Here in the United States, we have multiple elected
officials that we can contact to ensure our voices are heard on any number of
issues at all levels of government. You have your city council, mayor,
county commissioner, state representative, state senator, member of congress
and senators. This post today talks about how to most effectively contact your
federal legislators.
First, you need to know who your representatives are. States change the boundaries of their congressional districts every ten years, or more frequently if districts are drawn inappropriately (thanks gerrymandering), so someone who may have been your member of congress five years ago could no longer represent you if the district boundaries have changed. I recommend using this House website to check which district you live in. You can find your senators here.
Now that you know who your representatives are, it’s time to figure out the best way to reach them. You have many methods at your disposal: phone calls, emails, letters, Facebook, and Twitter. Many offices also have an online form on their website where you can leave your opinion. You also have multiple contact locations to choose from: a Washington DC office or a district office (or two!). Calling your local district office is hands-down the most effective way to have your opinion recorded. The next best option is sending a letter to a district office. The purpose of a district office is to communicate with constituents – aka YOU!
The next step is figuring out what to say. First and foremost – your member of congress needs to know who you are! Whether placing a phone call or writing a letter, the office will want to know your name, the best way to contact you (phone number and email are preferable) and your home address – not your mailing address. If you are contacting an office at the behest of an organization, make sure you let them know that as well. Even if you are writing a letter or leaving a voicemail, it’s imperative that you include all your information.
While it may seem cumbersome to give all of this information, it's essential because that's how your member of congress knows both that you live in the district and how to get ahold of you to let you know the outcome of the vote or any additional information on the issue at hand.
If you are calling about a specific piece of legislation, it’s important to make sure that you are calling your senator for a senate bill and your representative for a house bill. It’s helpful if you know both the number (i.e. H.R. 398) and the title (i.e. Trafficking Awareness Training for Health Care Act of 2015). You can simply say that you want your representative to vote for or against it or you can go into depth and explain why. If you aren't aware of a particular bill, that's completely ok. You can just state support for a more general federal issue, like expanding health care or reducing military spending. You can find out more information on bills, read their full text, see their names/numbers, find any co-sponsors and more by visiting: https://www.congress.gov and searching current legislation.
Legislative offices aren’t mind readers – for them to work on behalf of their constituents, they need to know what you think! Stay active, stay engaged, and let them know what’s on your mind. They are happy to take your questions, pass along your messages and refer you to a better resource if one is available. Don't be intimidated of contacting them or afraid of asking questions--they are public servants here to help!
Oh, and please be patient and kind to those who answer the phone in any office. Many are unpaid interns who are there because they are passionate about service to their community!
First, you need to know who your representatives are. States change the boundaries of their congressional districts every ten years, or more frequently if districts are drawn inappropriately (thanks gerrymandering), so someone who may have been your member of congress five years ago could no longer represent you if the district boundaries have changed. I recommend using this House website to check which district you live in. You can find your senators here.
Now that you know who your representatives are, it’s time to figure out the best way to reach them. You have many methods at your disposal: phone calls, emails, letters, Facebook, and Twitter. Many offices also have an online form on their website where you can leave your opinion. You also have multiple contact locations to choose from: a Washington DC office or a district office (or two!). Calling your local district office is hands-down the most effective way to have your opinion recorded. The next best option is sending a letter to a district office. The purpose of a district office is to communicate with constituents – aka YOU!
The next step is figuring out what to say. First and foremost – your member of congress needs to know who you are! Whether placing a phone call or writing a letter, the office will want to know your name, the best way to contact you (phone number and email are preferable) and your home address – not your mailing address. If you are contacting an office at the behest of an organization, make sure you let them know that as well. Even if you are writing a letter or leaving a voicemail, it’s imperative that you include all your information.
While it may seem cumbersome to give all of this information, it's essential because that's how your member of congress knows both that you live in the district and how to get ahold of you to let you know the outcome of the vote or any additional information on the issue at hand.
If you are calling about a specific piece of legislation, it’s important to make sure that you are calling your senator for a senate bill and your representative for a house bill. It’s helpful if you know both the number (i.e. H.R. 398) and the title (i.e. Trafficking Awareness Training for Health Care Act of 2015). You can simply say that you want your representative to vote for or against it or you can go into depth and explain why. If you aren't aware of a particular bill, that's completely ok. You can just state support for a more general federal issue, like expanding health care or reducing military spending. You can find out more information on bills, read their full text, see their names/numbers, find any co-sponsors and more by visiting: https://www.congress.gov and searching current legislation.
Legislative offices aren’t mind readers – for them to work on behalf of their constituents, they need to know what you think! Stay active, stay engaged, and let them know what’s on your mind. They are happy to take your questions, pass along your messages and refer you to a better resource if one is available. Don't be intimidated of contacting them or afraid of asking questions--they are public servants here to help!
Oh, and please be patient and kind to those who answer the phone in any office. Many are unpaid interns who are there because they are passionate about service to their community!
