COP on the Hill: Stories from the week of November 3, 2023

Weekly Activities:

Spend 15K or just show up? I had done my 6 presentations on Thursday and had some free time before quitting time.  I was going door to door, learning the contact info of aides that I missed earlier in the year.

Just after entering Mike Kelly’s office (R-PA), in popped the Member.  Per usual protocol, we shook hands and I had 15 seconds to give him the COP mission statement.  After I said, “we want to make drugs a medical issue versus criminal,” he put his hand on my shoulder and said, ‘come into my office and let’s talk.’

15 minutes later he had an obligation and we ended our very informal exchange of ideas.  His 42 y/o son had become a heroin addict at 14 and had been in and out of treatment and prisons ever since; currently his son is doing hard time in a PA state prison.  He agrees with COP completely regarding making drugs a medical issue, he is friends with HR 1359 co-author Don Bacon (R-NE) and he will look hard at the bill.

Note: for a lobbyist to have 15 minutes of alone time with a House Member usually runs about 1K/minute = 15K….check made payable to campaign fund (all very legal).

This Week:

5020 Presentations to Congressional staffers… 12  this week…

375  personal chats with a Member of Congress… 02 this week:  CMan Mike Kelly (R-PA) CMan Andy Biggs (R-AZ)….yes, the one who does not like COP

450 chats with other elected officials, state reps, senators, VIPs,  01 this week…1 R running for the US Senate and current Secretary of State of Ohio.  I always make the offer to help them articulate a conservative POV on drugs.

Meetings: 01 Grover Norquist

COP stats since inception: August 2009

109 Appearances/Interviews on major TV/Radio/Print media. 0 This week.

215 interviews and reports in minor media …0 this week –

98 Radio Interviews:  0 this week

33 major conferences attended – CPAC 2023, (3 UN drug conferences in Vienna, Austria),  LULAC, NRA, CBC, ASA, DPA, Dem & Repub. Presidential conventions., National Review, Republican Annual Retreat etc.) 0 this week

Media:  Blaze TV {new, popular right-wing}, (Fox, ABC, CBS, NBC, Univision, BBC, CNN, NPR, OAN, German, Swiss, French, Spanish TV and radio) Detroit News, Detroit Free Press, Grand Rapids Press + 9 other MI papers. Chicago Tribune, Honolulu Star Advertiser {foto and caption}, Reason Magazine, Reuters

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