Thank You Note to Congressional Offices
Please thank the Congressional staff that you met with during the Hill Day! You may find a draft thank you note below for guidance. Customize the thank you email by adding any relevant information and/or details from your Capitol Hill meetings, and then to the Congressional staffer you met with. This will show appreciation and reinforce your advocacy. If you were on a team, the team leader may send one thank you note on behalf of the group. If you are the sender, please cc the other members of the team on the email.
Sample Subject Line: Thank You and Follow Up from [DATE] Meeting
Dear [Name of Staffer/Representative/Senator]:
Thank you so much for taking the time to meet with me [AND ADDITIONAL PARTICIPANTS] on [DATE] regarding misinformation and misunderstandings around psychological animal research. These are affecting important work with potential for broad benefits to society and [I / WE] hope your office will oppose legislation that places new burdens on researchers and the National Institutes of Health.
Specifically, I hope you will [OPPOSE HR 1024 / OPPOSE ANY LEGISLATION THAT COMES TO THE SENATE SIMILAR TO HR 1024]. This legislation is concerning because:
- Its reporting provisions are unnecessarily burdensome. The use of animals in research is already highly regulated and transparent, and labs are regularly inspected to ensure the safety and well-being of animals.
- Its provisions about a National Institutes of Health center to promote alternatives to animal research are duplicative. Scientists who wish to develop alternatives to research with animals can already apply to NIH for funding.
- It would make it harder to for psychological animal researchers to find funding. While well-meaning, alternative methods are not effective substitutes for all uses of animals in research.
The benefits of animal research are far-reaching, providing a deeper understanding of brains and behaviors that could lead to breakthroughs in important health treatments (Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, cancer, etc.), technology that saves lives, and new best practices in teaching, trauma response and more. Now more than ever, when misinformation abounds, we need the federal government to stand by scientists.
[Please add in any additional information regarding animal research that you may have mentioned in your meeting.]
Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any additional questions or require more information. We look forward to continuing to work with you to ensure trust in the National Institutes of Health and its decision-making processes surrounding animal research.
Again, thank you for the opportunity to meet with your office.
Sincerely,
[Name/Title]
[University/Institution]
[Address]
(Phone: XXXX)