In January 2008, the DMA Board of Directors voted to create the new DMA Political Action Committee (DMA PAC) as part of the Association’s efforts to increase its legislative advocacy efforts and presence in Washington, D.C. DMA PAC is a member-sponsored political action fund which supports Federal candidates who care about the DMA mission and the work that DMA members do. DMA PAC is the tool by which our Association builds its strength in Washington and by which DMA will continue to expand its visibility among elected officials.

Since Members of Congress and candidates for Congress are prohibited by Federal law from accepting contributions directly from corporate trade associations like DMA, there is no way for DMA as an association to directly support those Members of Congress who take legislative positions favorable to DMA and its members. This includes legislative efforts to secure Federal recognition of the Certified Dietary Manager credential. What DMA itself cannot do with respect to political contributions, DMA PAC can, and that is why DMA PAC is a critically-important resource that our Association can use to support the election of representatives who support our efforts and share our philosophy and our attitudes about government.

The main purposes of the DMA PAC are to:

Aggregate and pool the support and resources of the members of DMA for the collective good of the Association, and to enable the membership to have one strong political voice on issues of importance;
Provide a means by which all members of the Association can participate in some way to help with the political efforts of the Association;
Support and help elect candidates who understand and share our concerns, visions and philosophy;
Act as a rallying point for DMA members to become engaged in the political process at all levels from making a contribution to meeting with elected officials;
Provide an important strategic tool for DMA to make itself heard and understood on Capitol Hill – it is not a magic answer which will guarantee results, but it is an incredibly important vehicle to aid in the accomplishment of positive results; and,
Give DMA more visibility in Washington and allow it to be more competitive among other associations which often may have conflicting goals.

The DMA PAC is coordinated by the Legislative Committee in conjunction with the Chief Executive Officer, the DMA Director of Leadership Development and other staff as well as the Washington Legislative Counsel. Together, these individuals will carefully review the voting records and positions of prospective recipients of DMA PAC funds and make decisions on how to expend precious DMA PAC resources. Input from DMA members who know their local Federal candidates is welcome and encouraged.

DMA PAC would not exist without the voluntary contributions of its members. It is the one way our Association stands united in its support of pro-DMA political candidates. Since DMA PAC is at this time relatively new, it is small compared to the PACs of other national associations; for example, the American Dietetic Association PAC raised over $255,000 in 2007 and spent nearly that much in support of Members of Congress and Congressional candidates. DMA PAC has a great deal of growing to do so for more information on DMA PAC and how you can help, please contact Jennifer Karson at DMA headquarters or Bob Herbolsheimer, the DMA Washington Counsel at 202-628-9200.

For more information about government advocacy, please contact Kim DeMoulin, DMA Chapter Relations Coordinator, at 800.323.1908 or kdemoulin@dmaonline.org.