Figure. From left to right: Jeremy Haines, MA, Legislative & Political Affairs Manager; Juliana Nicolini, MSW, Public Policy & Advocacy Project Coordinator; Catherine Hendricks, State Advocacy Manager; Brad Stine, Legislative & Political Affairs Vice President; Chase Clanahan, Legislative & Political Affairs Manager.

When people think about the U.S. Government and Capitol Hill, it might be easy to imagine a House of Cards or West Wing-esque scenario. These TV shows enthralled audiences with their nefarious characters, but reality is far less dramatic. Most of the time, life on Capitol Hill is just members of Congress trying their best to represent their constituents on a wide variety of issues. The tricky part is that these issues can divide not only their constituents, but the whole country.

You might be wondering how anyone could keep their finger on the pulse of so many different issues to make informed decisions, but that’s where associations like the AUA step in. Congressional staffers often handle a wide variety of issue areas, which makes it almost impossible for them to be experts on everything. Instead, they rely on lobbyists from different sectors to help keep them apprised of the issues. This is where the AUA’s Washington, DC, office comes into play by advocating for the AUA’s priorities. In fact, the AUA invests over $2 million each year to support our advocacy efforts, which include supporting the DC office space. Not all other medical specialties have a presence in Washington, DC, so we are grateful to the AUA for their ongoing support of our presence near Capitol Hill.

The AUA’s Washington, DC, office is home to the Legislative and Political Affairs Department, which handles a wide variety of issues important to our membership, including state advocacy, federal advocacy, and AUAPAC (see Figure). Our DC office provides us with the opportunity to have a boots-on-the-ground approach to working with coalition partners and directly engage legislators on issues that matter most to AUA members. Being able to walk to Capitol Hill to meet with members of Congress and their staff in person, or to attend candidate fundraisers on behalf of AUAPAC, goes a long way in developing meaningful relationships on Capitol Hill. With Hill offices opening back up and meetings being held in person again, convenient access in Washington, DC, is a must. The AUA’s state advocacy program also runs out of the DC office and is key to encouraging and supporting AUA members to become effective state-level advocates for their patients and their profession.

While Capitol Hill is slightly more mundane than your favorite TV drama may suggest, the work happening out of the AUA’s DC office is exciting, dynamic, and vital for the specialty of urology. You can personally experience your own visit to Capitol Hill to meet with your legislators at the 2023 Annual Urology Advocacy Summit. Advocate for your patients and specialty, network with advocacy leaders at the AUA, and meet all the AUA public policy staff who support the AUA’s advocacy mission.