It is August recess, contact your Congressperson

When you think of recess, you may think of kids playing on school playgrounds. But that’s because you’re not a Member of Congress – unless you are, in which case, welcome. For Members of Congress, recess is an opportunity to return to their home districts and hear from constituents on the issues that are important to them. It looks something like this:

Town Hall meetings are in the headlines now for their role in the healthcare debate, but it is important that Congress also hears from bicycling advocates on issues such as the next transportation bill and climate change legislation.

Both the house and senate are on recess until Tuesday, September 8. This is an opportunity to find out when your Member of Congress will meet with the public and to ask them to support the America Bikes platform. As our Advocacy Tips page says, this is particularly important if they sit on a key committee: Transportation & Infrastructure, Energy and Commerce, and Ways and Means in the house, or Environment and Public Works, Finance, and Commerce, Science and Transportation in the Senate. Before you go, refer to our advocacy tips on how to have an impact and see if your representative is on the Congressional Bike Caucus.

If you get the ear of an elected official, offer to take them for a bike ride in your district. There’s no better way to get them on board with our platform than to get them on a bike with us. Please let us know how your meetings go. Email us at [email protected].