This September, EERI members Amanda Hertzfeld (M.EERI 2023) and Zorana Mijic (2019) of the Public Policy & Advocacy (PPA) Committee took the pulse of Capitol Hill as they joined fellow geoscience advocates for the annual Geoscience Congressional Visits Day (GeoCVD), hosted by the American Geophysical Union (AGU). Their mission was elevating the importance of earthquake research and resilience—and to advocate for reauthorization of the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP).
The two-day event began with a full day of training, equipping participants with the tools and messaging needed to effectively communicate the value of geoscience to lawmakers. Armed with data, stories, and a passion for earthquake resilience, Amanda and Zorana spent the following day meeting with lawmakers. Amanda met with representatives from the offices of Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, and Representatives Emily Randall and Rick Larsen. She also met with staff from the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee. Zorana met with representatives from the offices of Senators Chris Coons (DE), Lisa Blunt-Rochester (DE), Chris van Hollen (MD), and Angela Alsobrooks (MD), and a staffer from the office of Representative Sarah McBride (DE).
EERI member and former PPA Co-Chair, Anna Lang (M.EERI 2002), then joined Amanda for a further round of coalition building and meetings to further NEHRP’s reauthorization. Together, they met with Representatives Mullin, Zinke, and Valadao, as well as professional staff from the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, continuing to push for robust federal support of NEHRP’s essential work.
Amanda and Anna co-led a NEHRP Coalition Meeting hosted by the International Code Council (ICC). The gathering brought together key partners invested in NEHRP’s success—the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), National Council of Structural Engineers Association (NCSEA), Seismological Society of America (SSA), National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS), as well as ICC, uniting leading voices across disciplines to strategize a collective path forward in securing NEHRP reauthorization. Any organizations or companies wishing to participate in the coalition or sign on to an advocacy letter it is preparing should contact Heidi Tremayne (
Their efforts reflect EERI’s continued commitment to ensuring that science, safety, and structural resilience remain central to national policy conversations. The PPA intends to send at least one member per year to attend future Geo-science Congressional Visit Days. Please join the Public Policy and Advocacy Committee to learn more!
