Our growing clout in Congress

Visit our News page [Editor’s Note: In our email on Tuesday, May 22nd, a letter from CAIR to a sheriff’s office was identified as having been mailed Nov. 7, 2001, when in fact it was mailed Nov. 7, 2011. We apologize for any confusion created by this error.] ACT! FOR AMERICA ON CAPITOL HILL: WE’VE COME A LONG WAY—THANKS TO YOU! By Lisa Piraneo, Director of Government Relations As I prepare for the upcoming 2012 ACT! for America National Conference in Washington, DC, it’s clear how far our organization has come in three years with regard to its power, stature and reputation on Capitol Hill. This growth is truly awe-inspiring, and it’s thanks to you. I wanted to take just a moment to share some of my behind-the-scenes observations so you can get a true understanding of what an incredibly powerful organization ACT! for America has become as a response to your individual efforts, including attendance at our prior National Conferences. You should feel both encouraged and proud of the progress we have made and the stature we now enjoy on Capitol Hill. Three years ago, when I first began to walk the halls of Congress on your behalf, ACT! for America had a grassroots membership level of 50,000 with 300 chapters across the nation. I thought that was quite impressive for such a young organization. I had no idea what was just around the corner. We now have nearly 188,000 national security grassroots advocates, and 700 local chapters. As Members of the U.S. Congress have become acutely aware, ACT! for America members are politically active patriotic citizens. The ACT! for America of today is making a tremendous impact at all levels of government—but particularly on Capitol Hill. We have influenced legislation, educated Members of Congress and their staffs, and assured that dialogue about the threat of radical Islam is kept “front and center” in the federal legislative arena. So how important is attendance at our annual National Conference & Legislative Briefing to those accomplishments and our on-going efforts on Capitol Hill? It’s not just important. It’s absolutely vital. Here’s why. The size of the audience at our Legislative Briefing is a hugely effective visual of the national security giant we are becoming. Members of Congress need to SEE us, not just HEAR from us. I assure you, as someone who has worked on and with Capitol Hill for nearly 20 years, it makes a tremendous difference. To be honest, it took a lot of convincing for me to get just a handful of Members of Congress to attend our first briefing three years ago. We were relatively unknown and untested. But that’s no longer the case, in large part due to our member participation not only back home in our towns and communities, but also at our National Conferences. Each year, our National Conference & Legislative Briefing attendance level grows and, each year, the number of Members of Congress wanting to speak at our briefing grows as well. There is a direct correlation. For those of you who have attended this event in the past, I can’t thank you enough. You’ve seen the impact we’re having first-hand. For those of you who have not attended one of our National Conferences, I promise that you won’t be disappointed should you attend! This year, I’ve had an INCREDIBLE response from Members of Congress wanting to speak at our Legislative Briefing. We have a record number of legislators scheduled to attend and they will be addressing a variety of national security issues. This is living proof of the stature ACT! for America has achieved on Capitol Hill. This year’s National Conference and Legislative Briefing boasts a stellar lineup of speakers, special events such as our “2012 Election Campaign Review,” the premiere of the compelling film “Losing Our Sons,” and our signature gala banquet. But more than that, it’s going to be a VERY IMPORTANT EVENT. Here’s why. As we all know, this is an election year, and our elected officials are listening and observing more intently than ever. Given how much national attention is being devoted to jobs and the economy, attendance at this year’s Legislative Briefing is critical to keeping Members of Congress focused on the issue of national security. These Members of Congress need to know—they need to see—that protecting our nation from the threat of radical Islam is still a high priority for their constituents. When they see all of us at the National Conference & Legislative Briefing they will get a vivid reminder of that fact. I always say that our grassroots are the “engine” of the ACT! for America machine. That’s because it’s so true. I hope that as our 2012 National Conference & Legislative Briefing kicks off this June 27th, that engine will be roaring loudly before the eyes of our federal legislators. If you have not yet registered for this year’s conference and legislative briefing, but you’re trying to decide whether or not to attend, please consider this. Don’t underestimate for a moment the impact your presence at the conference will make. As one person attending you will be visually representing thousands of ACT! for America members who won’t be able to join us. You will literally be a “grassroots ambassador,” reminding Members of Congress that our concerns about the threat of radical Islam must not be overlooked or forgotten. Thank you for ALL that you do. I sincerely hope to see you on Capitol Hill this June. REMEMBER, YOUR VOICE COUNTS! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ACT for America P.O. Box 12765 Pensacola, FL 32591 www.actforamerica.org ACT for America is an issues advocacy organization dedicated to effectively organizing and mobilizing the most powerful grassroots citizen action network in America, a grassroots network committed to informed and coordinated civic action that will lead to public policies that promote America’s national security and the defense of American democratic values against the assault of radical Islam. We are only as strong as our supporters, and your volunteer and financial support is essential to our success. Thank you for helping us make America safer and more secure. The news items, blogs, educational materials and other information in our emails and on our website are only intended to provide information, news and commentary on events and issues related to the threat of radical Islam. Much of this information is based upon media sources, such as the AP wire services, newspapers, magazines, books, online news blog and news services, and radio and television, which we deem to be reliable. However, we have undertaken no independent investigation to verify the accuracy of the information reported by these media sources. We therefore disclaim all liability for false or inaccurate information from these media sources. We also disclaim all liability for the third-party information that may be accessed through the material referenced in our emails or posted on our website. HOW CAN I TELL OTHERS ABOUT YOUR ORGANIZATION? Send a personalized version of this message to your friends. HOW CAN I SUPPORT YOUR ORGANIZATION? Click here to give an online donation.