| 1. |
Select
the form of communication that is best suited for the situation: Personal
letters, phone calls, faxed messages, and electronic messages via
email or the Internet are probably the most common examples. The value
of your communication is in direct proportion to the effort you put
into it. Form letters and serial email petition lists, which are easy
to generate, are probably the least effective and a well-constructed
personal letter or personal contact made to the office by a phone
call is the best.
The personal letter remains (still!!) the most effective form of communication
with decision-makers and policy-makers.
Phone calls are best used at times when a bill is coming up for a
vote and you want to state your opinion for or against the bill.
Emails should be personal and well-written. |
| 2. |
| Communicate with
officials at their Washington D.C. address. Congressional local addresses
are best reserved for "case-work," i.e., those things that
you would like them to do for you personally like settling a problem
with your visa, or government benefits |
| 3. |
| Address all communications
respectfully. Use "The Honorable ___" or "Senator ___"
for members of the Senate, or "Congresswoman," "Congressman,"
or "Representative" for the House of Representatives. |
| 4. |
| Focus on your own
representatives. Your congressional and state representatives represent
you with their votes. Indiscriminate communication with other legislators
is generally a wasted effort. In Congress, any letters sent to officials
outside your district or state will be referred to your own delegates
under the "congressional courtesy" procedure. There are some
exceptions. When other officials may be directly involved with a particular
issue, you should contact the committee, department or respective office,
and send a copy to your Senator and/or Representative. |
| 5. |
| Deal with only
one topic and label it well. Focus on one specific issue and be clear
about that issue with a sentence or two of your communication. Identify
the Bill or issue by its number and/or name. In the House of Representatives,
bills are identified by "H.R." followed by a number. Senate
bills are designated as "S" followed by a number. There are
also simple, joint and concurrent resolutions that do not have the force
of law but merit attention because they often outline policy that will
influence upcoming bills. These are labeled in the Senate as "S.R."
"SJRes," or "SConRes" followed by a number. Bills
and resolutions may be followed by small letters, representing an extension
or new version currently under discussion. Be precise because the content
of each version can vary substantially. |
| 6. |
| Be timely. Time
your communication to be received before the bill or resolution has
been voted on, or during its designated public comment period. If you
miss that deadline, your should still submit your communication because
there are often last minute extensions that detain bills for a much
longer time period. |
| 7. |
| Keep it short.
Your communication, when written, should not be more than one-two pages,
and other forms of communication are much much shorter. |
| 8. |
| Acknowledge where you agree. It is courteous
to demonstrate to the official that you are paying attention
to their work and compliment positive contributions-- "well
done." |
| 9. |
| Give reasons for
taking a stand. Statements like "I'm bitterly opposed to H.R. ###..."
give your opinion but not much else. By telling the official that "I'm
a small hardware dealer and H.R. ### will put me out of business for
the following three reasons…" provides much more. Legislators
are not always informed about the issues they vote on and how their
voters may be affected: explain the issues simply and without jargon;
stay away from your emotions; and do not threaten them with a lost election
or your disapproval. If you have expert knowledge, share it with enthusiasm. |
| 10. |
| Follow-up on replies.
Communicating with officials should not be a "hit-and-run"
operation. Establishing an ongoing dialogue is an advantage: ask more
questions, provide further perspectives, facts and arguments. If possible
always try to respond to their response. |
| |
