AIDS United

Do-It-Yourself DC Legislative Visits

If you are visiting Washington, D.C., we are asking you to visit your Members of Congress during to tell them how to reach an AIDS-free generation.

Make the pledge today to join other HIV advocates in visiting your Members of Congress while you are in Washington, D.C.

What We Are Asking In Four Easy Do-It-Yourself Steps:

1. Sign the Pledge to meet with your Members of Congress
2. Arrange your meeting with your Members of Congress
3. Go to your meeting while you are in Washington D.C. – we provide the materials and talking points
4. Report back on your meeting (We will send you an easy to use survey so you can tell us how your meeting went.)

You’ve Got the Will; We’ve Got the Way
AIDS United along with our partners National Association of People with AIDS, Treatment Access Expansion Project, AIDSWatch, and the Poz Army is pleased to announce the launch of “HIV Legislative Week in Washington D.C.: A Do-It-Yourself Guide to Influencing Policy on Capitol Hill,” advocacy toolkit, specifically designed for HIV/AIDS advocates like you!

Using Prezi, a web-based presentation application, we will take you through a fun and easy-to-follow presentation that will enable any HIV advocate coming to Washington, D.C. to 1) Find Your Members of Congress, 2) Organize a Meeting, 3) Meet Your Members of Congress and 4) Follow-Up. Our presentation incorporates several tools including:

Quick Start: Press the "play button" (the sideways triangle) on the Prezi graphic below. Once the Prezi is loaded, you may click to view the Prezi in full-screen mode by holding your mouse cursor over the "More" button which can be found at the bottom right of the Prezi graphic. In full-screen mode, use your left and right keyboard arrows to go backward and forward respectively in the presentation.

Quick Tips on How to Use the Prezi Presentation

RESOURCES
** Bring two copies of the fact sheets to your meetings -- one for yourself and one to leave behind for the staff person with whom you meet

Correspondence with Congress
• Meeting Request Sample
• Thank You and Follow-Up Sample

Ask #1: Protect and Implement the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid Expansion
• Talking Points - Protect and Implement the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid Expansion
• Fact Sheet - Legislative Ask: Support and Fully Implement the ACA and Medicaid Expansion
• Fact Sheet - How the Affordable Care Act Helps People Living with HIV/AIDS
• Meeting Simulation (Video) - Protect the ACA and Medicaid Expansion

Ask #2: Increase Funding for Domestic HIV/AIDS Programs
• Talking Points - Increase Funding for Domestic HIV/AIDS Programs
• Fact Sheet - Support Increased Funding of HIV/AIDS Programs
• Fact Sheet - FY 2013 Appropriations for Federal HIV/AIDS Programs Chart
• Meeting Simulation (Video) - Increase Funding for Domestic AIDS Programs

Ask #3: HIV Policies Based on Science, Not Politics
• Talking Points - HIV Policies Based on Science, Not Politics
• Fact Sheet - Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Programs Fail America's Young People
• Fact Sheet - FY 2013 Appropriations and Syringe Exchange Programs
• Meeting Simulation (Video) - Support HIV Policies Based on Science

Bonus Asks: Join the HIV/AIDS Caucus and Co-sponsor "The REPEAL HIV Discrimination Act” in the House of Representatives
• Talking Points - Join the HIV/AIDS Caucus and Co-sponsor "The REPEAL HIV Discrimination Act" in the House of Representatives
• Fact Sheet - Members of the Congressional HIV/AIDS Caucus and Co-Sponsors of "The Repeal HIV Discrimination Act"

Advocacy and Messaging Trainings
• Schedule of Advocacy and Messaging Trainings at IAC

Other Resources
• AIDS United's Discussion Forum
• Quick Tips on How to Use the Prezi Presentation
• Schedule of Advocacy Messaging and Training Trainings at IAC