A 2006 study showed that the discussions held during these online events was both informative and of high quality. Kathy Goldschmidt of CMF said "People universally loved this and felt very positive about it."

As the past few months have shown us, town hall meetings can draw a wide array of attendees that have very different agendas then just discussing the issues at hand. Media coverage was given to Town Hall meetings that were broken up because some attendees would be yelling or talking over the lawmaker who was there to speak.

Because of the events of the past year at public town hall meetings, I would have to guess that you will see lawmakers schedule more telephone and online town hall meetings in the future. This type of interaction doesn't have the same affect as face to face communication. As law makers switch over to these types of meetings, it makes hosting your lawmaker at your business or coming to SAF's Congressional Action Days that much more important where you can make a personal connection.

If you are interested in hosting your member of Congress, contact me here at SAF.

FYI --Congressional Action Days is March 8-9, 2010 so mark your calendar today.

Relationship building doesn't end with hosting your representative at your shop or business; in reality this is just the beginning. A great example of this is an event that I attended this morning where I was able to speak with Rep. Patrick Tiberi (R-12-Ohio) about his recent visit to Cleveland Plant and Flower Company.

Government Relations Committee Chairman Kevin Priest hosted Tiberi at the Columbus distribution center during the August recess for an hour long tour of his facility. At the breakfast this morning, Tiberi immediately made the connection between me being there to represent SAF and the tour he had taken with Kevin. Tiberi had so many wonderful things to say about how he enjoyed touring the facility, talking with his constituents who were there and Kevin's knowledge of the legislative issues at hand.

SAFPAC gives us the resources to contribute to help floral friendly lawmakers with their campaigns and our PAC check  to Tiberi got us a seat at this breakfast and the  opportunity to reinforce the  relationship Kevin established during his tour got SAF on his radar screen. Not only did I get the chance to speak with Rep. Tiberi but three other congressmen were in attendance as well; Steve LaTourette (R-14-Ohio), Bill Shuster (R-9-Penn.) and John Boozman (R-3-Ark.).

Having the chance to speak with these representatives is key to representing SAF on the hill, but even more important is having our members make a connection with their lawmaker that we can foster even further.

Interested in hosting a tour of your own? Contact Brian Gamberini at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to find out more.

Lawmakers will be face-to-face with the people they represent this month during their annual summer recess period. As senators and representatives trade Washington for their home states and districts, debate about major legislative issues is moving from committee rooms to town hall meetings, giving Americans a unique opportunity to talk directly to their legislators. In mid-September, lawmakers will travel back to Capitol Hill and delve immediately into pending health care and climate change legislation, making this month-long recess a key time for reform efforts on both sides of the aisle.

The good news is that, as they work through these hot-button issues, lawmakers are paying increased attention to constituents. Around the country this month, lawmakers will hold public town hall meetings, in an effort to communicate openly with their constituents concerning the issues at hand.

These meetings are garnering media attention because of their high turnout and the vocal debate they are generating. SAF encourages members to participate in town hall meetings and express concerns they may have in a constructive and productive way. Contact Brian Gamberini at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or go to your lawmakers’ Web sites to find town hall meeting schedules.

Messages from constituents directly influence lawmakers’ votes. In addition to attending a town hall meeting, SAF members should contact senators and representatives by phone or e-mail about the pending health care debate. SAF has a letter pre-written in opposition to H.R. 3200 available online .

For information on how to call or email your lawmaker, visit SAF’s Write to Congress page.

School might be out for summer vacation for most kids, but Congress isn't getting any breaks as they take on an ambitious agenda of topics in the next five weeks. Starting today with swearing in of Senator-Elect Al Franken (D-Minn.) the Senate will finally have a full chamber of 100 members for the first time since the November election cycle.

House and Senate leaders have a number of key issues on their plates as they work through the month of July up to the extended August recess. During the upcoming weeks Congress is likely to continue working a health care system overhaul, climate change, voting on the Sotomayor Supreme Court nomination and perhaps even beginning to discuss immigration reform, which Obama recently reiterated as one of his administration's priorities.

Don't let your opinion go unheard. Drop your Representative or Senator a quick e-mail by using the Write to Congress feature on SAF's website. Times like now, when important bills are in the news and votes are upcoming, are the times  when your opinion gets the most attention. If you are looking to keep track of these pieces of legislation on your own use the "Issues & Legislation" feature, which highlights the bills that you might want to be concerned about.

Looking for more information on the July congressional session and how these issues are affecting your business? Contact SAF's Government Relations Department at 800-336-4743 or  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .