Most congressional offices are small, and
the staff have great influence. A comparison
to a typical medium-sized lab is not off the
mark. Think of the congressperson as a PI,
with a staff of eight to ten young, smart, well-
educated people comparable in age to gradu-
ate students and postdocs. The congressper-
son sets general policy and direction and vets
the final language of bills and statements,
but, the staff often write drafts, and have
input into final language. When you write or
appear, you are data! Your views, even if
transmitted first to staff, inform the general
policy that the office and Member will set. In
addition, staff can be incredibly valuable, are
easy to establish a long-term relationship
with, and are often friendly, bright, knowl-
edgeable people trying to do a good job in
wildly chaotic circumstances. Ten or twenty
letters on one subject from informed con-
stituents are noticed—particularly if they are
thoughtful, brief, and to the point.
What if your congressperson is not on one
of the “right” committees such as
Appropriations? That could be true today,
but think long-term. Committee assignments
change as Members retire or are defeated, or
the majority control of committees shifts. My
own congressman was not originally on the
Appropriations subcommittee that handlesthe NIH, but he is now, and several years of
education by me and my colleagues about the
value of biomedical research has paid off. He
has gone from thinking that the NIH could
possibly be privatized to thinking that it is a
valuable government agency.
Finally, people sometimes say, “My con-
gressman is too liberal/too conservative/
already supportive.” In fact, Congressional
service is a daily process of weighing costs
and benefits of different programs and
proposed laws. Issues and votes on cloning,
stem cells, genetically modified organisms,
and funding happen every year, and the
fiscal tradeoffs and issues are shifting as
well. Reminding your elected representatives
that they have many constituents who care
about biomedical research and science is
always helpful.
How to get the biggest bang for your time?
There are many simple and non time-con-
suming things you can do: join the
Congressional Liaison Committee,^1 take per-
sonal action by writing a letter, writing an
op-ed, making a phone call, or paying a visit
when in Washington or at home during
a congressional recess. Don’t be afraid—
the road out of the ivory tower is fascinating
and rewarding, and your efforts will help all
of us. ■CHAPTER 3 • SCIENTIFIC CITIZENSHIP 147THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR CELL BIOLOGY