The month of August in Washington, D.C., moves a little bit slower than rest of the year. Why is that, you might ask? Members of Congress on Capitol Hill pack up their bags and return to their home states and Congressional districts for August recess. The word “recess” might call to mind fond memories of playtime with friends in elementary school. There’s no hopscotch or dodgeball for legislators, however. Recess means it’s time to work.
Many lawmakers return home for August recess to meet with and listen to the needs of their constituents—after all, we are their bosses. Throughout much of the year, the primary way to get in contact with your Member of Congress is either via email or over the phone. But August is prime time for constituents to get in front of their Members of Congress and develop those relationships in person.
Ask your legislator about a particular issue affecting your store. ... And don’t leave early!
So how can advocates for the convenience and fuel retailing industry take advantage of the August recess? NACS recommends a number of ways to connect with your lawmakers when they’re back home.
Meet in the District Office
One of the best ways to spend quality time with your legislators is to meet with them in their district or state office. It’s hard to match the face-to-face connections between lawmakers and the people they represent. Meeting in person and in the district is a great way to show your Member of Congress that you care deeply about an issue. For example, NACS is pushing hard for the passage of the Credit Card Competition Act of 2023, which would introduce competition into the credit card marketplace. So if you want to discuss swipe fees and how they affect your business, you could bring in printed statements to show the Member firsthand how much in swipe fees you pay each year or how quickly they’ve risen over the past few years. NACS can also make this easy for you—just reach out to me, Margaret Hardin, at mhardin@convenience.org, and I can help schedule the meeting for you and provide talking points for any of our issues.
Attend a Town Hall Meeting
If you aren’t able to make a one-on-one meeting work for your schedule, you might find it valuable to attend one of your legislator’s town hall meetings. Most Members of Congress host town hall meetings several times a year, especially in August, to meet with constituents and give an update on their work in D.C. Town hall meetings typically consist of two parts: the Member will speak for about 15-30 minutes about the goings on in Washington, and then they will open up the floor to questions from constituents in the audience. Use this as an opportunity to ask your legislator about a particular issue affecting your store or a piece of legislation they should support. And don’t leave early! If you aren’t able to get a chance to ask your question, most Members of Congress and their staff stick around for a few minutes afterwards to take additional questions. Remember to bring your business cards so that the Member or their staff are able to follow up with you in the future as well. To find out when legislators are hosting a town hall, follow their Congressional website or sign up for their email alerts.
It’s critical that they understand the convenience and fuel retailing industry.
NACS In Store
We might be biased, but the most fun way to engage with your lawmakers during the August recess is to host them in a NACS In Store event. Our elected representatives make the laws that can help or hurt your business, so it’s critical that they understand the convenience and fuel retailing industry and are familiar with your business and the communities you serve to help ensure that their actions impact your business positively.
The NACS In Store program provides excellent opportunities for legislators to connect with local business owners and their employees as well as constituents and to experience firsthand how convenience stores operate and serve constituents in their home states. During a NACS In Store, there is even an opportunity for the legislator to have a “behind the counter experience” to interact with members of the community and have conversations with constituents about issues important to them. Through conversations with store management and associates, along with customers, they can gain a better understanding and appreciation for not only the store in which they are working, but also for the broader convenience and fuel retailing industry as well.
NACS is always here to support your efforts to develop a relationship with your Members of Congress.
Through the NACS In Store program, elected leaders across the country join 2.44 million other people who work in the convenience store industry and serve an estimated 165 million Americans every day. And when they return to D.C., Members are better informed and better equipped to make decisions about legislation and resulting regulations that can affect our industry.
If you are interested in hosting a Member, let me know. And if you have an in-person meeting with a Member, make sure they know they’re invited to your store for a NACS In Store experience. NACS assists with all the preparation and making sure the event goes smoothly.
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We know that it is a commitment to take time away from your store to meet with your Members of Congress. But we also want to assure you that taking advantage of the August recess is well worth it, as it’s an investment in your business and the future of our industry. NACS is always here to support your efforts to develop a relationship with your Members of Congress, and we are happy to provide any assistance you may need to have productive meetings. Our industry’s voice is only as impactful as our members make it—by getting involved at the grassroots level, people like you can transform and revolutionize our industry.