Heart of Health Policy | ACC Advocacy Welcomes New Members of Congress
ACC Advocacy Welcomes New Members of Congress

The 119th Congress kicked off in January with 75 new members of Congress, including 12 senators and 63 members of the U.S. House of Representatives. Five of these new members are physicians.
ACC Advocacy staff visited more than 20 congressional offices on "Swearing-In Day," where House and Senate offices hosted open house receptions to welcome the beginning of a new Congress. Your ACC prioritized meeting with House and Senate leadership, physician members of Congress, those sitting on key committees and lawmakers new to Capitol Hill to discuss ACC's key legislative issues for the new session.
ACC's Top Tips For Building Relationships With New Lawmakers
Host Your Lawmakers at Your Practice
ACC's Legislator Practice Visit Program is another avenue to establish a long-term relationship with policymakers. These visits offer opportunities to showcase the importance of the cardiovascular care team and foster trust and respect through a personalized experience. The program involves inviting either federal or state lawmakers to visit a cardiology practice to spend time observing the health care delivery process and experiencing interactions with patients firsthand. Interested in hosting a practice visit? Email advocacyleg@acc.org to learn more.
Linda A. Ireland, DO, FACC, hosting Alaska State Senator Elvi Gray-Jackson at the Alaska Heart and Vascular Institute.
Joseph Edward Marine, MD, MBA, FACC, and Sammy Zakaria, MD, FACC, hosting Rep. Kweisi Mfume for a practice visit in Maryland.
Meet Your Representatives
Meeting elected officials who represent your community at the state and federal level is the first step in relationship building. ACC's Legislative Conference provides an annual opportunity to meet with federal lawmakers and many ACC Chapters plan state capitol days to meet with representatives at the state level. Additionally, lawmakers will often attend or host various community events. Check out an elected official's public calendar or social media to identify upcoming events. An in-district meeting with a member of Congress is just as effective as meeting on Capitol Hill.
Share Your Story
Storytelling is the most effective way to advocate for your patients and profession. Using real-world evidence and anecdotes to demonstrate the impact legislation has on the ability to deliver high-quality care, humanizes the issue and its importance. Clinicians have the subject matter expertise that lawmakers need to make informed decisions when determining the future of health policy. Sharing stories from your experience can play a vital role in advancing the legislation you support.
Continue the Conversation Online
Many state and federal policymakers interact with their constituents by sharing legislative updates, hosting interactive town halls and/or responding to member inquiries through various social media platforms. ACC Advocacy encourages ACC Advocates to respectfully engage with their lawmakers through these platforms. Provide insight, ask for support and most importantly thank them for their commitment to the cardiology profession and cardiovascular patients.
Get Your Network Involved
The more ACC Advocates who get involved and participate, the better! Reach out to fellow members when you have a meeting scheduled and encourage members in your chapter or section to participate in ACC Legislative Conference. Advocacy is a team sport, and we achieve the greatest impact by working together.
The dedication of ACC Advocates lie you is what makes advocacy victories possible! In the final weeks of 2024, Congress preserved an extension of telehealth flexibilities in a continuing resolution to fund the government through March 31. Now that the new Congress is in session, ACC Advocacy is committed to keeping this momentum in 2025. As longer-term funding negotiations continue, the ACC is pushing for a permanent telehealth flexibilities extension along with both short- and long-term Medicare reform.
Keywords: Cardiology Magazine, ACC Publications, Leadership, ACC Advocacy, Health Policy, Government, Delivery of Health Care, Patient Care Team