How to Influence a Congressman

Influencing a United States congressman or congresswoman has everything to do with solving the problems or issues of your community, city and state. One of the most effective ways to influence your representative in Congress, aside from money, is to start a letter campaign. Here are some steps for starting a letter-writing campaign and other ways to communicate with your representative.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Letter-Writing Campaign

1. Draft a sample letter for others to use as a guide to help them join the campaign, and write a letter regarding a problem you need the congressman to take action on. This applies whether your views support or oppose an issue. The letter must be written on official, standard business letterhead and state who you are, your concerns and the purpose of the letter, offering examples and facts. Most importantly, state clearly and succinctly what you want the congressman to do.

2. Organize a spreadsheet or roster to track those who promised to write a letter, who did write a letter and who promised to get others to write a letter. The spreadsheet should be simple, so you can glance at it and know the status of your letter-writing campaign.

3. Augment your letter sample with a sheet of bullet points on issues that each letter writer can pick from and make their own. It's very important that they make the letters their own.

Personal Visit to the Congressman

4. Enlist your most trusted letter writers to schedule a visit with the representative. They must be able to articulate the issue with ease. Add a column to your spreadsheet for those who plan to visit the congressman or congresswoman.

5. Find out the basics about the congressman. Put together a one-page sheet with bullet points about his political party, positions he's held, cross-party issues, where he is or was a member or chair of committees and any other campaigns or issues in which he played a role.

6. Encourage your visiting team to bring a copy of their letters for the letter-writing campaign and go over those points at the meeting. Hold a meeting of all visitors, partner them up to practice with each other on what they plan to say to the representative. Have them practice fielding arguments against your case. Anticipate disagreements and prepare effective responses. Prepare explanations that are similar in the copy of each letter.

7. Inform the visiting party that they need to immediately write a letter after the visit. Note any action the congresswoman agreed to do with an added note that you will be following up on the important issue. Thank her for her time and commitment.

Tips & Warnings

• Your congressman must listen and respond to your requests, even though he doesn't have to agree with you.
• Remember to have your letter writers and visitors keep in touch with the congresswoman and her staff by doing follow-up calls or letters.
• Letters to the editor or press releases about the visit to the congressman, with his approval, are effective ways to get the word out and get the media behind your issue. It may even influence the congressman more so.
• If the letters on your campaign sound too similar in nature, the congressman will negate them and not take them seriously. Make sure all letters sent sound original and not copied.