Congressional Communications

"It's not unusual to see David Berry and Cissy Palomares on Capitol Hill. In past years, they have gathered letters on the importance of constituent opinion. But this year's campaign is different.

NWYC'S Congressional Communications Director, David Berry, is adding another dimension to the Customer Service Task Force program. He and Cissy Palomares, Manager of Congressional Communications, are approaching Capitol Hill with a new objective; that is to gather stories from Congress about how constituent opinion has actually influenced legislation. The results to date have been extremely impressive, and many letters are already on file." -The Banner

-"In my over thirty years in Congress, constituents, through written correspondence, town halls, telephone calls, and meetings have directly affected my voting record and legislative priorities. I believe my vote is your voice in Washington and I work every day to ensure the interests and principles of Alabama voters are reflected in my work on behalf of our great state and nation."
-Senator Richard Shelby (R) Alabama

One Voice-The Power of A Letter

"One specific example comes to mind. In 2008 when I was still a businessman and candidate, my office received a letter from a daughter of a WWII veteran who had served as a corpsman during the battle of Iwo Jima. Her father had never received the medals he had earned during a day of fierce combat, and their family had for years not been able to find anyone to help. I resolved that if I became a Congressman, I would do all I could to help that veteran and others like him. I'm pleased to say that my staff went to work shortly after I took office, and in 2009 we held an official ceremony where I presented this American hero with the medals he deserved."
-Congressman Walt Minnick, (D) 1st District, Idaho

Power from the people...

Would you agree that our precious freedoms are taken for granted by most citizens? Many people complain about what is wrong with our government but will not, or don't know how, to take constructive action to do anything about it. It has been said that if the United States ceases to be a world power, its demise will come from within. To keep that from happening, and to preserve our freedoms, we must fight for and insist upon maintaining the vision of our Founding Fathers.

We are living under a system of government that derives its powers from the people...from the bottom up rather than from the top down. It was first introduced in its basic form by a young delegate from Virginia by the name of James Madison. Madison is often called the "Father of the Constitution," and was the fourth President of the United States.

The Constitution and our Founding Fathers made it clear that the government must derive its power from the people. Unfortunately, this message is lost in our age of apathy, lobbies and special interest groups. That is why our work is so important. We fight to keep the power with the people as our Founding Fathers envisioned.
-Bill Witcher