On January 3, 2025, the 119th Congress is scheduled to convene for the first time. However, there is plenty of work to do before then! While the current Congress wraps up the “lame-duck” session, newly elected Members will soon begin the process of hiring staff, opening offices and developing their legislative philosophies and agendas. With numerous potential threats to education and workforce development programs and funding on the horizon, this is a fantastic opportunity to ensure that CTE is a priority for your new representatives and senators-elect.
Outreach to newly elected Members will help you to build relationships and shape their legislative goals. It is still important to maintain existing relationships on Capitol Hill as well – now is a great time to renew relationships with existing Members of Congress and remind them to support CTE!
Here are some actions you can take to prepare for the 119th Congress:
- Visit member-elect campaign websites and review their information and views on education and workforce development.
- If contact information is available, congratulate the member-elect on their election victory and offer to serve as a resource to them on education and workforce development issues going forward. If they don’t have a public or staff email, reach out over social media!
- If Members-elect are attending community events or meetings, attend to introduce yourself and inquire about their understanding and support of CTE in your state or district.
- Reach out to your returning representatives to congratulate them on re-election, reiterate your desire to serve as a resource to them and express your hope that they will continue to take actions in support of CTE, such as increasing Perkins funding, expanding Pell Grants to short-term training programs and supporting the educator workforce.
As we approach the 119th Congress’s First Session, ACTE will share more information and to help you build relationships with your new policymakers. You can also use the resources in ACTE’s advocacy toolkit to help prepare for the transition! If you have any questions, please reach out to Hannah Richards, ACTE’s Media and Advocacy Coordinator, at [email protected].
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