For those living and breathing DC policy, August is a time to take a breath and reevaluate strategy for the remainder of the year. With Congress out of session and the Administration traveling around the country, this is one of the few times out of the year to pause and reflect on how organizations can best set themselves up for the flurry of activity that will inevitably come in September when everyone returns.
A few tips for how to best use your August recess:
Plan for the year-end push. Very rarely does last-minute advocacy in late November/early December result in policies being included in a year-end package. Recruiting champions, refining language, and identifying vehicles for passage start much earlier in the year. Determining strategies now for what your organization believes is feasible by year-end is critical to ensure those policies are in any last-minute dealmaking done in the lame duck.
Engage with new partners. In the slower months, reaching out to external stakeholders that could partner on your priority issues could benefit your organization in the long run. Using this time for coalition-building or issue-specific collaboration will prove useful going into September.
Refining your message. Are there new threats or emerging issues that are impacting your policy priorities? This quieter time is an excellent opportunity to update talking points, determine an outreach plan, and identify champions.
Scenario planning for 2025. Regardless of who wins the election, there will be a new Administration and nearly 100 new Members of Congress. This means a fresh slate for your priorities and likely a loss of a few champions. Now is the time to start evaluating what priorities your organization will want to advocate for early in the new Congress and Administration.
The August recess is more than just a break from the legislative calendar—it’s an invaluable time to strategically advance your policy priorities. Using this time wisely will better set up your organization going into the September rush.
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