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Contact Congress... and Make a Difference!

Be sure to see AFSA's tips and lists of talking points, and then go to our Contacting Congress page for a listing of phone numbers, fax numbers, and electronic mail addresses for members of Congress.

Keep up with the latest legislative information by visiting our related news links page and reading the latest status of key bills.

Here's what you can do
to make a difference today!

 CONTACT your senators or representatives through visits, phone calls, faxes or e-mail messages. Let him/her know your views on a foreign affairs issue, especially on the diplomatic resource issue. Let him/her know there is a constituency for foreign affairs!

 VOLUNTEER to take an AFSA packet to your newly elected or re-elected member of Congress and establish an ongoing relationship with him/her!

 ATTEND a Congressional Town Meeting to voice your concern about foreign affairs issues! (Members of Congress usually advertise in newspapers or send notices regarding Town Meetings, or call his/her local office and ask for a schedule.)

 PARTICIPATE as part of AFSA's Legislative Action Network (LAN) and help get AFSA's message to Congress.

 STAY informed and sign up for AFSANET, an e-mail link to AFSA, to keep abreast of what is happening to the Foreign Service, the foreign affairs agencies, and diplomacy in general!

 

 CONTRIBUTE to the AFSA Legislative Action Fund to add to our efforts in this area.

"Foreign affairs has no constituency."

"When I'm back home at the local Home Depot, no one says, Congressman, I'm concerned that we aren't giving enough funds to diplomacy."

AFSA has heard this over and over again. This is why funding for the foreign affairs agencies is declining so that funding for law enforcement, the maritime industry, the Legal Services Corporation, and countless other domestic concerns can be increased.

Diplomacy is a federal responsibility and it cannot be delegated. If we are to meet this responsibility, it cannot be done on the cheap, as many are trying to do.

Now is the time to show there is a constituency for diplomacy and American leadership in the world. We must demonstrate that Americans care how the U.S. is engaged in the world, and that these Americans are active, voting constituents.

For more information, contact Ian Houston ,
AFSA Director of Legislative Affairs, at (800) 704-AFSA Ext. 517.