Lobbying on Capitol Hill as a First-Time Voter

By Casey Herek

Want to know the best way to prepare yourself to vote for the first time? Being active and involved with your representatives before they reach out to you for support. I joined Citizens’ Climate Lobby (CCL) in May of this year as a member of the Southern Minnesota chapter. The term ‘lobbyist’ tends to leave a bad taste in the mouth, but the CCL is more about practicing advocacy. There is no money involved in these meetings, and the people who attend are nowhere near being professional lobbyists. CCL members typically engage in grassroots outreach (such as tabling or writing cards) and write to members of Congress.

However, I attended Citizens’ Climate Lobby’s 2026 Summer Conference and Lobby Day on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., which was a drastic step up from how I normally interact with politics as a CCL member. It was an opportunity to give my two cents to government officials face-to-face (in the most respectful way possible). This was made possible by a generous scholarship offer via an outside donor, organized through the Minnesota delegation of Citizens’ Climate Lobby. Bob Tereba, local Winona resident and head of the Southern Minnesota CCL chapter, first made me aware of this opportunity and provided much needed guidance along the application process. Myself and three other college students with close ties to Minnesota were awarded this scholarship, which provided for flight, hotel, and conference registration costs. Over the three nights I spent in D.C., I would find inspiration in seeing everyday people who care about the climate taking it to the next level, going out of their way to speak directly with Senate and House members about bipartisan climate solutions.

In total, over 850 CCL members from all 50 states gathered in D.C.to meet with the staff of 405 members of Congress. Conference Day consisted of lobby training, various presentations on relevant topics, and time to prepare for lobbying the following day. Our primary focus for Congress was to gain support on permitting reform. Permitting reform on a nationwide scale would allow for new, reliable energy projects to be built quicker, making clean, secure energy more readily available for Americans. Our version also included a centralized effort to to build high-powered transmission lines across the United States, reducing nationwide concerns about energy insecure in both rural and urban areas. Additionally, we looked to ensure forest health and wildfire prevention and relief via the Fix Our Forest Act and supporting a fully funded Forest Service. It seems that all Minnesotans have a horror story of their own when it comes to the wildfires in Canada and the Boundary Waters, making the topic much more relevant and urgent as it comes up in lobby meetins. Seeing as the CCL is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, it was crucial that these two objectives were bipartisan climate solutions, ensuring they can be agreed upon and written into law as soon as possible. Lobby Day taught me that urgent climate fixes are more reliable and durable when people can work across the aisle. I was a part of four different lobby teams for four Minnesota Representatives. This included Betty McCollum (District 4), Tom Emmer (District 6), and Michelle Fischbach (District 7), and our own District 1 Congressman Brad Finstad. This meeting was with Derek Roberts, Representative Finstad’s aide in the Energy, Environmental, and Natural Resources department. This was a special occasion, as I was the first CCL member to talk to Congressman Finstad’s staff as a constituent, being the first member of my chapter to attend the Summer Conference in D.C.in person.

Although the events of the meetings must remain confidential, a shocking observation I made was how willing and open everybody (CCL member and D.C.staffers) was to hearing different perspectives and ideals they may not agree with. It did not live up to the tribalistic apprehensiveness that you seem to hear so much of on the news. I am extremely grateful to have experienced such a transformative event without any financial burden, thanks to the scholarship I was awarded. Such an experience has prepared me as a voter and an active constituent. As a lifelong resident of Houston and the Southeast Minnesota, it is important to me that I go into our local, state and federal elections as an educated, knowledgeable voter. What better way to do so than going to our nation’s capital and speaking for what I believe in and meeting some amazing people along the way?

I highly encourage others to find some way to be active with your government. And if you are interested in climate advocacy, then I could not recommend the CCL enough.

As a Houston High School student, Casey job shadowed at the Fillmore County Journal. He is now majoring in Environmental Sciences at Luther College. He is currently finishing a summer internship doing wildlife conservation with Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation.