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Here are the basics of effective written communication to your members of Congress. For information on methods of sending letters (e.g. email, fax, mail), please see FCNL's guide to Contacting Members of Congress.
Identify yourself as a constituent
Members of Congress are accountable to voters in their home state or district, so giving your address is important, especially in emails. (It is also why it is not generally effective to write members of Congress who do not represent you.) Additionally, many offices need your address to send a response.
Stick to one issue per letter
Staying focused keeps your request clear. Also, congressional staff are assigned different issues to track, so one person may get the Iraq letters, and another may get the letters about U.S. oil dependence.
Keep it short, simple and polite
Congressional staff get piles of mail each day, so make your letter brief and to the point. Keep the tone respectful no matter how frustrated you feel with a congressperson’s votes or activities.
Include relevant personal information
If you have loved ones in the military, mention that in letters about issues that affect them. If you are a teacher concerned about federal budget priorities, describe the financial challenges school faces. These kinds of personal links boost your letter’s power.
Send thank you letters
Many constituents write when they are unhappy, but few write when they are pleased with their member of Congress. Recognizing a vote or speech lets your congressperson know that constituents support such actions.
Personalize sample letters
FCNL and other organizations often provide sample letters. Personalize them and use them to guide your own letter instead of copying them word-for-word.
Sample letter to congressional representative
Dear Representative ____________,
I am writing to urge you to cosponsor the Cluster Munitions Civilian Protection Act of 2007 (H.R. 1755), which would ban the use of cluster munitions in civilian populated areas, as well as the use, sale, and transfer of cluster munitions with a failure rate of more than one percent.
Cluster bombs are weapons that work by indiscriminately dispersing small bomblets over an area sometimes as large as 250 acres. Due to the high failure rate of these weapons, innocent civilians are often injured or killed when unexploded bomblets detonate long after conflicts finish. For instance, cluster bombs still kill civilians in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos, more than thirty years after the United States used these weapons in the Vietnam War.
As a result of the horrific effect they have on civilian populations, nearly 70 countries to date have agreed to an effective ban on cluster munitions. Please show the world that the United States is committed to protecting human rights and upholding international humanitarian law by supporting H.R. 1755, the Cluster Munitions Civilian Protection Act. Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
(Your name, address)
Reviewed:
08/06/2007
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