What I Can Do

The most effective letters are brief letters, firm but polite, that do three things: 1)  Clearly state your position and when possible reference specific legislation (e.g. I oppose H.R. ....); 2) Provide a reason or two why you feel that way; and 3) indicate what you expect of your rep. (e.g., Please publicly declare your unequivocal opposition to H.R. regardless of any amendments or please cosponsor H.R. ...).

If you decide to email your congressman, be sure to identify yourself as a constituent by including your return mailing address with zip code. Congressmen give little weight to correspondence from outside their district.

At the following congressional web page, you can find out who your elected officials are (federal and state) and how to contact them:

http://www.congress.org/congressorg/dbq/officials/

Please note:   Some who have tried to use the web form communication offered on the official congressional site have reported difficulties.  However, this service offers the advantage that the same message can be directed to several officials at one whack.  If you want to communicate electronically with your congressmen, you might also try clicking on their individual websites listed.

You can also find out who your federal elected officials are and how to contact them at the following, unofficial, congressional website:

http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/

•  Build informed constituent pressure on your congressman:

•  You can achieve even greater impact by establishing yourself as a local opinion molder: E.g., enclose a copy of a page from your local newspaper containing your letter on the same subject.