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How to Contact your Federal Legislators

Contacting your legislators to tell them how you feel about issues that affect your life is a way we can all advocate for ourselves and individuals with disabilities. It’s easy to do! Just follow the easy steps below (hint: it is a good idea to call the office you are contacting and ask them which of the following their boss prefers for receiving messages from constituents):

Email. Find out who your legislators are by going to http://www.house.gov for Congress or http://www.senate.gov for the Senate. From these sites you can easily get to each member’s webpage. Each member allows you to send an email directly from his/her webpage.

Telephone calls: Washington Office. You can call their Washington office and speak with or leave a message with their staff members who have responsibility for the issue you are calling about. The receptionist should be able to direct you to the proper staff member. Or, you can leave the message with the receptionist. If you do not know their Washington telephone number, go through the Capitol Operator: 202-224-3121, who will connect you directly to the office you are calling.

Telephone calls: District Offices. Every Senator and Representative has one or more district offices in their home state. You can find the location and contact information for the office(s) on their website. The staff there can receive your call and pass the message on to their boss.

Fax. You can fax a letter to either the District or Washington office.

Letters. Only send letters to the District office. Since the anthrax attacks in the U.S. Senate, all incoming mail goes to another state to be radiated – which slows it down tremendously. Many letters never arrive. The District Offices have ways to quickly and easily get mail to Washington.

Visits. You can make an appointment to visit with your Representative/Senators when they are working in their District offices. Just call their District Office staff to schedule an appointment. And of course, when in Washington, DC, take the opportunity to schedule time to meet with your Senator or Representative.

Tips: Write down the points you want to make in a clear, organized way – stay brief and to the point. Tell your legislator how the bill you support (or oppose) will affect your life. It is always a good idea to have someone else read your message before sending it.

Senate and House Committee Members