My 2023 Lobby Day experience

{"version":"0.3.0","atoms":[],"cards":[],"markups":[],"sections":[[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Architects are community builders, and now more than ever, we need to play a role in the legislative process. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Before the 2023 AIA Lobby Day, I made one previous lobby visit with AIA at the state level in Indiana when I lived in Indianapolis. Prior to that visit, I recall having no understanding of how impactful our local components could be on local politics\u2014specifically, on lesser-known bills that seemed to garner very little media coverage or held significant influence on our projects or clients but were nevertheless important to our ability to practice."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"While in Washington, DC, along with members of AIA Los Angeles and AIA California, respectively, I met with the legislative staff of Representative Tony Cardenas (D-CA) and Senator Diane Feinstein (D-CA) from my adopted home state of California. At the Opening Session\u2014prior to Hill Day\u2014we were privileged to have received recorded remarks from both, Senator Edward Markey (D-MA) and Representative Buddy Carter (R-GA), who were supportive of our advocacy efforts. Whether walking the halls of the House or Senate office buildings, "]]],[1,"blockquote",[[0,[],0,"I was in awe that we were in the place where decisions are made which impact the lives of 330 million American citizens, both at home and abroad. We were there to deliver messages on behalf of our members, which we believe are in the best interest of the profession of architecture and the public. Our impact is not in the individual voice but rather, in the collective and unified voice in which we speak! In a true example of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts\u2014for AIA, as represented by 400+ architects, to arrive on Capitol Hill carrying a unified message in which we, as architects, are most qualified to give is both impactful and humbling."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"If you have the opportunity to speak to lawmakers on behalf of issues that impact our profession, I encourage you to take advantage of such an opportunity to establish your agency and to recognize your voice\u2019s impact on this nation\u2019s policy."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"As the 2023 Chair of the AIA\u2019s Government Advocacy Committee, I was motivated to join AIA on Lobby Day because, with the current political climate, there seems to be an attack on all things that are non-status quo, non-mainstream, all things diverse, and those things which humanize us and allow people to simply exist. I am observing a climate where a lack of understanding or agreement is compelling enough for some parties to simply legislate the \u2018right to exist\u2019 out of existence. There is something morally empty about this. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"But after joining fellow architects to advocate for the bi-partisan Democracy in Design Act and the Resilient AMERICA Act, I believe that there are many issues that impact the health, safety and welfare of society as well as, the aesthetic and function of the built community for which we must advocate. If not us, then who?"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"If you have the opportunity to speak to lawmakers on behalf of issues that impact our profession, I encourage you to make an effort to build the relationships in government to advance the issues that matter most to architects and the communities we serve."]]],[1,"p",[]]]}