India Association of New
Hampshire
www.ianh.org
How to
Contact Your Legislators?
Who
are my Federal, State, and Local Legislators?
The following link will
guide you to locate your Federal, State, and Local legislators.
http://www.congress.org/congressorg/home/
You will need your ZIP
code to get the names of your Federal, State and Local legislators and
officials. This website also contains information on their voting records.
Once you know who your legislators are, you can write to them or call
them.
Addressing
Correspondence
|
To
a US Senator The
Honorable (full name) Dear Senator: |
To
a US Representative: The
Honorable (full name) Dear
Representative: |
|
To
the Chair of a Committee or the Speaker of the House Dear
Mr. Chairman or Madam Chairwoman: |
To
a State Legislator The Honorable (Name of Legislator) The
salutation is "Dear Senator/Assemblyperson/Representative (Last
Name)" |
Writing
a Letter
The letter is the most
popular choice of communication with a congressional office. If you decide to
write a letter, this list of helpful suggestions will improve the effectiveness
of the letter:
Your purpose for writing
should be stated in the first paragraph of the letter. If your letter pertains
to a specific piece of legislation, identify it accordingly, e.g., House bill:
H. R. ____, Senate bill: S.____ for federal bills
Be courteous, to the
point, and include key information, using examples to support your position.
Address only one issue in
each letter; and, if possible, keep the letter to one page.
Please forward a copy of your letter to The President@IANH.org
Tips
to write letters to your Legislator
Following guidance is designed to help with writing the letter.
·
Type or write legibly.
·
If you are writing about a specific bill, include the bill number
in the first few sentences or a reference ("RE:") line above the
salutation.
·
Be brief and to the point (preferably one page or less). Short
letters get read!
·
Use your own words and avoid the appearance of a form letter.
·
Give your reasons for supporting or opposing a bill.
·
Use a personal story, if possible.
·
Be courteous and reasonable.
·
Use correct grammar and short sentences.
·
Include a newspaper article/editorial that supports your view
·
Personalize the heading and salutation for each legislator to whom
you send a letter.
·
Proofread and spell check.
Do NOT …
·
Be long winded.
·
Be rude or threatening.
·
Remind the legislator that you are a taxpayer.
·
Use form letters (the form on www.congress.org is only for format
and mailing, so this is an excellent tool.)
·
Say, or even hint, that politics is sleazy or dishonorable (no
matter what you think).
Tips
to Call your Legislator
To find your
representative's phone number, you may use searchable online congressional
directory www.congress.org or call the U.S. Capitol
Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask for your Senator's and/or
Representative's office.
Remember that telephone
calls are often taken by a staff member, not the member of Congress. Ask to
speak with the aide who handles the issue to which you wish to comment.
After identifying
yourself, tell the aide you would like to leave a brief message, such as:
"Please tell Senator/Representative (Name) that I support/oppose
(S.___/H.R.8___)."
You will also want to
state reasons for your support or opposition to the bill. Ask for your
Senator's or Representative's position on the bill. You may also request a
written response to your telephone call.