Advocacy.

Leading up to the August recess, it was a very busy legislative season in Congress. The LWVUS Advocacy Team, our members and Leagues around the country were engaged in lobbying Members of Congress on many of the LWVUS advocacy priorities. While the threat to Social Security seemed to wane, other attacks on campaign finance reform, civil liberties, DC Voting Rights and clean air required attention. The LWVUS Lobby Corps was on the Hill in the summer months garnering support for the SAFE Act (Security and Freedom Ensured) as a bipartisan measure to ameliorate some of the more troubling provisions of the Patriot Act. Other lobbying and LWVUS letters to Congress this season included one in opposition to a bill that would roll back campaign finance reform (H.R. 1316), another with coalition partners asking for support of a bill to require the EPA to review all available evidence on the toxin mercury in order to strengthen the new mercury rule, and another in opposition to a bill to withhold UN funding, H.R. 2725.

LWVUS President Kay Maxwell was out in front on election reform issues, testifying before the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) and the Carter-Baker Commission on Election Reform on the importance of the full implementation of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA). Many Leagues also submitted statements to the EAC, urging the Commission to improve their guidelines to states on meeting the statewide computerized voter registration system requirement of HAVA. Leagues who have technical or policy questions, or who would like guidance on how to work within their state should contact LWVUS for support.

The League has joined with dozens of other organizations in the preparation for the reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act. Important aspects of this landmark legislation will expire if not reauthorized by 2007. While this seems to be in the distant legislative future, Congress has already begun to act. It will take a large organized effort on the part of all concerned citizens to ensure the reauthorization. Regional training events are planned for this fall. Please contact LWVUS Grassroots Lobbyist Angela Canterbury to learn how your League can get involved ([e-mail]).

In the August recess, LWVUS continued to work on reform in DC Voting Rights. Many state and local Leagues reached out to their Representatives in support of a new proposal to give DC citizens a vote in Congress. To learn more about the DC FAIR Act and how you can take action on this and the League's other priority issues, see Hill Bulletin on p. 13. Also, see Sounding Off on DC Voting Rights.

Many thanks for the terrific response to action alerts by the League's growing legion of online activists, the Grassroots Lobby Corps. The thousands of personal e-mail messages and phone calls made to Congress on our important legislative issues make a tremendous impact.

Join the Grassroots Lobby Corps and make a difference! Stay informed and take action with the League on important upcoming battles for responsible policy. To sign up to receive action alerts and legislative updates by e-mail, go to http://takeaction.lwv.org/lwv/mlm/signup/. It takes just a few minutes a month to make your voice heard!