Philadelphia Yearly Meeting

of the Religious Society of Friends

Legislative Policy Collaborative

Quakers Engage with Their Congressional Representatives in Washington DC

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On Friday, November 15th, about 40 Friends from the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting (PYM) area joined 438 other Friends from 43 states across the United States for meetings on Capitol Hill, in Washington, DC.

They came together for a day of FCNL-orchestrated meetings with congressional representatives. Conversations centered on the authorization of open-ended war and were supported by the year-round work done by a small group of Quakers in the Philadelphia area. These Friends work with FCNL to impact global and national issues through political processes open to all members of the American electorate.

Friends strategize in the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center as Senators Casey and Toomey arrive for a meeting

Joining that many Quakers on Capitol Hill is an exhilarating feeling.  Friends, whether from California, Iowa, or North Carolina, entered the office of their representatives with tools to help shape positive discussions on legislation designed to support a more peaceful world.

Lynn Oberfield (Providence Meeting) reports; “we used FCNL’s lobbying process—which sets out one particular ‘ask’ around a standing Bill.” FCNL organizes lobbying only for legislation that has support from both political parties. It also shapes its targeted lobbying to be aligned with feedback previously collected from meetings across the country. FCNL staff then spend Thursday educating the volunteer lobbyists in advocacy best practices.

On Friday the volunteers launch themselves into the corridors of Capital Hill for a full day of face-to-face meetings with Senators and congress persons.

“This year,” Lynn says, “our FCNL-supported ask was to repeal the 2002 Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF).  The Authorization, with its unbridled, blanket permission, has been used to continue, or begin, new wars in the Middle East and around the globe. As a result of repeated authorizations, the United States now has active troops in about 40 countries around the world.” Lynn notes that US service persons are not deployed as “peacemakers, but (are) men and women (being placed) in harm’s way.”

The delegations from the PYM region secured an in-person meeting with Senators Toomey and Casey. This, Lynn notes, “was due to the (prior) building of relationship … by reasoned, and reasonable, Quakers who worked over three years.  Because the Constitution places the power to declare and wage war with Congress, and this 2002 Authorization gave away that power to the Executive branch, it is not aligned with the (original) intent of the writers of the Constitution.”

In fact, Lynn, says, “the waging of war now rests potentially in the hands of one person in the Executive branch” and for some Friends, that does not feel “consistent with the world we seek.” Friends testimonies are naturally focused on using peaceful means, not conflictual ones, to solve problems and “we Quakers, striding across Capitol Hill, were animated by our faith to represent our viewpoint, tell stories about militarism gone awry, and ally with our representatives in common purpose to seek an end to endless war.”

To learn more about FCNL’s process for lobbying, on poverty, mass incarceration, and the environment or become more informed about what is happening in Congress, contact Deb Hejl or Mary Lou Hatcher at the Legislative Policy Collaborative.

Collaboratives are groups of Friends in the PYM region who join together to respond to shared interests in the areas of worship, Native Peoples, ministry, the environment and civic concerns. A full list of engagement opportunities is found at https://www.pym.org/working-together/

YAF Thursday Workshop at Sessions: The Future is Now

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In these politically charged and challenging times, it is easy to feel overwhelmed and fall into despair or indifference. Hope for a better future, “the world we seek” comes with the actions we take together on issues we care about. Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) provides the tools we need to take effective, strategic action on national policies.

FCNL has made it a priority to engage Young Adults from diverse communities across the US in five separate programs designed specifically for Young Adults. Three of FCNL’s committees are now clerked by Young Adult Friends. Indeed, two of them are members here at PYM: Emily Temple, Downingtown Meeting and second from left in photo, serves as clerk of the Annual Meeting Planning Committee and Alex Stark, Moorestown Meeting, serves as clerk of the Policy Committee. Zoe Laky, Haverford Meeting, also serves as member of the Policy Committee.

Led by three Young Adults on FCNL staff, this workshop offers all Friends an opportunity to learn first hand about their experiences at FCNL and FCNL’s inspiring work bringing Friends’ values to Congress.

Food Stamps End Poverty: Letter to the Editor published

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Judith Pilla of Radnor Monthly Meeting has published a letter to the editor in the December 23 Philadelphia Inquirer following a trip to Washington, DC, to lobby lawmakers on the importance of preserving the supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP) benefits. The lobby visit was part of Friends Committee on National Legislation’s recent Annual Meeting and Lobby Day a few weeks ago. The Farm Bill, which included language preserving a more comprehensive set of SNAP benefits, passed both the Senate and the House of Representatives following lobby efforts by Friends and other like-minded folks. Philadelphia Yearly Meeting had one of the very largest delegations to FCNL’s lobby day and Annual Meeting. For more information on FCNL, please visit fcnl.org. The text of Judith’s letter to the editor is below:

“One of the most effective U.S. anti-poverty programs is now on its way to the president’s desk for signature, partly due to efforts of more than 400 Quakers, many from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. Through the Friends Committee on National Legislation, Washington’s oldest faith-based lobby, Quakers recently traveled to Capitol Hill to convince Congress that SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) must remain intact, without harsh provisions in the House version that would have cut out people struggling to find or keep work.

SNAP feeds 2,750,000 residents of the three states; 38 percent are children. SNAP improves work and school performance, helps prevent childhood developmental delays, and keeps many out of poverty. SNAP enabled one Philadelphia mother to replace the pictures of food she showed her children to quell their hunger with real food. Protecting SNAP is a national victory and a gift long after the holidays for all who live in our region.”

Friday at FCNL – Tools for 400 Quaker Lobbyists

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Thanks to training by Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL), several hundred more Quakers are now well-prepared for lobbying congress.

Yesterday and today, FCNL held its Public Policy Institute in advance of the annual FCNL meeting, providing visiting Friends all the tools they need to effectively meet with congressional representatives and senators.

This year Friends have gathered to lobby in support of a farm bill that should keep food on the tables of families struggling with hunger. Two essential tools have been provided: knowledge about hunger’s negative impact, and lobbying know how. Friends were given a first-hand account of what hunger feels like for families, and shown how farm bill provisions can help. They were then trained in how to positively influence congressional thinkers through well-presented data, backed up by compelling story-telling.

Tool One: The Issue of Hunger and the Farm Bill.
To talk about hunger, FCNL convened a panel of experts who showed that lack of food hurts the minds and hearts of children and adults. Hungry children, for example, aren’t able to focus on learning, while hungry parents find it harder to be effective caregivers. One FCNL panelist, Barbie, was a mother from North Philadelphia who both serves as a food justice advocate and also relies on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to make ends meet when feeding her children. Her willingness to share her very compelling story was helpful. She’s been featured in film, at the White House, and in public policy spaces like FCNL. Advocacy work is humbling, she said, because “if I wasn’t poor I wouldn’t be here,” yet her stories are necessary for lawmakers to understand hunger’s impact.

Barbie shared heartbreaking techniques she taught her kids how to use–to help them power through moments when they were so hungry they couldn’t think about anything but food. And, while she admits it’s hard to walk in her shoes, she says it’d be even harder to not try do something about it. To hear her talk first hand, visit the Center for Hunger-Free Communities’ website.

We also heard from Amelia Kegan, the Legislative Director for Domestic Policy at FCNL. From her we learned facts and figures, passion, and poise under fire. Amelia preached ‘hunger justice’ even as she delivered concrete information that would help lobbying Friends make stronger cases. Her inspirational talk can be viewed on FCNL’s Facebook page.

The farm bill is the largest source of food assistance for millions of families in our country. One essential aspect of it is SNAP – which provides support for 40 million people, half of whom are children. The subsidy is less than $2/day, but that small amount translates to a meal children otherwise wouldn’t have.

The House and the Senate have passed their own, differing, versions of the farm bill, and the SNAP re-authorization is quite different in the two versions. The Senate bill protects SNAP and doubles down on supporting people who are particularly vulnerable. It passed the Senate with a very nonpartisan 87-11 vote. The House bill however applies further restrictions and decreases access to SNAP. It passed with narrow margins on a strictly partisan vote. An example of the differences between the two bills centers on a SNAP work requirement. Currently people who are ‘single and able to work’ can receive three months of the benefit, but states have the option to waive this rule when there are no jobs.

The Senate version of the bill preserves this option for the states, while the House version deletes it.

Friends’ are visiting their representatives and senators to encourage them to pass a final bill that mirrors the Senate version. In addition to maintaining protection from hunger, FCNL explains that such a move would demonstrate that cooperation yields a ‘win’ for everyone (as is exemplified by the non-partisan Senate version of the bill).

Tool Two: How to Lobby
After being given the facts and figures about hunger, Friends needed to learn what to do with this knowledge. FCNL has a clear process for supporting volunteer lobbyists during visits: they teach them to share personal stories, to identify a leader, choose a note-taker, and empower several storytellers to personally testify to the importance of the“ask.” They also suggest the group designate someone to serve as a follow up contact with congressional staff after the meeting concludes.

Friends were given time in small groups, assembled by state, so they could develop lobby visit plans. Pennsylvania had the largest group – with 45 lobbyists!  We used worksheets to guide our process, and received handouts we could leave with the lawmakers at the end. The process is so clear and supportive that Friends who had lobbied only once before could easily step into the role of leader.

Big Finale
All of the training led up to lobbying – 400 Friends strong.  Senators and Representatives were visited by Quakers all day on Friday!

Stay tuned to pym.org/news for more first-hand Quaker lobbying stories and pictures throughout the weekend.

Friends Convene in Washington to Lobby for Bipartisan Legislation with FCNL

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Bill Cozzens, of Germantown Meeting and Margaret Mansfield, of Mount Holly Meeting, prep for lobbying with FCNL staffer Kate Gould (center)

As Quakers from across the United States descended on the capital today, the density of the Quaker population increased significantly in Washington, DC.

Friends came to the Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) to talk about faith and witness, sharing their Quaker beliefs and work in support of civic society.

They also joined conversations that will establish FCNL’s bipartisan lobbying priorities for 2019, listened to policy experts, and advocated for legislation supported by both Democrat and Republican congresspeople. We live in a democracy, and sharing Quaker principles is a meaningful way to engage with lawmakers.

PYM’s General Secretary and Associate Secretary for Program and Religious Life (Christie Duncan-Tessmer and Zachary Dutton) are attending FCNL’s meetings Thursday and Friday. Each day they plan to post web reports on whom they’ve met, sharing stories about what our monthly meeting members hope to accomplish. For those of us who can’t be with them, here is what they witnessed first hand.

From Zachary Dutton:

“There is a display in the lobby of the FCNL annual meeting that reads, “Remember when we thought we could change the future? We still can.”  That positive attitude pervades the gathering I’m attending this weekend.

“This morning, people milled around greeting each other and I took a moment to connect with Nancy Martin (Newtown Monthly Meeting) who identifies as a ‘first timer’ at FCNL’s retreat and lobbying weekend. She said she’s been wanting to do this work for her whole life, because it brings the voices of different justice movements to the very doors of the people who have the power to improve lives through legislation. She talked about her involvement in the Civil Rights Movement and explained she sees similar needs now. Activists, organizers, and legislators need to work together! There is more work to be done!

“This is my first time at the Annual Meeting of the Friends Committee on National Legislation, but when I arrived, I instantly recognized so many PYM Friends. I ran into Bob and Gloria Horvay (Mickleton Meeting) who are part of PYM’s governance leadership and serve on Nominating Council. I encountered Mary Lou Hatcher (Lehigh Valley Meeting), who is  a leader in PYM’s Legislative Policy Collaborative and a member of FCNL’s General Committee.

Emily Temple, Zachary Dutton, and Joey Hartmann-Dow bond at FCNL

“Emily Temple, of Downingtown Meeting, was my “buddy” for the weekend, assigned to help me navigate the conference. She clerks the committee that plans FCNL’s Annual Meeting.

“I asked her what I should say about what makes FCNL ‘the place to be’ when people are considering how best to get involved.  She answered; lobbying and participating in FCNL’s governance proffers hope and energy in a discouraging world.

“I also met up with the graphic storyteller Joey Hartmann-Dow (Lehigh Valley Meeting). She recently created a ‘how-to’ booklet, FCNL SEEKS-issue 1, on lobbying for FCNL, and shared her feelings with me about the importance of empowerment, and the spiritually grounded ways we become motivated through the experience of lobbying.

“There are many ways to help make (legislative and other) change, and it’s important that people involved in various approaches work together as Quakers. Friends Committee on National Legislation is one great way to do it!”

Learn more about how FCNL trains people to lobby through FCNL’s lobbying toolkit.

 

Appreciating FCNL

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The Quaker Life Council on behalf of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting approved on 11.17.18 the following minute of appreciation for Friends Committee on National Legislation.

Minute of Appreciation to Recognize the 75thAnniversary of

The Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL)

Gwynedd Monthly Meeting would like to express its heartfelt appreciation for the 75 years of prayerful attention the Friends Committee on National Legislation has given to furthering Friends testimonies in national policy concerns.  Since the beginning, staff and supporters around the country have lobbied Congress to advance the causes of peace and justice.

The organization was formed to advocate for legislation to provide constructive alternatives to military conscription and aid for the victims of war.  Over the years, FCNL has been instrumental in the movements to prevent genocide and atrocities against individuals, to stand against the threat and use of nuclear weapons and other forms of militarization, to offer a moral basis for federal budget decisions, and to build consensus on climate change.

We support the organization’s future plans to widen the participation of young adults in its work and to offer space and time for people with differing viewpoints to discuss a way forward. As we all work to build “the world we seek,” we will continue to look to our friends at FCNL to provide leadership, initiative and love for our neighbors, without exception.

Gwynedd Friends Meeting [Quaker] approved the above Minute on July 15, 2018.

Neil Trueblood, Clerk of the Meeting

Judy Inskeep, Clerk of Peace and Social Action Committee

office@gwyneddmeeting.org

Abington Quarterly Meeting approved this Minute on October 7th

Questions for Candidates

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Quakers have a long history of political engagement. As the midterm elections approach, the PYM / FCNL Legislative Policy Collaborative encourages all Friends to engage in constructive dialogue with candidates at Town Hall Meetings and via Letters to the Editor.

FCNL’s website section on Questions for Candidates offers nonpartisan guidance on issues Friends care about.

 

 

FCNL Advocacy team meets with Toomey Staff – by Carolyn Houghton

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Friends Committee on National Legislation has been actively developing “Advocacy Teams” across the United States. They offer training regarding best practices to employ when visiting with members of Congress or their staff. And each year FCNL focuses on a single issue;  this year it is improving US relations with North Korea.

Advocacy Team members are thoughtfully and professionally trained, and are supported throughout the process of developing our own initiatives.

I had never been to a Congressional office before our five-member FCNL DelCo (PA) Advocacy Team  met with representatives of Senator Patrick Toomey’s office on Friday, March 9th, 2018.  What follows is, first, our strategic plan for the session and, then, my response to it.

We met with the following concerns:

  1. Promoting diplomacy and peace-oriented decisions in the Korean Peninsula
  2. Reaffirming Congress’s constitutional authority over all non-emergency kinetic military action.

We requested that:

  1. Senator Toomey use his leverage with the Senate leadership and with President Trump to prevent military action, and to enter into diplomatic negotiations with North Korea;
  2. Senator Toomey co-sponsor Chris Murphy’s reaffirmation resolution S. 2047, to demonstrate that this is a bi-partisan issue; and
  3. Senator Toomey go on record publicly reasserting Congress’s constitutional authority and obligation to determine when, where, and if the USA uses military force.

As a result of the meeting, and as a member of the team, I did feel acknowledged and heard. There is no way that any one person’s words are guaranteed to create spontaneous change, but it was rewarding to know that the staff people listened carefully, took notes, and indicated they will condense our words and send the basic message on its way to Senator Toomey.

In addition to me, our Team members were:

  • Jennifer Beer, part-time Wharton faculty, Lansdowne resident, attender Lansdowne Friends Meeting
  • Norm Janes, retired lawyer, Drexel Hill resident, member Lansdowne Friends Meeting
  • Guinevere Janes, retail clerk, Media resident, member Providence Friends Meeting
  • Art Tung, Presbyterian pastor, Upper Darby resident

Submitted by: Carolyn Houghton, retired, member Lansdowne Friends Meeting

FCNL’s Quaker Public Policy Institute big success!

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Can you picture this? There were 425 Quakers from programmed meetings, un-programmed meetings, evangelical Friends churches, and other Quaker organizations from all across the United States, joyfully traipsing all over Capitol Hill on November 2 and 3 this year. About 54 of those Friends were from Philadelphia Yearly Meeting. Imagine! You would think there would be much silence, but no! Though there was worship, we were raising our voices to insist that thereby no increase to the Pentagon budget. We were encouraging a budget with a moral base, pressing for care for people, and speaking out against a bloated Pentagon budget with no accountability at all, even to Congress. We were passionate in holding our representatives to account. We, as constituents, urged them to do the right thing by all the people in their districts. Money for health care, for food stamps, for housing subsidies, for education, and for care for the elderly should not be cut to meet the increases in the budget for military equipment.

In the visit to Sen.Toomey’s office, there were 25 Friends, all of whom knew we were trudging up a stubborn hill. But the stories we told of personal experiences with veterans, of conditions in the city of Philadelphia, of health care needs, were powerful and demanded attention. We also had 25 people in Sen. Casey’s office, where we received a warm welcome as we shared some individual stories of working in non-profits overseas during a crisis, where the money for diplomacy and development grew much more capacity for peace than military outposts. We told a story about the pain and hopelessness in veterans’ hospitals, hoping that WE WOULD MAKE NO MORE VETERANS. We heard that Sen. Casey hopes for our support as he tries to uphold the Iran deal, seeks more funding for poor families, and pushes for an audit of Pentagon spending. We promised those to him and encourage any of you who feel likewise to write to him in support of those issues.

The 54 stalwart Quakers then divided up to visit representatives from their individual legislative districts. Those districts stretched the length and breadth of PYM itself. We represented you all in bringing basic Quaker testimonies to bear on the legislative process. We advocated for peaceful solutions, healthy communities, justice and equality, and restoring our earth. And we were hoarse afterward!

In case you’ve never lobbied but are intrigued by FCNL’s awesome work

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Maybe you’ve heard of FCNL.

I first came into relationship with Friends Committee on National Legislation by way of a push from a Friend. They said, “This is important, you are important, you should team up.”

So I attended Spring Lobby Weekend (begrudgingly!) in 2014 with expectations of feeling overwhelmed, frustrated, and disappointed in our government. But somehow, over a few days, FCNL sneakily transformed me into a hopeful lobbyist. I entered my representative’s office on Capitol Hill alone, prepared, centered, and, I believe, effective.

Look at me now:
Joey FCNL

I had lobbied on ending the Authorization for Use of Military Force, an issue on which I certainly did not feel like an expert, but that I knew with my whole spirit was something that needed to be addressed in Congress.  I was impressed by the smooth organization of that conference—how calm and prepared I felt in my new lobbying shoes. I was immediately energized by the 4 “We Seeks” that define the mission of FCNL’s operation:

We seek a world free of war and the threat of war
We seek a society with equity and justice for all
We seek a community where every person’s potential may be fulfilled
We seek an earth restored

I felt supported by the logical and radical concept of using morality as a common denominator. It felt right to say, “I know we have different views but I think we can agree that a society with equity and justice for all is something worth working for, and here’s what I think will help make that happen.”

I’m 26 years old, and since I was a teenager I’ve felt embarrassed to be an American. I didn’t want to be associated with the reckless consumerism, the racism, the violent greed I tied with our history and our current system– character flaws I had learned to despise growing up in Liberal– and Quaker– circles.

It was through difficult open-minded conversations that I finally realized that my disassociation would not change a powerful country that desperately needs to change. I needed to be an American. I needed to be heard as one, and to be heard, I needed to speak.

But I thought I was already speaking, right? I told Facebook how I felt, and my liberal friends supported me with dozens of clicks. I complained to my mom about the broken system. She was very sympathetic. But eventually I had to admit that, although my mom is important, and social media is a critical tool, the reality is that sweeping political change comes from …policy.

Joey Human Rights Please YAF
And did you know that our representatives are hired by their constituents to take our concerns to the nation’s government? Since none of my representatives have accepted my friend requests (lol), I’m stuck with writing to them and meeting with them to let them know how I want to be represented. It’s still a little overwhelming, because the system is complicated, and what impresses me over and over again is how easily FCNL prepares ordinary people to talk to their representatives.

The bottom line is: You don’t need to be an expert. You just have to be a human.

Bring your human experience with you, and tell your story; you are a lobbyist. Every time you tell someone what you need, you are a lobbyist. You can do this. And you have an incredible opportunity in the resources that FCNL provides at Spring Lobby Weekend (March 18-21, 2017)– this year the issue focus is eliminating economic injustice (specifically addressing healthcare and poverty in the U.S.)

If you are affiliated with PYM and are 18-35ish, the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting can provide funds for your registration as well as travel and housing. Check it out here.

More about Spring Lobby Weekend.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions. I love Spring Lobby Weekend. I LOVE IT.

– Joey Hartmann-Dow, Lehigh Valley Monthly Meeting

P.S. How many PYM YAFs can you spot in this video??

Reposted, with permission, from Joey’s Earth 4 President blog, which you should definitely check out.