Through its Washington D.C. office, the ERLC secures a Southern Baptist presence on Capitol Hill and represents the views and concerns of the over 16 million members of the Southern Baptist Convention. ERLC staff monitor key public policy issues and track developments in the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of the federal government. Staffers communicate breaking news from Capitol Hill to constituents throughout the country, encouraging them to contact their elected representatives when necessary.

The Washington office is known as the Leland House, named for John Leland, a Baptist preacher whose persistent intercession with James Madison was instrumental in securing the priceless protection for freedom of expression of religion and speech embodied in our Constitution's First Amendment.