The television airwaves are already filled with commercials for and about the two major party candidates for President of the United States. In a few weeks, they will be joined by ads promoting candidates for the United States Congress, state legislatures, and local offices. In the words of P.T. Barnum, “Welcome, my friends, to the show that never ends.”

The election of a president is a profound act of a democratic society. As important as this race is, determining who will represent you in the 109th Congress of the United States is of critical importance to those engaged in manufacturing, distributing, and marketing home medical equipment. It is almost an understatement to say that the HME industry has not fared well in recent Congressional actions. Moreover, Congressional indifference to the needs of the industry has empowered bureaucrats at the state and federal level to attack providers with abandon. Thus, it is once again time for HME providers to stand up and be counted, to become a political force to be reckoned with, and to establish themselves in the political process. In short, it is now time to put up or shut up.

Interesting legislation has been introduced to blunt some of the intrusive provisions of the Medicare Modernization Act. However, as well-intentioned as this legislation is, the fact of the matter is that it is not likely to be enacted into law before adjournment of the 108th Congress. The industry can and should spend the next few months laying the groundwork so that this legislation is among the first acts of the 109th Congress. At the same time, we have to earn a seat at the table where public policy is debated and decided.

These “seats” are reserved for those individuals and organizations that have shown that they understand and are willing to contribute to the electoral processes of our great nation. Having fund-raiser events and making financial contributions to campaigns are a critical part of this process. But it is even more important to give your time and energy to a campaign. Now is the time to get involved.

Many readers have participated in legislative conferences and Washington fly-ins only to be treated politely and ultimately ignored by their elected representatives. Invariably, you will see other constituencies leaving the member’s office and receiving hearty handshakes and slaps on the back while wondering what it takes to make that “A” list.

Yes, you can make the A list by raising or contributing a significant amount of money to finance a candidate’s campaign for office. But money is not the only way to make the A list. In fact, it is probably not the best way to make the A list.

Volunteer for a campaign and you will find out what is meant by this statement. A hypothetical story is the best way to demonstrate this point.

Bill Jones is running for an open seat in the US House of Representatives. He faces a tough challenger who is well funded and has better name recognition. John Smith volunteers to help out in the Jones campaign and spends two evenings a week calling prospective voters on the candidate’s behalf. Mr. Jones stops in every evening to thank volunteers for their efforts on his behalf and soon develops personal relationships with his phone bank team. Jones wins the election in a tight vote.

The next June, Smith (the volunteer) goes to Washington to meet with his representative to talk about funding for HME services. If Mr Jones has any interest in being reelected, Mr Smith will receive a warm welcome, a handshake, and a promise to assign a member of his staff to look into the issue and get back to him. As long as the request is reasonable, Congressman Jones will strive to support any legislation endorsed by his former campaign volunteer.

If the HME services industry ever expects to get back into the good graces of the Congress of the United States, there needs to be more than 1,000 “Mr. Smiths” representing it in this election. It is no secret that our industry has a bad image in Washington. However, no member of Congress and no candidate for office can afford to turn down competent volunteer help.

At the same time, they will not allow themselves to be associated with unethical or unscrupulous individuals. The best way to convince them that the industry is made up of people of honor and integrity is to be involved in the political process.

This is not the first time this column has made an attempt to encourage industry activists to volunteer for political campaigns, but it is a message that cannot be repeated too often. The challenge is to find enough people in the industry willing to take this message to heart and act on it.

Cara C. Bachenheimer, JD, is vice president of government relations for Invacare Corp, Elyria, Ohio. David T. Williams is a consultant for political and legislative strategy.