Contacting Congress, who reads your message and what moves a member

"Why bother? They never read it." That is what most people say about writing to Congress, usually with a shrug, and usually right before they post something angry on the internet that no member of Congress will ever see. I get the cynicism. A building with 535 voting members and thousands of staffers, handling a flood of mail every day, does look like a place where a polite message from a stranger goes to die.

But the cynics are wrong about the part that matters. Your message does reach a human being. The question is what that person does with it, and that depends almost entirely on what you sent. A vague complaint gets counted and filed. A short, specific note from a constituent who names the bill and says what they want gets read, logged, passed up and sometimes acted on. Here are twelve straight answers to the questions people ask most.

A word on scope: this post is about your own representatives in the House and Senate. Rules and habits vary by office, so treat what follows as the general pattern, and when an office posts its own instructions on its website, those win.

Finding your members

Who are my members of Congress, and how do I find them?

You have one U.S. representative and two U.S. senators. Representatives serve a House district, and there are 435 voting seats in the House. Senators serve the whole state, two per state, 100 in all. Your state may also be represented by a nonvoting delegate in the House if you live in the District of Columbia or a U.S. territory.

To find your members, go to house.gov and use the "Find Your Representative" tool with your home address or ZIP code. Use senate.gov to see your two senators. Both are official sites. Be careful about copycat sites that look official, and look for the .gov address. Each member's page lists the office addresses, phone numbers and a contact form.

Does it matter that I live in the district?

It matters a great deal. Members of Congress represent their own constituents, and their offices are set up to answer them first. A message from someone outside the district or state is usually not answered, or at best gets a polite form reply. Many web contact forms ask for a ZIP code or an address to confirm you live in the district. Don't treat that as a barrier. It is the office's way of putting your note in the right pile.

If your concern is about something that a different member leads, such as the chair of a committee, you can still write to that member. But start with the people who represent you, because they are the ones who answer to you at the next election.

Choosing how to reach them

Is it better to call, email or send a letter?

Each has a use.

• Phone calls. A call to the office is quick and gets noticed. The person answering is usually a junior staffer or intern who logs your name, your town, the issue and whether you support or oppose. Calls are the best tool when a vote is coming up soon, because the tally is fresh. Keep it short.
• Email or web form. The workhorse. Most offices receive far more email than anything else, and many have staff who sort and answer it. A well-written email can be read in thirty seconds. Use the office's official contact form where one is provided. The form routes your note to the right person.
• Postal letters. A real letter stands out in a crowd of email, and it can feel more serious. But mail sent to Capitol Hill offices goes through security screening and can be delayed by days or weeks. If you want to send a letter, consider sending it to the member's district office instead, where there is no such delay.
• Social media. Public posts and comments get some attention from communications staff, but they are not a substitute for a direct, private message that the legislative staff logs.
• Petitions and mass-produced messages. An office can tell when it has received a hundred identical copies of the same form letter. Those are counted, but they carry less weight than a message in your own words.

If you can only choose one, make it a short, personal email or a short phone call, depending on how fast the vote is coming.

How do I reach the Capitol switchboard, and what do I say?

The Capitol switchboard connects you to any member's Washington office. The number is 202-224-3121. Tell the operator the name of the senator or representative you want, and you will be transferred. You can also call the office number listed on the member's official website.

When a staffer picks up, state four things in about twenty seconds. Say your name and that you live in the district (give your town or ZIP code). Say the issue, including the bill number if you have one. Say whether you support or oppose it, or what you want the member to do. And ask for a written reply if you want one. "Hello, my name is Pat Doe, and I'm a constituent from Harlan County. I'm calling about H.R. 123. I'm asking the congressman to vote no. Thank you." That is a complete, useful call.

Should I contact the Washington office or the district office?

Both exist for good reasons. A member's Washington office handles legislation, committee work, schedules and press. The district or state offices, which are near you, handle constituent services and local events. Most members have more than one district office.

A rule of thumb: for a vote or a position on a bill, either office will log it, and Washington is the usual destination. For help with a federal agency, for a meeting request in the district, or for a letter you want to avoid mail delays, go to the district office. If you are not sure, call the one nearest you and ask. They will route your question.

What happens to your message

How do offices count and track positions?

Congressional offices generally keep a running log of constituent contacts, sorted by issue and often by position for or against. When a vote is coming, a staffer can look at the tally and tell the member, "We have heard from many constituents on this bill, and they split roughly this way." That does not mean the member votes the way the tally goes. But it does mean the tally is a real input, particularly when a district's views are lopsided or when a member is undecided.

So your note counts, even if nobody ever replies. The way to make it count more is to be specific and to be a constituent. A note that says "I oppose H.R. 123 because it would raise costs for my small business" adds a reason to the tally, and reasons are what staffers pass up to the member.

What moves a member

What actually moves a member?

Here is what I think the record supports, along with the plain mechanics.

1. Being a constituent. The first thing any staffer checks. Members want to hear from the voters who can hire and fire them.
2. A specific ask. "Vote yes on H.R. 123" beats "Do something about the economy." A member can act on the first and can only nod at the second.
3. A personal story with specifics. What the bill or the agency has meant for your family, your farm or your payroll. A real example persuades staff in a way that a talking point cannot.
4. Courtesy. Insults, threats and profanity get your message set aside. A calm note from a person who disagrees can be more persuasive than a shout of agreement.
5. Numbers of people. A single note counts one. Fifty notes on the same bill in the same week, each in the writer's own words, tell the office that the issue is moving the district.
6. Timing. A message is most useful before the committee markup or the floor vote, while minds can still change. After the vote, you can still write to thank or to disagree, and that matters for the next one.

I would add one more: follow-through. A constituent who writes, then shows up at the town hall and asks about it, becomes a name the office knows.

How do I cite a bill number so the staffer knows exactly what I mean?

Use Congress.gov, the official source for legislation. Search by keyword, sponsor or number. A House bill is numbered H.R. followed by digits, and a Senate bill is numbered S. followed by digits, for example H.R. 123 or S. 456. The number belongs to a particular Congress, which lasts two years, so name the Congress if you can. The page for each bill shows the sponsor, the text, the status, the committee and the vote record.

In your message, put the number near the top: "I'm writing about S. 456, the Example Act." If you are talking about a specific section, cite it: "Section 3 would raise the fee." If there is no bill yet, describe the policy in a sentence, and say what you want the member to do, such as to cosponsor, to vote against or to ask a committee for a hearing. Staff can find a bill number for you if you describe the subject.

Getting help and getting heard

What is casework, and how can my member's office help me with a federal agency?

Casework is the help a member's office gives constituents who are stuck with a federal agency. Offices routinely assist with problems involving Social Security, Medicare, veterans' benefits, the IRS, passports and immigration, and similar matters. The staff can contact the agency on your behalf, ask for a status update, and sometimes help move a stuck case along. They cannot overrule the agency or guarantee a result, and they cannot give legal advice. But a call from a congressional office often gets a file to the right desk.

To start a case, contact the district office, tell them the agency and the problem, and expect to sign a privacy release form so the office can speak for you. Bring the documents and the dates. This is among the most useful things a member's office does, and it is one of the best reasons to get to know your representative's staff before you need them. Casework is not a favor, it is part of the job.

How do I ask for a meeting, and how do town halls work?

For a meeting, call or write the scheduler for the member, or for the staff member who covers your issue (called a legislative assistant or legislative correspondent). Ask politely and be flexible. A meeting with a staff member is common, and it is a good outcome: staff write the memos that members read. If you represent a group, say how many members it has and where they live. Request a specific time frame and offer to meet in the district office, where it is easier.

Town halls are public events in the district where a member takes questions. Members decide when and whether to hold them, and in what format. Many are announced on the member's website and social media, some by phone or video. If one is nearby, go. Ask a short question, state who you are and your town, and keep it to one point. A town hall is the one place a constituent can look the member in the face and be heard in front of the neighbors.

What should I not do?

Don't threaten, curse or lie. Don't send the same message dozens of times. Don't write in all capital letters. Don't assume the staffer you reach is the enemy; he or she is likely working hard for modest pay. Don't ask for something the office cannot do, such as to overturn a court decision. And don't say you will vote against the member in the next election unless it's true and you live in the district. A threat you cannot back up costs you credibility.

Is it worth it?

I think so, and I think the strongest reason is not in the tally. It is the habit. A voter who knows who represents him, who has written once and called once, and who has asked a staffer a question knows how the thing works. That voter is harder to fool. He or she can read a bill, spot a spin and ask a better question at the next town hall. Congress is not a distant mystery when you have walked up to the front door and knocked.

The page /politics/members/ lets you look up members and their records. If the member you contact is in the minority party, you may find our post on What the Minority Party in Congress Can Still Do When It Doesn't Run the Floor useful for understanding what you can reasonably ask. For the version of this at the state level, see how to testify at a hearing in three minutes and be remembered and how a bill becomes a state law, and where a citizen can step in. To write about an idea before you write to a member, writing a letter to the editor that actually gets printed has the same one-point, one-fact discipline.

The bottom line

• Your message does reach a person, and what that person does with it depends on what you send. Be a constituent, be specific and be courteous.
• Find your members at house.gov and senate.gov. Use the Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121, or call the district office, which is closer to you and avoids Capitol mail delays.
• Cite the bill number from Congress.gov and say what you want the member to do. A clear ask beats a long complaint.
• For trouble with a federal agency, call the district office and ask for casework help. It is part of the job.
• Write or call once about something you care about, and then go to a town hall. A face and a name last longer than a form letter.