CVD
IEEE-USA Congressional Visits Day
17-18 March 2026
CVD Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Schedule
On the first day, participants will begin CVD with a detailed training session and policy briefing, given by IEEE-USA’s legislative professionals, at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City in Arlington, VA. You will then spend the second day on Capitol Hill meeting with your Legislators and/or their staff to discuss technology policy in the new Congress. Following is our tentative schedule (subject to change).
—
| Tuesday, March 17th | ||
|---|---|---|
| Time | Event | Location |
| 12:30PM ET | Guest Sign-in | Hyatt Regency Crystal City Reagan National Airport 2799 Richmond Hwy Arlington, VA 22202 |
| 1PM - 5PM ET | CVD Training | Hyatt Regency Crystal City Reagan National Airport 2799 Richmond Hwy Arlington, VA 22202 |
| 5PM - 7PM ET | Reception & Group Meet-up | Hyatt Regency Crystal City Reagan National Airport 2799 Richmond Hwy Arlington, VA 22202 |
| Wednesday, March 18th | ||
|---|---|---|
| 6:45AM ET | Bus Pick-up for Guests Staying in the Hotel Room Block | Hyatt Regency Crystal City Reagan National Airport |
| 7:45AM ET | Group Photo | Meeting Point: We will gather at 7:45 AM on the east side of the Capitol, behind the steps. [Google Maps link] |
| 9AM - 5PM ET | CVD Congressional Meetings @ House and Senate Office Buildings (individual schedules will vary) | |
For this year’s CVD, we are working with Advocacy Associates, an outside consulting firm organizing everyone’s Congressional meetings. You will receive an email from them prior to CVD 2026 confirming your individual Congressional meetings schedule.
This year, we are using Cvent for registrations for the first time. Cvent uses pop-ups extensively for event management, including registration modals, notifications, and custom elements on event websites. So, please be sure to allow pop-ups if prompted by your browser during the registration process. If you are encountering issues while attempting to register on your mobile device, please try from a desktop computer. If you continue to experience issues, please contact us at cvd@ieeeusa.org and we will work to resolve your issues.
To cancel your registration, find your registration confirmation email from cvd@ieeeusa.org and click “Unregister.” You must cancel your registration before February 18th to be refunded your registration fee.
Hotel Block – SOLD OUT
Please note that participants are responsible for their own travel and accommodations. Our hotel room block at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City at Reagan National Airport, Arlington, VA, is now SOLD OUT.
Washington is a small city and is easy to navigate. Any hotel in downtown will work, as will any hotel on the DC metro.
Trip Planner: Crystal City Metro to Capitol Hill (PDF)
Trip Planner: Reagan National Airport to Capitol Hill (PDF)
Uber & Lyft are readily available throughout the area. Hotel prices are usually lower if you stay outside of the District in Maryland or Virginia. Crystal City and adjacent Pentagon City in Arlington, Virginia usually have availability at a relatively good price and are not far from Capitol Hill.
You may arrive the morning of the 17th before the training or the night before.
We recommend departing the morning of the 19th, as meeting schedules on the 18th may run late.
TRAVEL TO CAPITOL HILL
Unless you have other travel plans, we do not recommend driving. There is no parking at the US Capitol Building or the nearby office buildings you will be meeting in. Cabs, Uber/Lyft, or DC metro are recommended for transportation. The closest metro stops are Union Station (Red Line) or Capitol South (Orange/Blue/Silver Line).
Directions: Crystal City Metro to Capitol Hill (PDF)
Directions: Reagan National Airport to Capitol Hill (PDF)
DC is a very walkable city. But always plan ahead — DC is notorious for its awful traffic. (You never know when the Presidential motorcade will stop traffic to come zooming by!)
For those staying in the Hotel Room Block at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City, a free bus shuttle will be provided one way to Capitol Hill on the morning of March 18th. Further instructions will be provided.
Travel to Training at Hyatt Regency Crystal City
(All information is taken directly from the Hyatt Regency Crystal City website and is subject to change without notice.) You may find more information on the hotel website.
PARKING
The Hyatt Regency Crystal City offers valet-only parking, with unlimited in/out privileges. Attendees will receive a $15 discount on current rates. Please let the parking attendant know you are attending IEEE-USA CVD 2026 to receive the discounted rate.
COURTESY HYATT AIRPORT SHUTTLE (DCA)
Arriving at the airport and need shuttle transportation? Enjoy the courtesy Hyatt Airport Shuttle. You may use the hotel shuttle to travel to the terminal or the Metro, which helps avoid the 20-minute walk to the station.
The shuttle departs from the hotel front drive every 20-minute on the hour from 4:20 a.m. – 12:40 a.m. daily. You can track the Hyatt shuttle for pick-up at www.trackmyshuttle.com. Use HOTEL CODE: 2799 to see estimated times to and from the airport.
- Terminal 1 pickup location is outside the main doors. Follow signs for Hotel Shuttle Pickup. Use Track My Shuttle to know when the shuttle will be arriving.
- Terminal 2 pickup locations are outside of Doors 4 and 7 on the baggage claim level. Follow signs for Hotel Shuttle Pickup. Use Track My Shuttle to know when the shuttle will be arriving.
REAGAN NATIONAL AIRPORT (DCA) METRO STATION
You may use the hotel shuttle to travel to the terminal or the Metro, which helps avoid the 20-minute walk to the station. Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport metro serves the Blue and Yellow Lines, offering direct, affordable access between the airport and Washington, D.C., via a covered pedestrian bridge from Terminal 2 (Concourse Level) with moving walkways.
How to Access the Metro from the Terminals: Follow signs for Metrorail from the Concourse Level and use the enclosed pedestrian bridges.
CRYSTAL CITY METRO STATION
Crystal City Metro Station (corner of 18th St and S. Bell Street) is a 10-20 minute walk to/from the hotel. Serves the Blue and Yellow Lines, offering direct, affordable access between the airport and Washington, D.C.
Capitol Hill remains a formal work environment. Business attire is expected for the Congressional meetings.
However, formal shoes are not necessary. CVD typically involves lots of walking on hard floors. Uncomfortable shoes are a bad idea, no matter how good they look. Comfortable shoes, even nice sneakers, are OK and recommended. Alternatively, you can bring fancy shoes for your meetings, and change into comfortable shoes for the walks between meetings. Please be mindful of the type of items and bags allowed in the Capitol and surrounding buildings.
For the IEEE-USA training session the day before, business casual is recommended.
Washington, DC weather can be unpredictable, so bringing an umbrella is recommended. For the CVD training and Capitol Hill meetings, consider bringing a laptop and or notes. Many participants also find it helpful to bring business cards for meetings, though they are not required.
No. A passport or government-issued ID is not required to attend the CVD training or to enter congressional office buildings. Visitors will pass through airport-style security screening, but identification is not typically requested. That said, we recommend bringing a form of government-issued ID as a precaution. Please note that a REAL ID–compliant identification is required for air travel.
PROHIBITED ITEMS at the U.S. Capitol complex: U.S. Capitol Prohibited Items
Please note, in the District of Columbia, open carry of weapons is illegal. D.C. does not honor concealed carry permits from any state. For detailed information on the D.C. license to carry weapon application process and specific regulations, individuals should consult the official https://mpdc.dc.gov/firearms
Each CVD participant may bring up to two guests. Guests may attend the reception on the day of the training and the Capitol Hill meetings the following day. All guests must be registered in advance.
Guests may not attend the CVD training session. During congressional meetings, guests are welcome to sit in, but should not be active participants and should observe as visitors to Capitol Hill.
Children are encouraged to attend both the reception and the Hill meetings. Members of Congress often enjoy meeting young enthusiasts!
Yes, the Office of Congressional Accessibility Services (OCAS) provides a variety of services for individuals with disabilities. Learn more at: https://www.aoc.gov/explore-capitol-campus/visitor-resources/accessibility-services
For security reasons you cannot leave unattended luggage on Capitol Hill. This means you either have to:
- Keep your luggage with you all day as you go from meeting to meeting, which is acceptable (though it will go through security screening when entering each building).
- Check your luggage with your hotel (recommended), or
- You can check your luggage at the AMTRAK station at Union Station near Capitol Hill
Each CVD participant’s schedule will be emailed to them one week prior to the CVD meetings. (It’s not uncommon for Congressional meetings to be confirmed or changed at the last minute.) Schedules will also be handed out at the in-person Training Session.
All of our meetings will likely be in the Senate and House office buildings on either side of the Capitol Building, not in the Capitol Building itself. Accessing these buildings is similar to going through security at the airport. There will be an X-ray machine and metal detector manned by US Capitol police. Security is tight, but usually efficient. You do not need to show an ID.
If you find yourself in a long line trying to access a building, just walk around the building until you find a different door. Or enter an adjacent building and use the underground tunnels to get to your meeting. Once inside, signage and maps are readily available.
Security to enter the Capitol Building is much tighter. If you happen to have a meeting in the Capitol Building itself, which would be unusual, separate information will be provided for you.
IEEE-USA has teamed up with an outside consultant, Advocacy Associates, who will provide you with a detailed schedule and map.
Yes! Photos are allowed and encouraged. Videos are encouraged as well, but no recording is permitted during actual meetings. For future CVD promotions and to document the event we would love for you to take pictures with the representatives you meet with (with their permission).
IEEE-USA will determine the specific topics you will raise in your meetings. Everyone will have the same ones and they will align with the priorities and positions as determined by the IEEE-USA Policy Committees and the Board of Directors.
CVD Training – Part 1: How to Conduct a Meeting
CVD Training – Part 2: Our Messages – What Will You Say
All IEEE members who live in the US are welcome and encouraged to attend CVD. Student members make great advocates, in part because they are roughly the same age as many staffers on Capitol Hill.
All IEEE members who live in the US are welcome and encouraged to attend CVD. Non-citizens are welcome, although we do recommend that you inform the staffers you are meeting with about your status at the beginning of your meetings. Hill staff will be interested in what you have to say either way, but we want to be transparent.
EVERYONE SPEAKS! Politics is a participatory sport. Everyone should participate in each meeting. You came to Washington to be heard — now is your chance to speak up!
The Tuesday, March 17th afternoon training session will cover details about the structure of a Congressional meeting and what to expect. Generally, each meeting is between 15-30 minutes, depending on the schedules of the representatives and staffers. We will help you hone your pitch to make sure you convey all the relevant “asks.”
Generally, you will be on your own for meals and IEEE-USA staff can make recommendations. While you are on Capitol Hill, we recommend that you eat in one of the Congressional cafeterias, which are open to the public. Cafeterias are located in the lower floors of the Longworth, Rayburn, Russell, and Dirksen office buildings. (There is also a cafeteria in the Capitol Visitors Center, but we don’t recommend it.)
If you have enough time, the Native American Museum is relatively close to Capitol Hill. It has the best food of all the Smithsonian Museums.
Spring in DC is typically very pleasant. Temperatures should be mild, although we do get rain frequently. You should be fine with a light coat and, maybe, an umbrella.
Send your questions to cvd@ieeeusa.org and we’ll get back to you.
Staff Contacts
Annie Perrin Grisham
IEEE-USA Government Relations
+1 703-298-1354
a.grisham@ieee.org
