Contact Your Representative

BE AN ADVOCATE FOR SCIENCE

Scientists are the best advocates for science. Members of Congress are always interested in hearing their constituents’ concerns and need to hear from scientists at all levels as they develop positions on important public policy issues.

You only need to spend a short time to make a big impact on important biomedical research issues.

Write a Letter Despite the added delay, a personal, thoughtful letter can be a powerful way to share your views. To expedite its delivery, consider mailing the letter to your Representative’s or Senator’s district office.

Tips for writing letters:  Limit your letter to one topic  Explain your reason for writing in the first paragraph  Describe your credentials and area of research  Explain how the issue affects you and your institution  Include personal anecdotes if possible  Do not be argumentative or overly critical  Send your letter on institutional letterhead

Send an E-mail Sending email messages is best used only if you know the name and/or email address of a particular staff member. Even if you only have a staffer’s name, it is easy to figure out their email address. Follow the same tips from above when writing electronic messages. Electronic messages to the general office email system do not receive the individual attention you want your letter to receive.

In the Senate, email addresses are based on the staffer’s first and last name and the Senator they work for. For example, If Kevin Smith works for Senator Jones, his email is [email protected]. The House of Representative’s email for Kevin Smith would be [email protected].

Make a Phone Call Large volumes of phone calls to Congressional offices, either organized or unorganized, can occasionally have an impact on decisions made in Congressional offices. Successful call campaigns are rare, however. More often than not, they are ignored or only serve to irritate the people who are trying to be swayed.

Individual calls to a Washington office can also get lost. Instead, you should call one of your representative’s local offices. They will likely have more time to record your concerns and you are more likely to receive a response.

When you call, be sure to limit your call to one question or one topic. Be sure to be polite and limit the length of your call.

To find website information about your Representative or Senator, visit http://capwiz.com/jscpp.