Congressional site visits are an opportunity for blood centers to advocate to their congressional representatives and staff, while also demonstrating the work of the blood center. As part of our Act for Blood program, ABC has worked with congressional offices and ABC members to coordinate more of these important site visits. During the August recess, when Congress was not in session in Washington, D.C., two ABC member centers showed their congressional representatives the important work blood centers do every day and educated them on how Congress can support a safe and available blood supply.
In August, Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA), the ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, toured a Bloodworks Northwest donor center. The tour provided an opportunity for Rep. Smith to see the work of the blood center while engaging in conversations about the ways Congress can support the blood supply. Rep. Smith’s office expressed interest in continuing to engage with ABC on expanding access to prehospital blood through TRICARE, and ABC staff are scheduled to meet with his office this week to continue to build upon the work done by Bloodworks Northwest.
Also during the August recess, Rep. Shomari C. Figures (D-AL) toured a LifeSouth donor center. Rep. Figures saw first-hand the work of the blood center and met with blood center employees, donors, and a blood donor recipient. The congressman was particularly interested in the essential role of the blood supply in treating sickle cell disease, and how Congress can support blood centers to ensure these sickle cell patients’ needs are met. The congressman indicated a plan to give a floor speech in the coming weeks about blood donations as they relate to sickle cell patients to raise awareness of this important topic. His congressional office is also working on a community event later in the year that will include a blood drive. While coordinating this site visit with LifeSouth, it was discovered that the congressman and his mother were friends with members of the LifeSouth team at the blood center. These personal relationships are vital in advocacy work and relationship building at your blood center.
It is easy to overlook the amazing work that happens every day at your blood center, but during these site visits, the congressional members and their staff see for themselves the work of your blood center, while discussing how they can support a safe and available blood supply. Meetings in the district also allow you to include employees, donors, recipients, and other partners such as hospital staff and EMS agencies. your role as an employer, and what goes into ensuring patients (their constituents) have access to the blood they need is a powerful backdrop for an advocacy meeting.
While it may seem intimidating to host a member of Congress at your blood center, the benefits of a visit can make the difference on an advocacy issue. ABC is willing and able to help from the beginning to the end of the site visit process, including doing initial outreach, connecting ABC members with key congressional staff, providing talking points and member background, and sending a member of the ABC staff if applicable. Our August Recess Grassroots Handbook provides additional information. We want our members to be able to build and grow their relationships with their members of Congress.
It cannot be overstated how powerful an advocacy tool these kinds of site visits can be. They help to develop champions on Capitol Hill and connect the advocacy we do in D.C. to the lives of their constituents. If you are interested in conducting a site visit at your center, or have any questions, please reach out to our Government Affairs Manager, Lorenzo Rodriguez at Lrodriguez@americasblood.org.