How to Advocate for the Industry During the August Recess

Every August, members of Congress leave the marble halls of the Capitol for their home districts. That’s an opportunity for community bankers to build relationships with lawmakers and educate them on community bank concerns. 

“Small community banks are so important to the nation, but we don’t have a lot of representation,” says Dan Christianson, CEO of $210 million-asset F & M Community Bank in Preston, Minnesota. “We need to achieve that through our local representatives.”

Building Relationships Through In-Person Constituent Meetings

Jack Coleman, senior director of advocacy for ICBA, believes more bankers should invite lawmakers to their banks to get acquainted during recesses. He cites survey data from the nonpartisan Congressional Management Foundation showing that in-person constituent meetings rank at the top of what influences a lawmaker’s thinking. 

Hosting a meeting at the bank has a unique impact on a lawmaker. “When a member of Congress or their key staffers walk through the bank’s doors, they see the operation firsthand,” explains Coleman. “They meet tellers who know every customer. It makes an impression.”

Here are some ICBA resources that can help you plan and execute a productive meeting with your legislators.

ICBA Resources and the Meetings on Main Street Toolkit

Coleman and the ICBA Advocacy team are eager to facilitate meetings and advise bankers on how to build relationships and advocate effectively with lawmakers and their staff. ICBA’s free toolkit, “Meetings on Main Street,” walks bankers through the process.

The first step is to plan for a productive meeting. Contact the lawmaker’s district scheduler six to eight weeks before the recess (that would be about now!). The Meetings on Main Street toolkit provides an email template and phone script. 

Next, create a short agenda and share it with the legislator’s staff. “Give the staff three or four points, all tied to the district,” Coleman advises. He notes that stories of how the bank is serving the local community have great impact. “You might tell them how agricultural lending supports family farms or about the impact of rising check fraud on local small businesses,” he says.

Community bankers can deploy the high-touch relationship skills that they have with their customers to enhance relationships with lawmakers. “That same skill set is what you need when dealing with members of Congress,” says Coleman. “That’s why our folks are so good at doing this, because this is what they do every single day.” 

In-person meetings make it possible to have a more detailed conversation with a member of Congress. In Washington, a meeting might last 10 minutes in a hallway. In the bank, it can stretch to 30 minutes or more, allowing for deeper discussion. An in-depth discussion can position bankers as an expert resource for legislators. 

“Congressional members can’t be experts in everything,” Coleman says. “Their staff are generalists, and they are juggling multiple issues. A community banker that can explain how a proposed rule would affect local jobs becomes a valuable resource to that lawmaker. Now you’ve started a relationship as someone who is helping them do their job.”

Following Up via the ICBA Take Action Center

Just as important as the initial meeting? The follow-up. The Congressional Management Foundation’s surveys reveal that only 15% of constituents follow up with their representatives in a timely and helpful manner. Coleman urges bankers to block out time on their calendars one month to six weeks after the meeting to follow up with the congressperson and their staff.  

Christianson says he regularly uses resources from ICBA’s Take Action Center (see box) to follow up on these congressional visits. “You want to contact Congress enough that they recognize your name,” he says.

Coleman explains that providing information that’s on point sets your follow-up apart. “If you provide issue briefs and helpful information and are the helpful resource, you’re ahead of 90% of other groups,” he says.

The congressional calendar is constantly shifting. While legislative priorities may change, broad areas such as agricultural relief, market structure and modernizing financial rules are likely to remain front and center. The important thing is for community banks to show up, educate and follow through. 

Major banks may dominate the headlines, but face-to-face meetings offer a significant opportunity for community bankers to exert influence. For bankers willing to invite their member of Congress into the lobby, pour them a cup of coffee and talk about the people they serve every day, it can be the start of something powerful. 

“Just make sure that you show up and they know you’re involved,” Christianson urges. “We all have to get the message across as to what’s important for community banks.”

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