How to Lobby Congress
There are essentially four ways to contact and lobby your Senators and Representative: a personal visit, a letter, a phone call, and e-mail. In general, the more effort you go to, the more effective your message. That is why a personal visit, which involves a fair amount of effort, will yield considerably more than an e-mail, which is usually ignored.
Personal Visit
• You don’t have to jet off to Washington DC. All members of Congress have offices in their home districts.
• You don’t need to actually visit with the Senator or Representative himself (or herself). Congressional staff are important and influential. Indeed, you’ll probably get more time to make your case if you are meeting with staff instead of the Congressman.
• Do your research ahead. Know the facts about the issue you are presenting, including the bill number and title (if such a bill has been introduced). Have a brief, written summary prepared. Know something about the member of Congress you are visiting, especially if the member is on the relevant committee.
• Present your position in a polite, professional, and organized manner. Don’t go on too long. Keep your emotions in check. Explain the positive or negative effects of the legislation. Philosophical arguments are not well received.
• Don’t be intimidated, but be respectful (got that?). Encourage questions and be ready to discuss the issue in more depth if asked. If you encounter disagreement, be a polite listener. Correct any misinformation, but don’t express any anger or harsh criticism. Threats (“you’ve lost my vote”) are not at all effective.
• Don’t make notes during the meeting. Folks tend to clam up when they see you writing down everything that is said.
• Leave a brief, written summary.
• Thank the Congressman or staff for their time. Don’t stick around.
• Send a thank you note to the person you met.
Writing a Letter
• Yes, it is an old-fashioned approach, but Senators and Representatives pay attention to their mail.
• A personal letter is much more effective than mass-mailed postcards or form-letters. In other words, you should write it yourself. Your name and address should be on the letter, making it clear that you are a constituent. • If the issue has been introduced as a bill, cite the number and title early in the letter.
• Some of the above advice for visiting also applies to letter writing. Specifically: Do your research. Know the facts about the issue you are presenting. Write your position in a polite, professional, and organized manner. Explain the positive or negative effects of the legislation. Do not make philosophical arguments. Threats (“you’ve lost my vote”) are not at all effective.
• Write no more than one page. Don’t write on the back. Word processed (what we used to call “typewritten”) is preferable to handwritten.
• Members of Congress are referred to as “The Honorable ...” when writing them.
Phone Call
• Almost everything said above regarding personal visits also applies to phone calls. The disadvantage is that it is quite difficult to explain complex issues over the phone. Nor do phone calls seem to have the effect of a personal visit or written letter. Phone calls are better used for bills that already have had enough exposure that a detailed explanation isn’t necessary.
• Nevertheless, sometimes a phone call is your only alternative.
• You almost certainly will not be able to directly reach your Senator or Representative by phone. Try to reach the staff member who is responsible for the issue you want to talk about.
• Don’t.
• Why? Because it is clear that members of Congress and their staff simply do not respond favorably to e-mail. This seems odd, since everyone in Congress has a web site and an e- mail address. And it may change over time, but for now, they seem to view the whole concept with suspicion. They often will not bother to reply, assuming most e-mail is automatically mass mailed.
• Additionally, you should never use your “fdic.gov” address to lobby congress, nor even your FDIC-owned computer. So, unless you have your own computer and your own e- mail address (from a private ISP, such as AOL or Earthlink), you aren’t even allowed to e-mail congress.