» How to Contact Congress

Phone calls, email, and meetings are all effective means of contacting Congress depending on the urgency of the topic and how much time you have to commit. To get contact information for your Senators and Representative, visit their websites, which you can find by going to www.senate.gov or www.house.gov. Each website will have addresses and telephone contact information for the local and Washington, DC offices. Most congressional websites also have information about district events such as town hall meetings where there are opportunities to meet the Member and share your concerns. In addition, when you visit the website, you will most likely be asked to subscribe to an electronic newsletter with information about future events.

Before meeting with Members of Congress or their staff, it is helpful to know a few basic facts about the legislator and the district to give you some idea about how to approach your conversation.

Personal meetings in either Washington, DC or home district offices are effective ways to communicate your views and establish relationships with your elected representatives.

If you don’t have the time or opportunity to set up a personal meeting, a phone call to the legislator’s office is another option.

Email is another option.

The definition of lobbying is generally considered to be communications intended to influence specific legislation.