Legislative Update

Welcome to New Members of Congress

The 110th Congress convenes today, with 10 new Senators, 56 new members of the House of Representatives, and new leadership setting the agenda for the coming year. As the legislators begin to take their positions on committees and subcommittees and develop a legislative program, this is the time to contact your state’s new (and returning) congressional representatives and senators. Begin the process of building or strengthening your relationships with your legislators and their staff. Here are some suggestions:

Express your congratulations and good wishes on their recent election.
Let your legislators know of your interest in their work and its impact on yours.
Offer to be of help during the coming months on issues having to do with federal support for the arts.
Offer to arrange a meeting in your state for your newly elected federal legislators with representatives of the arts community so they develop an understanding of the value of the arts to the citizens of your state.

Please let us know at NASAA if you have close relationships with any member of Congress. When you come to Washington, D.C., and please make the point to schedule a visit with your legislators in the House and Senate. Let us know in advance if you would like help with identifying the issues important to the arts in Congress. We are happy to join you in these meetings with your legislators.

Look over the list below of new House and Senate members. If you have not done so already, take a moment to send a letter to your new legislators in Washington, introducing yourself with some information about your state arts agency and your willingness to assist on legislative issues.

Arizona: Rep. Harry Mitchell (D), Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D)
California: Rep. Gerald McNerney (D), Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R)
Colorado: Rep. Doug Lamborn (R), Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D)
Connecticut: Rep. Joseph Courtney (D), Rep. Christopher Murphy (D)
Florida: Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R), Rep. Kathy Castor (D), Vern Buchannan (R), Tim Mahoney (D), Rep. Ron Klein (D)
Georgia: Rep. Hank Johnson (D)
Hawaii: Rep. Mazie Hirono (D)
Idaho: Rep. William Sali (R)
Illinois: Rep. Peter Roskam (R), Phil Hare (D)
Indiana: Rep. Joe Donnelly (D), Brad Ellsworth (D), Baron Hill (D)
Iowa: Rep. Bruce Braley (D), Rep. Dave Loebsack (D)
Kansas: Rep. Nancy Boyda (D)
Kentucky: Rep. John Yarmuth (D)
Maryland: Sen. Ben Cardin (D), Rep. John Sarbanes (D)
Michigan: Rep. Tim Walberg (R)
Minnesota: Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D), Rep. Tim Walz (D), Rep. Keith Ellison (D), Rep. Michele Bachmann (R)
Missouri: Sen. Claire McCaskill (D)
Montana: Sen. Jon Tester (D)
Nebraska: Rep. Adrian Smith (R)
Nevada: Rep. Dean Heller (R)
New Hampshire: Rep. Carol Shea Porter (D), Rep. Paul Hodes (D)
New Jersey: Rep. Albio Sires (D)
New York: Rep. Yvette Clarke (D), Rep. John Hall (D), Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand (D), Rep. Michael Arcuri (D)
North Carolina: Rep. Heath Shuler (D)
Ohio: Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Rep. Jim Jordan (R), Rep. Charlie Wilson (D), Rep. Betty Sutton (D), Rep. Zack Space (D)
Oklahoma: Rep. Mary Fallin (R)
Pennsylvania: Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA), Rep. Jason Altmire (D), Rep. Joe Sestak (D), Rep. Patrick Murphy (D), Rep. Christopher Carney (D)
Rhode Island: Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D)
Tennessee: Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN), Rep. David Davis (R), Rep. Stephen Cohen (D)
Texas: Rep. Nicholas Lampson (D), Rep. Ciro Rodriguez (D)
Vermont: Sen. Bernie Sanders (I), Rep. Peter Welch (D)
Virginia: Sen. James Jim Webb (D)
Wisconsin: Rep. Steve Kagen (DI)

You may contact your representatives in Congress electronically through the Government Guide Web site at: http://mygov.governmentguide.com/mygov/dbq/officials/, or you may address your postal letters as follows:

The Honorable __________________
U.S. Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510

The Honorable __________________
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515