy for the next session will allow you to assess whether you achieved your goals. You would be surprised (or maybe not) by how few people write down a short- or long-term advocacy plan.
Make an advocacy calendar: While a lame-duck session may not be the time to accomplish a ton of things legislatively, thinking of it as part of a larger advocacy fight is smart strategy. Use the lame-duck session to lay the groundwork and advance your legislative position with the public in other ways. Organizing and building active public relations around your position with your membership, coalition partners, and the public can be a real bonus for long-term goals. Laying the advocacy groundwork means setting a schedule and doing it soon, and setting goals and metrics to track success.
Engage and expand your coalition: It may have been a long time since you engaged with your coalition partners. Well, if you haven’t reached out, now is the time. Your coalition may have fissures that need fixing. Even small disagreements around legislative priorities can expand into real friction without solid communication and planning. Now is also a time to see if there are new folks to build partnerships with. It is hard, and often impossible, to do coalition planning and outreach during a lame duck session, so don’t wait to reach out.
Seize your advocacy opportunities: While many people see it as a chore, advocacy is a chance to build long-term relationships and lasting benefits for an organization. Whether it is fundraising, signing up new supporters, or training advocates on virtual lobbying, use this time to build capacity you can harness for the bigger fights you’ll inevitably face down the line. A longer-term asset that will pay dividends in the future.
Understand your message: Urgency and priority are critical to lame-duck messaging. Why does the work need to be done now, and why should your issue be top of the list? Make sure you can say it clearly and strongly. Have good stories ready to go. Recruiting folks in advance who can tell your story with urgency and priority is critical.
Don’t Delay—Plan now: The longer you wait to plan your advocacy strategy and act, the more reactive and less effective you’ll be. Don’t get caught on your heels—you know your issue. Review your timeline and create a calendar that lets you plan, stay proactive, and use the time and opportunity you have to make your issue a priority.
Engagement matters: Building relationships with elected officials, members, and other constituencies benefits your advocacy organization in the long term. No one wants to feel like they are only contacted when you want something. Take the time to build relationships outside the political campaign and legislative cycle. The more you work at it, the healthier and more organized your organization will be. Being active now will make your organization stronger for next year. Think of it as an ongoing workout, a way to continue to grow your advocacy strength for the next time you need it.
TLDR: With good proactive planning—even if it is put together quickly—from power mapping to coordinating with coalition partners, a lame-duck session can still be a productive time to work on primary and secondary advocacy goals.
Quick tips for lame duck advocacy:
- Have a short-term and long-term strategy: Have plans and options for what you want to do.
- Understand your environment: Know what else is out there and how you will compete.
- Know the players: Understand the decision-makers and how you will work with them.
- Have a coalition: Have a real, active, and engaged coalition.
- Have a message: Your message must clearly communicate urgency and priority.
- Don’t Delay: We know there are lots of distractions this time of year that can keep you from your advocacy planning. If this were easy, everyone would do it. Groups that start early and keep at it get good results over time.