Lobbying in Congress for the Clean Water Act

During Clean Water Week, February 22-28, four New Mexicans traveled to Washington, DC to participate in the Clean Water Week ’09 Lobby Day, sponsored by the Clean Water Network.

This network is a broad coalition of organizations, including the Sierra Club, that advocate for clean water. The four participants from our state were Joni Arends of Concerned Citizens for Nuclear Safety, from Santa Fe; Marian Naranjo, Director of Honor Our Pueblo Existence, from Santa Clara Pueblo; Rachel Conn, Policy Analyst/Circuit Rider of Amigos Bravos, from Taos; and Eric Patterson, Project Coordinator of Sentinels—Rios de Taos, from Valdez.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, we prepared for the lobbying by listening to and learning from some outstanding talks by a variety of people who really know the ins and outs of both clean water and dealing with Congress. The topics included revision of the Clean Water Act, nuclear waste in water, wetlands protection, CAFO rules, and effects of global warming. There were some panel discussions, including “Lobby Strategies and Messages,” and a very interesting “Buzz on Capital Hill” that featured congressional staff experts. One so-called expert was a global warming denier and industry apologist. This was not a very receptive audience for him.

On Thursday, we met with the staff members of our congressional delegation. A goal of this was to let our senators and representatives know how their constituents feels about important issues. We explained our views about the Clean Water Act Renewal, using stimulus package money to help keep our rivers clean, building green infrastructure, and protecting our ephemeral streams.

In addition to seeking support on important environmental legislation, another goal was to build relationships between the environmental organizations and the congressional offices. For example, the next time I wish to ask for U.S. Representative Ben Ray Luján’s support on an environmental bill, I should be able to talk to Aaron Trujillo, Rep. Luján’s staff member. We now know each other and can effectively communicate ideas, building on an already established relationship. I’ve been writing letters, sending emails, and making phone calls to my senators and representatives for a long time, but actually meeting with them and their staff was both exciting and more effective. I heartily recommend the experience. —Eric Patterson