Get Involved
Welcome to Legislative Action Center, where we make it easy for you to engage your elected officials and encourage action on behalf of the aviation maintenance industry.
Your involvement in promoting the industry is critical to its success. Here are four simple ways to become active, informed, and involved with ARSA’s efforts to grow the profile of the aviation maintenance industry in Washington.
Click a label below to learn more.
How to Get Involved
Know Your Lawmakers
Click here to learn more about your federal, state, and local representatives simply by entering your address.
Familiarize yourself with your lawmakers and see the key players on Capitol Hill by visiting www.opensecrets.org and www.congress.org. These sites will allow you to review the member’s background and the industries that support them.
A key part of getting to know your elected officials is finding time to meet with them personally. The best opportunities to get face time with a member of Congress is during congressional recess. By checking the House and Senate calendars, you can know when a representative or senator might be in your neighborhood (you can also make sure they’ll be around if you’re planning a trip to the nation’s capital).
The House calendar, maintained by the office of the majority leader, can be found here.
All Senate calendars, schedules and vote records can be found here.
Write Your Lawmakers
The ARSA Congressional Action Center is provided through the generous support of 2022 Annual Conference Sponsor Aircraft Electric Motors. AEM has long been committed to the association and service to the maintenance community through resources for engaging elected officials. Click here to access it and take action today.
Introduce Yourself
Host a Facility Visit
The most effective way for your elected officials to understand the industry and see the role your repair station plays in the local community is to invite them for a tour of your facility. This lets them see firsthand the value of your services, the people you employee, and the high standards of safety and quality that represent the industry. The personal interaction allows you to explain the repercussions of governmental micromanagement on your company, while giving elected officials a chance to interact with their constituents.
Setting up a visit from your representative or senator requires patience and persistence. From helping to arrange the visit to providing materials to educate lawmakers about the industry and your business, ARSA is here to work with your throughout this entire process. Start by creating an invitation using this sample template and be sure to fill out and send your elected official a company profile so they can better understand the dynamics of your business. For further assistance, contact ARSA Executive Vice President Christian A. Klein.
Attend a Town Hall Meeting
Most lawmakers return home during recess or when no votes are scheduled. They often hold town hall meetings at a local civic center or school to inform their constituents about what is happening in Washington and to better understand the problems at home. Attending these meetings is not only informative, but it gives business leaders the opportunity to form better relationships with lawmakers. It may even give you the perfect opening to invite him or her to visit your business. To find information about the next town hall meeting, visit the calendar section of your congressman’s website.
Visit the Hill
If you happen to be in Washington, D.C., scheduling a visit with your elected officials or members of their staff can be a great way to deliver the industry’s message and show the value your repair station brings to your community. This allows you to meet face to face with your officials and explain how their actions affect your ability to do business. If you are unable to meet directly with your member of Congress, a meeting with a member of their staff can serve the same purpose. Just contact ARSA Executive Vice President Christian A. Klein to arrange a meeting with your lawmaker.
ARSA’s congressional Fly-In takes place each spring, the ideal time to come to Washington! During the event, ARSA will assist you in scheduling a meeting with your lawmakers, and will provide you with the information necessary for a successful visit.
Participate in the Political Process
The more exposure elected officials and candidates have to industry, the better acquainted they’ll be with its contributions to the nation’s economy and aviation safety.
ARSA PAC
Lawmakers in Washington consider legislation that will have a direct impact on your company and the economy as a whole. ARSA PAC is a special fund that enables the entire aviation maintenance industry to speak with a common voice in the political process and elect candidates who share its legislative goals. ARSA PAC gives ARSA’s legislative team greater visibility in front of key policymakers.
–Click here to grant prior approval to ARSA PAC–
Federal election laws require that ARSA members give prior approval before ARSA PAC can provide more details about its political activities. Only executives and senior-level staff of ARSA member companies may provide prior approval.
Connect With a Campaign
Campaigns need volunteers whether the candidate is running for Congress or city council. Whether you’re serving on a fundraising committee, going door to door, or making phone calls, your valuable time and network helps the candidate edge closer to electoral victory and raises the profile of your business in front of potential lawmakers.
Having a candidate visit your facility can also raise your company’s profile. Whether you’re hosting a facility visit, or holding a campaign fundraiser or rally at your site, you’re helping educate the candidate and their campaign about the role repair stations play in the local community and the broader economy.
Vote!
Participation in the democratic process is an important part of active citizenship. ARSA encourages its members to vote – it’s one of your most basic and important democratic rights. For more information on voter registration, visit www.congress.org/election.
Engage the Media
Engaging in public affairs allows you to effect policy making through public relations efforts. Any opportunity you have to educate the public about contract maintenance’s excellent safety record and contribution to the local economy, is helping shape policy
Write an Op-ed/Letter to the Editor
Did you find an article in your local newspaper questioning or denigrating the quality or economic benefits of contract maintenance?
Luckily, you know the truth! Take the initiative – visit the editorial page of the paper and set the record straight.
