How to Build an August Recess Game Plan

August recess is a time to regroup, get out of town, and reset going into a busy fall. This year, with the August recess stretching to roughly six weeks long, it’s a good time to think about how you make an impact when Members of Congress and staff get out of town. 

Here are a few things to be thinking about going into a long August recess:

Develop a lame duck plan. Whether it’s reconciliation 3.0/4.0 or must-pass legislation, August recess is a good time to put together an outreach and stakeholder plan. The moment Congress returns, it will be nonstop until October with plenty of distractions. Staying focused with an easy-to-follow plan will be pivotal to ensuring your priorities are included in whatever legislative vehicle moves for the remainder of this Congress.

Meet with agency officials. While agency officials are being deployed around the country in greater numbers this summer, many will remain in their DC offices. This is a great time to connect with agency officials you haven’t yet met with or dive deeper into agency priorities.

Build out your coalition. This is a great time for networking to build support for your policy priorities. Take the time for coffee chats and calls with aligned stakeholders who also have more time on their calendars to discuss coalition strategies. As we always say, your priorities benefit from multiple perspectives, and that will be even more important with a limited number of days left in this Congress. 

Collect district/state-specific stories. Finding local stories to justify a policy position takes time, but, when done right, is incredibly impactful. Reaching out to local stakeholders and surfacing relevant news stories will go a long way for congressional staff who are also rethinking how they discuss an issue going into the fall. 

Enjoy the August recess and use the quieter time to get ahead of a busy legislative season.