<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

The campaign to get members of Congress to both cosponsor
and support Congresswoman Lowey's legislation is very
important.

As someone who has both worked as staff to a member and
counsel to a Committee, I can tell you that members offices
get hundreds of 'form letters' on a variety of topics.

They are frequently handed to low level staffers to answer.

If you want your message to be "heard" I offer the
following advice.

-- Take key information from the form letter and modify it,
using your own words.

--Add personal experiences, particularly adverse
consequences, i.e. you ate something that you were led to
believe was gf, then had a bad, or even serious, reaction.
The less a letter looks like 50 others, the better.

-- Mention in the letter that you'd like to meet with local
representatives of the Member one on one.  Or make the
appointment, and mention it in the letter.

The most impressive meeting I ever had was with 3 little
girls (all under 11) from NJ, who spoke to me about
juvenile diabetes. I knew little of their illness or how
they had to manage it.  They showed me what they had to go
through to monitor their glucose levels, and answered my
very elementary questions, while their Moms observed.  I
still have the picture they took in my office.

Remember too, that it took years for the initial food
labeling bill to pass. That manufacturers would take the
step to 'voluntarily' add more information to their labels,

is a huge step forward.  And it helps to note that such an
effort is significant, but that it has its shortcomings.

Andrea