This position is too simplistic to be valid. The fact of the matter is that Bush responded to the recommendations of his advisers, and simply went along with the Republican leadership of the 108th Congress. At the same time, Kerry has taken a pass on several opportunities to speak out on behalf of the industry. What this means is that the industry cannot count on the individual elected president and instead must build a stronger foundation of advocates within the US Congress to carry our water.

The US Senate is up for grabs in November. The power of incumbency and the loyalty to party in many states means that there are fewer than five seats in play. Many pundits agree that control of the Senate comes down to one race: Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-SD) vs popular Republican opponent, Governor Jim Thune. If Daschle loses, the Senate is likely to be tied at 50 Democrats and 50 Republicans with control of the Senate determined by who is elected Vice President. It is safe to say that the Senate should continue to be a place where bipartisanship rules the roost.

The Senate will have only a few new members, and each new member will be taken under the wing of an incumbent. Their votes will be shaped by party leadership. The industry should continue to build new relationships in the Senate, and the new Senators are a great place to start.

The House of Representatives is a different story. Unless something totally unpredictable happens, the Republicans should retain control. Democrats should make some gains but Republicans will continue to set the agenda. However, there is one big difference between the House and Senate. The House will have at least 47 new members in the 109th Congress of the United States.

As mentioned earlier, in all probability the Republicans will continue to control the House, but like the Senate, the gap will be closer than ever before and compromise will be the watchword of every major issue coming before the legislature for the next 2 years.

Once the election results are known, it is imperative that HME providers in districts with new House members invite the representative-elect to their place of business. Take the time to explain the critical issues facing the HME industry to these individuals before they go to Washington. Have one-page summaries of each issue for them to read and hand to the staff members they will soon be hiring. It is also very helpful to have a fact sheet that shows how many people you employ, how many people you serve, and relevant demographic information on the expectations for growth in both these areas. It is crucial to leave a strong impression that this is not about your business, but it is about their constituents.

New members of the House or the Senate are all looking for a place to make their mark as soon as possible. Our job is to make them look at the issues affecting our businesses and the constituency that is important to them. If you establish these facts, a competent legislator will be open to meeting with you and discussing issues important to you and your customers.

It is hard to predict what the final makeup of the 109th Congress will be as this is being written prior to election day. However, regardless of the final makeup, there are opportunities to build advocates who will speak out on behalf of the HME services industry as ardently as some of our current friends have done. Everyone knows the names of the members of the House and Senate who have spent a great deal of time and energy harassing the HME services industry. Those folks will be back in January. The key to progress is for the industry to make a concerted effort to attract new advocates from among the new members of the 109th Congress.

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.