The tumultuous past few years has changed many things in our society, including how Congress interacts with constituents. The advent of remote work and interactions with constituents has simultaneously created new constraints and opportunities for advocates to engage with their lawmakers. This presentation by the Congressional Management Foundation is built from their surveys of congressional staff conducted in 2020 and 2021, in addition to interviews with Congress. The presentation will include:

•  The advantages and challenges of conducting in-person and remote meetings with Members of Congress and staff;
•  Building new relationships with new Members of Congress, including CMF survey data from freshman offices;
•  6 characteristics of advanced advocacy.