Writing to Congress

When writing a letter to your members of Congress, there are several simple rules that you should follow to give your letter the greatest impact.

• Be polite and respectful.
• Include your name, address and phone number.
• Use personal experience and specific examples pertaining to the subject of your letter. The attached form letters are helpful guides, but personal letters are much more effective than form letters.
• State what you want done or what course of action you want taken.
• Never swear or use abusive language. Never make any threatening statements. It is never a good idea to threaten someone who can send the FBI or the Secret Service to your door.
• Thank the member for taking the time to read your letter.
• When possible, keep your letter to one page.

Send your letters to the following addresses:

To your U.S. Senators:

(Addresses can also be found at www.senate.gov).

To your U.S. Representatives:

Dear Representative (last name):

(Addresses can also be found at www.house.gov).

Keep in mind that mail sent to Congress is often slow in arriving as, after the 2001 anthrax scare, mail sent to members of Congress is now sent off-site and irradiated and inspected before being delivered to the appropriate office. As such, faxing your letter to your representatives’ offices is often the most effective means of communication.

Phone/Fax Numbers for Minnesota Representatives

We have included sample letters that you can use as a model for drafting your own correspondence.

E-mail can also be used to sway your representatives’ opinions. The rules above also apply when sending e-mail to your members of Congress. The easiest way to do this is to visit E-Mail Congress on GAIN at http://capwiz.com/printing/home/.

House Government Reform Committee

Senate Governmental Affairs Committee

Sample Letter #1 >>