Best method to contact member of Congress

[albionmoonlight]

Well, the best method is to attend a $10,000-a-head fundraiser and get to meet them in person.

Barring that, does anyone have a sense of whether a letter or a phone call counts as a stronger constituent contact?

I figure that if I am going to take five minutes to do this, it may as well be the best five minutes I can muster.

Thanks.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Letters are pretty much always >>>> phone call. Perception is that the letter requires greater effort.

Where emails fall on the spectrum depends upon the recipient. For years it was letter > email > phone but the gap between letter & email seems to have closed considerably.

[QuikSand]

Hire a lobbyist.

Barring that, letter.

[TRO]

I would agree that written communication is best.

You may want to consider a fax as well.

[JPhillips]

Letter, and don't fax. Faxes get overloaded with form letters from different special interest groups. After you write the letter a follow-up call could be helpful. If you know the location of your rep's local office a visit there might help.

But definitely hire a lobbyist.

[Easy Mac]

Go to zappos.com.

Order a briefcase, preferably a Bruno Magli.

Go to the bank.

Withdraw your life savings.

Rob the bank, chances are you didn't have enough in your savings.

Put the money in the briefcase, preferably removing the dye packs.

Get to Washington without being arrested.

Purchase a burner phone and multiple sims/phone cards.

Set up a drop with a liason to the congressman.

Meet with the liason. Try not to get arrested or shot.

Pray that the money went to the congressman.

If you succeeded, meet with the congressman in a hallway for 11 seconds while he completely ignores you.

Never return to your home state and assume things will get worse there regardless.

[kcchief19]

Letter. Phone calls pretty much end up in the category of email. There's no record of what you're saying with a phone call, so it pretty much gets marked down as a checkmark for whatever you're calling about. The only thing getting through to the congressman is an aggregate score of how many emails and phone calls supporting a certain side. With a letter, it's your best chance of actually getting heard.

Cynically, not much chance either way. I can't remember the last time I heard of an instance in which a member of Congress was persuaded in anyway by what constituents had to say. They will generally only listen to communications that support their existing position.

[JPhillips]

Originally Posted by kcchief19

Letter. Phone calls pretty much end up in the category of email. There's no record of what you're saying with a phone call, so it pretty much gets marked down as a checkmark for whatever you're calling about. The only thing getting through to the congressman is an aggregate score of how many emails and phone calls supporting a certain side. With a letter, it's your best chance of actually getting heard.

Cynically, not much chance either way. I can't remember the last time I heard of an instance in which a member of Congress was persuaded in anyway by what constituents had to say. They will generally only listen to communications that support their existing position.

I think it depends on what is being asked. If it is pro/anti a current bill I'd agree, but a lot of congressional offices do a pretty good job of constituent service. If it's a problem that can be cleared up by a phone call or letter from a rep a lot of them are willing to do that.

[Abe Sargent]

ALWAYS letter. I've worked in offices before and responded to constituents. ALWAYS a letter, but NEVER a form letter, we can tell when the local 1976 of some union has everyone write a form letter in their own words. That has all of the weight of a feather.


Letters change policy. I can;t tell you how many letters I have seen become an amendment or a bill or have someone to lean on an agency to tweak an administrative rule.

[Chief Rum]

Parachute in through his/her office window.

[stevew]

Pose as a reporter for Slugline and then start sleeping with him/her

[JediKooter]

I heard using tape to form an 'X' in your window will get some kind of response.