Whether the issue is addressed on an National or local level, you can learn your Senator, Congressmen, state legislative representatives contacts information and stance on a particular issue.

If you want to act directly, you can verify you all of you national and state representatives by keying into http://www.mgaleg.maryland.gov

• Under “Members”, go to Find My Representative,
• then go to :”Look Up.” and
• Key in your address and zipcode.
• Click on the "Find" button

All of your national and local representatives are listed.  Clink on the name, and all contact information will be listed.

Whenever you meet or contact your representative:

• Make sure a legislator understands the purpose of a visit before a meeting. Every lawmaker deals with a wide variety of legislative issues and cannot be expected to be an expert on all of them.
   
• Become acquainted with the legislator’s local office staff, especially those with responsibility in areas of interest to MOAA members. Don’t consider it a put-down if you don’t get to visit a legislator in person. They are busy and rely on staff for advice.

Know a legislator’s position on those issues, and be aware of committee assignments and major legislation in which the legislator has shown particular interest. For National contacts, you can call MOAA’s Member Service Center at (800) 234-MOAA (6622) or email legis@moaa.org for the latest status on an issue, a legislator’s co-sponsorship status, and advice on how you might approach a legislator.

                                              
For National issues, you can take advantage of MOAA. The prime advocacy organization for numerous issues in Congress affecting active duty and retired service personnel! To stay current and informed use the national MOAA website. To send prepared messages by email efficiently to influence your federal government representatives go to the new National MOAA website or right to MOAA's Legislative Action Center.

On local issues, our chapter newsletters request that you visit, call, or write your Maryland legislators concerning legislative initiatives concerning our legislative priorities. Numerous valid sources recommend the telephone approach, rather than email. Why? Telephone calls and voicemails interrupt the staff members’ work. When they are receiving lots of calls on an issue, or having to listen to lots of voicemails, it drives home the point that the issue is important.