Washington Watch
NARFE GRASSROOTS ADVOCACY LEARN MORE about how you can take action to protect your earned pay and benefits by reviewing NARFE Grassroots materials at www.narfe.org/advocacy.
NARFE’s 2020 Grassroots Advocacy Successes
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n celebration of NARFE’s legislative accomplishments in 2020, I want to thank you, the members, for your help in making them possible. You showed your ability to adapt in a year rife with many unknowns and chaos on Capitol Hill as Congress sorted through the unprecedented health and economic effects of the COVID-19 health emergency. We turned to virtual platforms that allowed us to communicate with lawmakers and conduct regular business. Doing so seemed precipitous at times, but, working together, we figured it out. In response to the pandemic, NARFE shifted its advocacy to ensure that the concerns of our members were addressed in the economic relief packages and funding bills passed by Congress. We also continued to work on ongoing critical issues like cost-ofliving adjustments (COLAs) that better reflect the spending habits of seniors, and repeal or reform of the Windfall Elimination Provision and Government Pension Offset. You answered NARFE’s call to communicate your concerns and our position on these issues to lawmakers. With Congress focused on the pandemic, some of NARFE’s top priorities were forced to wait. But NARFE-supported legislation nonetheless gained traction because of your steadfast advocacy efforts. Throughout the year, especially during Grassroots Advocacy
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NARFE MAGAZINE MARCH 2021
Month in August, you were successful in convincing more lawmakers to join the list of cosponsors on critical pieces of legislation, setting us up for even greater success in the 117th Congress.
IN RESPONSE TO THE PANDEMIC, NARFE SHIFTED ITS ADVOCACY TO ENSURE THAT THE CONCERNS OF OUR MEMBERS WERE ADDRESSED IN THE ECONOMIC RELIEF PACKAGES AND FUNDING BILLS PASSED BY CONGRESS.
During Public Service Recognition Week in May, you helped the public recognize the vital work that public servants perform each day by sending hundreds of letters to the editors of local newspapers and engaging in community events. The timing of this spotlight could not have been more apt— despite the tens of thousands of federal employees infected
with the coronavirus, many more continued to work on the front lines, keeping government operations churning even as they put themselves at risk. NARFE’s 2020 grassroots activities report showed a robust year of engagement. More than 50,000 letters were sent to lawmakers through NARFE’s Legislative Action Center, and almost 20,000 phone calls were connected through NARFE’s advocacy call center. Additionally, you held meetings with dozens of members of Congress via Zoom or conference calls and wrote letters to community news outlets across the country, educating officials and the public about issues affecting the federal community. In addition to our veteran advocates, many first-time advocates engaged in grassroots campaigns last year. NARFE has a collaborative strategy that includes lobbying, grasstops advocacy and mobilization of our entire membership to act (grassroots). As NARFE members, it’s crucial that you weigh in on the issues— as legislators’ constituents and members of both the federal community and NARFE, you hold unique power that influences policymakers. We thank you for your advocacy and look forward to continuing to work together to influence Congress in 2021. —BY MARSHA PADILLA-GOAD, GRASSROOTS PROGRAM MANAGER
