Communicating with Congress is easy to do by email, by fax, or by phone. Letters by postal mail are less effective because they take a great deal of time to reach congressional offices due to heightened security measures.  Most offices prefer the use of electronic communications by their constituents.

Here is how to address your correspondence and following are some suggestions that may improve the effectiveness of your communication.

    To a Senator:

       The Honorable (Full Name)

       Dear Senator (Last Name)

    To a Representative:

       The Honorable (Full Name)

       Dear Mr./Mrs./Ms. (Last Name)

Email Communication

• Mention your purpose for writing in the opening sentence of your email.
• If you are writing about a specific piece of legislation, identify the bill number if possible. House bills are H.R. ____ and Senate bills are S.____.
• Tell why the issue matters to you---how it will affect you or people you know.
• Keep it short and to the point.
• Include your complete name, mailing address, email.
  
• Ask to be kept up-to-date on the outcome or progress of the bill.

Phone Communication

Phone calls are usually taken by a staff member. Ask to speak with the aide who handles the issue about which you want to comment. For example, if your call concerns something pertaining to health, ask to speak with the legislative aide who handles health matters.

• Identify yourself by name and state that you are calling as a constituent and would like to leave a message for your Senator or Representative.
• State the reason for the call and identify a bill number if possible.
• Tell the person (briefly) why it is important to you.
• You can ask for the Representative's or the Senator's position on the issue and also ask to be kept up-to-date.
  

Fax Communication

Follow the same protocols that are listed above in Email Communication.

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