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Notes compiled and blog contributed by Alliance intern, Camie Rodan

Yesterday, we all breathed a collective sigh of relief to learn that the first rounds of budget cuts in the U.S. House of Representatives did not affect biking and walking programs. But things are changing by the minute. Though we dodged this bullet, we all need to stay on our toes, ready to mobilize at a moment’s notice.

To keep you informed with updates on federal funding and the happenings on Capitol Hill, we hosted our latest Federal Policy Call yesterday with our partners from America Bikes. Here are the highlights from that call. 2012 Budget

President Obama released a preliminary version of the 2012 budget this past Monday. At this point, it is very topline. America Bikes will be meeting with members of the Department of Transportation to learn more details. We hope to have more information for you by the National Bike Summit.

What’s Happening on Capitol Hill

There’s been a lot happening on Capitol Hill. Nearly 600 amendments have been proposed to HR1. While none of these amendments attacked biking and walking programs, there have been brutal hits to transit, health and trails, including funding for the Centers Disease Control and Prevention. (UPDATE: The amendment we told you about yesterday, which would have zeroed out the Land and Water Conservation Fund, was defeated!)

We also could see amendments on the floor of the Senate in a few weeks. We will come back to you once the budget heads to the Senate, and will make sure you’re ready for any amendments that may come then.

On the transportation side, Transportation for America is still processing the budget information, but there are huge cuts in the budget for transportation itself.  The initial language includes cuts in New Starts, high-speed rail, and the TIGER program. If you’re not already part of Transportation for America, head over to their website to sign up and learn more.

March Forth Campaign status

Thank you all for scheduling in-district meetings. Not having an attack on the table comes from what you are telling your elected officials in your home district. We have a number of meetings scheduled and we’re looking forward to seeing what comes back as a result. These meetings are important in building relationships, as well as education. The Bike Summit is a great second step, and then we can follow up beyond that.

For instance: We heard from members in Wisconsin and New Hampshire, who both received positive feedback in their meetings. Strong support in Wisconsin is largely the result educating officials on the economic impact of biking, as well as the influence on tourism, both of which resonated with the elected officials there. Our members in New Hampshire also met with freshman Representative Frank Guinta’s in-district staffer, who was very receptive to biking and walking concerns. The staffer reported a good experience with the mayor of Manchester and bike paths, so hopefully he will channel that enthusiasm and support in his votes.

It is not too late to have in-district meetings with Members of Congress. Whether you are meeting with the member or a staffer, it’s a good idea to bring allies — a local bike shop owner or local elected official, for instance — to deliver a unified message. You may also want to think about upcoming events in March, April or May, during which you can introduce the elected official in a ribbon cutting ceremony, at the unveiling of bike lanes or opening of a new facility.

At this point, it’s imperative that we focus on general education and talking about the benefits of biking and walking. There are a lot of freshmen in the House and we need to educate them about how biking and walking is a vital part of transportation.

Feedback on Coordinated National Campaign and Importance of Unified Messaging

We’ve received feedback from our America Bikes partners that the biking and walking movement has been, by far, the most organized campaign in preparing for the vote in the House. We’ve found that economic and job analyses are very helpful and effective in getting our message across. America Bikes recently contracted with the Political Economy Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts on a new job-creation study focused on Baltimore, Maryland, which found that nearly twice as many jobs are created from biking and walking projects than regular road construction. America Bikes hopes to work with other cities and towns to get similar data. If you’re interested in helping facilitate such a study in your area, e-mail .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

Chairman Mica’s Listening Sessions

Chairman Mica, the new Transportation and Infrastructure chair, is doing a series of listening sessions across the country that started earlier this week. Nearly every single listening session coordinates with a new Republican that serves on the transportation committee, so this is an excellent opportunity to introduce them to and educate them about various transportation elements.

Unfortunately, we’ve heard that speakers at these listening sessions are by invitation only. Local congressional offices are coordinating the speakers list, so if you have a great person to speak, call your local office and see if they can tell you how to get on the speakers’ list. You can also scan the speaker list and reach out to the speakers directly.

The sessions are open to the public, and, while speakers are only by-invitation only, some written testimony will also be accepted. Be sure to check out where you can submit written testimony to ensure that your thoughts are recorded.

We need to keep in mind that the listening sessions are essentially a place for new members of Congress on the transportation committee to hear from constituents on transportation issues. It is important that we get biking and walking representatives, because this will be first voices they’ve heard on biking and walking. The main point we want to get across in these listening sessions is that biking and walking is important in their district and communities.

At this time, we do not know the format of these events. We’ve heard through the grapevine that different events will have different formats, so if anyone does get to an event, please let us know. If you are planning on attending one of these events, please .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) at the Alliance for talking points that were designed for in-district meetings. The most fundamental point we want to be reiterating: Biking and walking programs are beneficial for jobs, tourism, and our health, solving multiple problems simultaneously.

Don’t hesitate to contact .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)at the Alliance for additional information and resources.