TorchPAC Political Affairs Committee Binder: Table of Contents

I. Lobbying Guide II. Sample Emails III. How to lobby IV. Talking Points V. Spreadsheet VI. How to use the spreadsheet VII. Legislation / Memos VIII. Lobby Missions IX. Meeting Agendas X. Op-Eds

TorchPAC Political Affairs Committee: Lobbying Guide I. Scheduling a Meeting a. Email the MoCs scheduler using the template provided in the Sample Emails packet. i. Note any and all correspondence in the google document under last contact and notes. ii. Always be respectful, as you represent TorchPAC. iii. Your goal is to meet with a staffer and build a relationship with their office. iv. The subject line of your email should read: NYU Student Group Meeting Request. v. Proofread!! We wnt to avoid all typos! (See what we did there?) vi. Use Mr./Ms., always. vii. Include your contact information. viii. If they do not respond to your email, follow up with a call after two days. ix. Be flexible! 1. If they give you a time to meet, take it. Someone will be free to go. 2. Make sure that your meeting is Shabbat friendly (no meetings late on Friday). a. Do not assume that people know about Shabbat. Just say you are unavailable. x. Your very first email should be sent out at 9:00am. 1. This ensures it will be near the top of the schedulers inbox when they arrive at work. xi. You should not be communicating at unreasonable times (use the 9:00 am - 5:00 pm rule). II. Pre-Lobby Preparation a. Familiarize yourself with the representative (only use trusted sources like the Library of Congress). i. Find out their voting records, their current committees and the issues that they have prioritized. b. Adjust the talking points to best suit the MoC. i. Provide all participants with updated copies of the talking points via email and/or hard copy. c. Brief the participants on the issues. i. Provide all participants with the MoCs voting record on Israel and any other information about the MoC that is relevant to the U.S.-Israel relationship. d. Practice, practice, practice! i. Assign everyone their talking points and make sure people practice speaking! ii. Determine the order for people to speak. 1. Who will give the introduction? a. The person who schedules the meeting, if possible, should give introduction. e. Get directions to the MoCs office and provide them to students attending the meeting. i. Save travel receipts to be reimbursed. III. The Meeting a. Dress professionally. i. Guys should wear a jacket and tie. ii. Girls should dress in conservative business attire (ask Blair if you have questions- she is strict!) b. Arrive 15 minutes early. i. Plan for delays. It is better that you have extra time to practice than show up late to the meeting. c. In the meeting: i. Ask the staffer how much time they have to meet, (so participants can adjust their talking points). ii. Speak politely and be friendly; these people are not your friends yet! 1. Also make regular conversation- they are people, like us.

iii. Ask what you can do for them. 1. Do they need volunteers or interns? iv. Would the Congressperson be interested in coming to speak at NYU? 1. We can guarantee an audience of at least 50 and publish an article explaining why we support that member of Congress in an NYU or local newspaper. IV. Follow Up a. Email the staffer and thank them for their time using a template from the Sample Emails packet. i. This email should be sent one business day later (i.e. if its a Friday meeting, send it Monday). ii. Try to get the email out around 9:00 am, but if not, anywhere between 9:00 am - 5:00 pm is fine. b. Send a hand-written thank you note. c. Regularly correspond with the staffer. i. Monthly follow-up letter. ii. Update of what TorchPAC has been up to.

TorchPAC Political Affairs Committee: Sample Emails

Introductory Email: Dear Ms. /Mr. _________, I hope this email finds you well. I am writing to you on behalf of TorchPAC, New York Universitys nonpartisan, pro-Israel political organization. We are a group of over 200 students dedicated to strengthening the U.S.-Israel relationship on campus and amongst our elected officials. I would like to arrange a meeting between a small group of TorchPAC members and a member of Congressman/Congresswoman____________s staff to discuss the importance of our mission and to share the work in which we as student activists take part. We would like to meet at your office in the _______ (give a specific time frame ie. next two weeks). We understand the office is very busy and we will gladly accommodate any time you can provide us. Please do not hesitate to contact me by phone or email at your convenience. I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you very much.

Sincerely, First and last name Position, TorchPAC Phone number

TorchPAC Political Affairs Committee: Sample Emails

Thank You Emails: Dear Ms. Stein, Thank you so much for meeting with NYU TorchPAC on Friday. We especially appreciate your willingness to meet despite last minute schedule changes. It was truly a pleasure to speak with both you and Talia, and wonderful to learn more about the Congresswoman's strong support for the U.S.-Israel relationship. As discussed in our meeting, please feel free to reach out to me, or any member of the TorchPAC board if the Congresswoman or your office need anything. From simply an extra set of hands, or people to stuff envelopes, to 2014 campaign volunteers, we would be glad to help out ourselves, or send a group of eager and enthusiastic students to your office. We truly appreciate the Congresswoman's unwavering support of the U.S.-Israel relationship and wish to do everything in our power to express our gratitude. Thank you again so much for your time, and have a Happy Thanksgiving.

Best, Blair Hart Newman New York University '13 Director of Political Affairs, TorchPAC

Dear Patrick, Thank you so much for meeting with NYU TorchPAC yesterday. We especially appreciate your willingness to meet at this critical time for Israel. It was truly a pleasure to speak with you, and wonderful to learn more about the Congresswoman's strong support for the U.S.-Israel relationship. As discussed in our meeting, please feel free to reach out to me, or any member of the TorchPAC board if the Congresswoman or your office need anything. From simply an extra set of hands, or people to stuff envelopes, to 2014 campaign volunteers, we would be glad to help out ourselves, or send a group of eager and enthusiastic students to your office. We truly appreciate the Congresswoman's unwavering support of the U.S.-Israel relationship and wish to do everything in our power to express our gratitude.

Best, Blair Hart Newman New York University '13 Director of Political Affairs, TorchPAC

Advocating to Elected Officials Establishing relationships with your elected officials is the most effective way to communicate the depth of support for Israel among their own constituents. As developments in the region pose new questions and challenges, Members of Congress should hear the views of their own pro-Israel constituents. There are multiple ways to put issues on a Members radar screen and having an issue raised by different constituents in a range of venues demonstrates local support to Members of Congress and their staff. I. Advance Preparation a. Designate who will speak for the delegation. One person should introduce the group, others may take the lead in discussing the separate issues, or taking notes. b. Learn about what the Member has done or said on your issues. c. Prepare background material or articles of interest on the issue. You may not have time for a full discussion and should leave behind additional resources. II. At the Meeting a. Be brief. Introduce the delegation quickly, underlining the connection with the Members home district. Keep your presentation of issues to a minute or two. b. Describe local support for Israel including from other allies in your community. c. Get to the point and request a specific action of support. d. Leave plenty of time to hear out the Member about his/her views and reactions. III. If the Member Disagrees. . . a. Disagree without being disagreeable. While Members may have a different view, focus on the commonality of your commitment to Israel and to finding a just and lasting peace between Israel and her neighbors. b. Stay focused. If the Member disagrees, they may try to divert the conversation onto another topic. Be sure to communicate concerns clearly. IV. If the Member Agrees . . . a. Thank him/her for support and reiterate the importance of the issue you and to their constituents. Most letters, calls, and e-mails to Congressional offices are negative which leaves Members with the impression that their positive actions go unnoticed. b. Let them know you are available as a resource and to provide support for the Members work on the issues. V. Keep Lines of Communication Open . . . a. Send a thank you note to the Member and staffer with whom you met. Take the opportunity to reconfirm any commitments made. If he/she is undecided, restate your arguments and enclose additional information supporting your point. b. Continue to correspond with your Member and invite staff to community events.

TorchPAC Talking Points

I. Continue Military Aid to Israel - U.S. security assistance to Israel in the annual foreign aid bill is the most tangible manifestation of American support, especially during a time of tremendous turmoil in the Middle East. - Aid to Israel is an American interest. o Creates Jobs in America: Israel spends ~75% of U.S. aid in the U.S., purchasing military equipment. o Advances Technology: IDF innovations helped save American lives in Afghanistan and Iraq. o Deters major conflict: U.S. aid to Israel makes it clear to potential foes that they cannot defeat Israel. The aid helps Israel maintain its qualitative military edge (QME) over neighboring militaries. o Promotes Peace: Aid to Israel has allowed Israel to remain strong militarily by taking risks for peace. - It is especially important to continue foreign aid for missile defense (Iron Dome) in the South. o Thank Congressmen for the Iron Dome, which was designed to intercept artillery shells and shortrange rockets from Hamas and Hizballah, and has successfully intercepted hundreds of rockets fired from Gaza at Israel over the past year. o While Iron Dome is not a final solution (terrorism still exists), it has been extremely successful in intercepting rockets and sparing both Israeli and Palestinian lives. - Foreign aid is an affordable investment- it constitutes only 1% of the Federal budget. - President Obamas FY2013 budget request for $3.1 billion in aid to Israel represents the fifth year of a 10year security agreement entered into by President George W. Bush outlining Americas enduring security commitment to the Jewish state.

II. Prevent Iranian Nuclear Weapons Capability - A nuclear-armed Iran would pose a direct threat to American interests and an existential threat to Israel. It would likely spur a nuclear arms race in the Middle East, potentially leading to nuclear proliferation around the globe, and fundamentally altering the strategic balance of the Middle East. - Tehran has indicated no willingness to change its nuclear course. The latest International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report shows that Iran has completed installing centrifuges at its Fordow enrichment facility and has dramatically increased its stockpile of 20 percent enriched uranium. Iran could soon produce enough 20 percent enriched uranium for a nuclear explosive device in as little as four months. - Sanctions are the last best hope of peacefully persuading Iran to suspend its quest for nuclear weapons. o In order to persuade Iran to halt its nuclear program, the United States must rigorously implement existing sanctions and seek ways to increase the pressure on Iran. The United States should lay out clear expectations for any talks and not allow negotiations to be open-ended. - The United States must also insist that Iran take meaningful steps to suspend its nuclear program and comply with U.N. Security Council resolutions before offering to relax the pressure on Iran.

III. Pressure the Palestinian Authority to Return to Talks or Face Consequences - The PA has continuously rejected peace offers from Israeli Prime Ministers. o They continue to set preconditions to negotiations so that they can avoid negotiating with Israel. o The fact is, true peace requires the cooperation of all parties. - The U.N. General Assembly passage of a resolution granting the Palestinians non-member observer state status is a direct blow to Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts. o An actual Palestinian state can only be achieved by direct negotiations between the two countries. UN General Assembly recognition of a virtual state of Palestine does nothing to advance that process and hinders resumption of real peace talks. It has contributed to the regions instability, which directly affects the security of Israeli civilians. o PLO Chairman Mahmoud Abbas has indicated that he will use this recognition to isolate Israel and attack the Jewish State in the international criminal court. The United States should continue to press the Palestinians to refrain from such actions and outline repercussions if they move ahead, such as closing the PLO office in Washington.

Last Rev. 2/2013

Division of Members of Congress Blair: 6. Grace Meng (D) 9. Yvette Clarke (D) 12. Carolyn Maloney (D) 17. Nita Lowey (D) 18. Sean-Patrick Maloney (D)

Ethan: 1. Tim Bishop (D) 3. Steve Israel (D) 4. Carolyn McCarthy (D)

Jonathan: 2. Peter King (R) 5. Gregory Meeks (D) 11. Michael Grimm (R) Lily: 10. Jerrold Nadler (D) 15. Jose Serrano (D) 16. Eliot Engel (D) Phil: 8. Hakeem Jeffries (D) 13. Charles Rangel (D) 14. Joseph Crowley (D)

Using the MoC Spreadsheet The Members of Congress Spreadsheet is the most important document for TorchPACs Political Affairs Committee. It contains all of the information you will need to schedule appointments with Members of Congress and their staff. It is important that you do not share the information in this document. It is for TorchPAC eyes only. As a member of the Political Affairs Committee, you have been assigned three Congressmen for whom you will be responsible. From this point forward, you are TorchPACs key connection (keycon) to those members. In this role, you have several responsibilities: 1. Staying up to date on all legislation that pertains to the U.S.-Israel relationship, and keeping track of how your members of Congress vote. a. While we will do our best to alert you of all legislation on the House floor, you are ultimately responsible for keeping track of your three members of Congress. b. This is vital because we will need to know which MoCs to thank for cosponsoring pro-Israel legislation, both by phone and when we lobby. 2. Checking in with your contacts at the congressional offices frequently by email or phone. a. For instance, asking if they need any help, i.e. volunteers. 3. Scheduling meetings (lobby missions) with your three MoCs each semester. a. Remember, as Jonathan Kessler says, Lobbying once is an oxymoron! In order to run our committee efficiently, we need to ensure that the spreadsheet is always current and updated to reflect any and all developments. Every time you make any sort of contact with a Member of Congress or their staff, it needs to be documented in the spreadsheet in the Last Contact column. If there are specific details regarding the contact, please add them to the Notes column. When you schedule a meeting with a Member of Congress or their staff, add this to Notes but also be sure to email Blair or Jonathan immediately with all of the details so that they can pass this information along to the rest of TorchPAC. Lastly, do not hesitate to ask questions! We are here to help!

Mission Statement of TorchPACs Political Affairs Committee TorchPAC's Political Affairs Committee mobilizes pro-Israel student activists for legislative impact. To do this effectively, the committee works to build relationships with members of Congress in the New York area, tracks legislation of importance to the U.S.-Israel relationship and organizes legislative impact initiatives, such as lobby missions.