FreedomWorks Members Lobby Virginia Delegation

On Tuesday, May 2nd a group of students from Patrick Henry College in Purcellville, Virginia came to Washington to lobby on behalf of FreedomWorks. The team consisted of 10 conservative students and was led by FreedomWorks volunteer chapter leader Joshua Dispenza.

The group lobbied various senators and representatives on the need for a national franchise telecom bill, which excludes network neutrality provisions; a tax reconciliation package that extends capital gains and dividends tax cuts, and repeals the AMT; and the need for young workers to have personal retirement accounts that can be owned and passed along to children.

Due to Rep. Tom Davis’ chairmanship of the Government Reform Committee, his office was especially attentive to FreedomWorks’ plan for personal retirement accounts. The legislative assistant agreed that the issue needed to be resolved, and said she would consider the PRA’s as an option for doing so.

The students also had a great meeting with Sen. George Allen’s LA about telecom and social security.

The highlight of the lobbying experience for the students was when Sen. John McCain talked with them on his way to his office. The students mentioned that FreedomWorks was supporting telecom reform without net neutrality provisions as well as personal retirement accounts for social security. Sen. McCain replied that he supported reforming the telecommunications industry and that if Congress did not act, they should all be held accountable.

The team visited the offices of the following legislators…

On Telecommunications:

Rep. Rick Boucher (VA)
Sen. John McCain (AZ)
Sen. Trent Lott (MS)
Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (TX)
Sen. Gordon Smith (OR)
Sen. John Ensign (NV)
Sen. George Allen (VA)
Sen. Jim DeMint (SC)

On Tax Reconciliation:

Sen. John Sununu (NH)
Sen. John Warner (VA)
Sen. George Allen (VA)
Rep. Bill Thomas (CA)
Rep. Jim McCreary (LA)
Rep. Charles Rangel (NY)
Rep. Pete Stark (CA)

On Personal Retirement Accounts for Social Security:

Sen. George Allen (VA)
Rep. Randy Forbes (VA)
Rep. Bob Goodlatte (VA)
Rep. Frank Wolfe (VA)
Rep. Tom Davis III (VA)
Rep. James Moran (VA)