Abortion

K You can also request meetings with your Senator or Representative when he is back in the state of district. You can organize your group to meet with them and often these meetings can be very effective as the member is away from Washington and usually more relaxed and attentive to your problem.

Finally, if you want to testify before a congressional committe, you can ask the office of your member of Congress to put you in touch with the appropriate committee staff member. This is especially important if the chairman of the committee in question is not from your state.

To Testify before a Congressional Committee

IF YOU WISH TO TESTIFY in favor of a bill, contact the bill's sponsor and make arrangements with him or his staff for your testimony. If you wash to testify against a bill, make similar arrangements with the Committee Chairman or with another member of that committee that shares your views. In either case, be sure that your testimony is written out in a neat form. You should have enough copies to supply each member of the committee--år, if you do not know the number, make at least 20 copies. Have the copies agailable before your appearance.

Keep in mind the following points:

1. Favorable committee action is necessary before a bill reaches
the floor of the Senate or House.

2. Keep your testimony short and to the point. Allow time for
questions. If possible, talk to members before the meeting
so you can answer their concerns and misgivings.

3. Members who share your views may be willing to examine op-
posing witnesses using questions you have prepared. (This
must be arranged before the meeting.)

A day before your appearance, check to be sure that no changes
have been made in agenda or time and place of meeting.

5. Remember-- you are
for your position.
rage its members.

trying to persuade the committee to vote
Avoid testimony or conduct that will out-
Even if members are hostile, they should

be given polite, responsive answers.

COMMITTEE ACTION IS VERY IMPORTANT. This kind of lobbying should have a high priority.

World Research for Contraception in 1973...... $26,700,000. (This is about the cost of two miles of superhighway.) Child Abuse, reported cases in the U.S. about 60,000 annually. 165 per day Children unwanted, born in the U.S. 2,000 approximately

per day