Did you know?

.96 total veterans were in the 116th Congress.

Of the 96 veterans in Congress, 48 served after 2000,

19 are first-time lawmakers,

and 7 are women.

LETS WORK TOGETHER TO MAKE THESE NUMBERS GO UP!

SOURCE: MILITARYTIMES.COM

Ways that you can make a difference!

Register to Vote

​-Host a house party-

If you’ve ever been involved in a campaign or worked to change a law, you’ve probably heard this advice many times: the earlier you involve yourself in the legislative process, the easier it is to influence a bill. However, you don’t have to wait for the legislature to convene. There are numerous ways to exert influence even earlier — before the legislative session starts. One popular method of grassroots advocacy is to host a “meet-and-greet” party. This is simply a gathering of your friends, neighbors, and colleagues at your home to meet a political candidate, ask questions, and discuss issues. Even if the political candidate cannot attend, get to know the issues and educate your friends and family.

-Volunteer for a campaign-

Volunteering for a candidate is a great introduction to politics because it starts with a personal connection. If your ideology is still in the formational stages, or if your beliefs do not fall neatly into one party’s platform, you can look for a candidate who meets your personal fitness test. 

Joining a campaign is pretty simple: You can generally sign up to volunteer on a candidate’s website or by making a visit to their campaign office. Talk to the campaign’s volunteer coordinator and find out where they need help. Remember, you do not have to live in the voting area of a candidate to volunteer. If you find a candidate that supports veterans, reach out to them to volunteer!

-Find legislation to support-

Legislative bills take a lot of hard work and support to make it through congress. Research online for legislation that supports the needs of veterans. One good resource for this is www.govtrack.us . Once you have found some legislation that you can support, notify your friends and family about the need to help advance the legislation. You can do this through social media, having house parties, or even writing letters. Without letting your voice be heard, many good pieces of legislation will fail to become law.

-Get in contact with your elected officials-

Find out who your elected officials are and notify them that you will be focusing your vote around veterans' issues. You can find out who your elected officials are and how to contact them at 
​www.usa.gov/elected-officials

TAKE ACTION BY RUNNING FOR CONGRESS!

Make a difference by running for Congress... Per the constitution there are a few limitations:
1) You must be at least 25 years of age
2) You must be a citizen of the United States for at least 7 of those years
3) You must, at the time of election, be an inhabitant of the state in which you have been chosen

Ballotpedia has some great resources available to assist you in finding out how to run for Congress. You can learn more at https://ballotpedia.org/Filing_requirements_for_congressional_candidates#Requirements_to_run_for_congressional_office