How to Write Congress About Fuel Prices

You have a right to write your representative about fuel prices and how they affect you.

Congressmen and women are referred to as our "elected representatives." This particularly gives voters every right to write. If you have an issue about fuel and energy costs, write your representative. If you're concerned about how your representative voted on a bill: write. Whether you voted for the representative or not, s/he was sent to Washington to serve and represent you.

Things You'll Need

• Facts and statistics to support your position
• Name, address and Email for congressional representative
• Spelling and grammar checker

Instructions

1. Write a draft for your letter on your computer or on paper. Start by using the formal salutation, which is: Dear Congress (man/woman and the last name). Do a quick search on the Internet to get the correct spelling.

2. Introduce yourself and identify yourself as a member of the Congressperson's district, if this is indeed the case, or identify where you live and why you are writing. State your membership in advocacy groups, political organizations or helping with voter registration drives to get attention and convey that you are an active and concerned voter.

3. Tell the Congressperson that you voted for him (if this is true) and how you feel about the job he is doing to represent you. Do not use profanity, make threats or use any type of disrespectful language. Use a professional and respectful tone and focus on stating your position.

4. Briefly state the key reason why you are writing, such as your concern about rising prices or progress on efforts to find fuel alternatives. Get facts and statistics to support your position. Visit websites like Gas Buddy.com to get a range of current gasoline prices in your area.

5. Calculate the total amount of money you spend each week to purchase gasoline to get to and from work, transporting kids to school, and to go grocery shopping for your family. Gather your last 3 to 6 heating oil bills to reference how much your family is spending to heat your home.

6. Describe the impact that fuel costs are having on your take-home income. Point out any thing you've had to cut or reduce such as money for food, educational supplies, or taking a family vacation. Describe why you cannot do things such as carpooling (if this is the case) due to work schedule conflicts or having to take children to school.

7. Close your letter by stating a specific course of action that you would like to see your representative take. Ask her to speak with members on related congressional subcommittees.

8. Inform the congressperson that you will be anticipating a personal response and plant to share the response with family, friends and community members in the district.

9. Thank the congressperson for taking time to read your letter. Use formal words such as 'respectfully' or 'sincerely' at the end. State your full name, mailing address and email address for follow-up correspondence. Use your computer's spelling and grammar checkers to finalize your letter before sending it.

10. Send your letter via email. Use the special website for writing Congress (see Reference 1 below, Write Your Representative). Consider sending an Email and a letter by regular mail to increase the chances of getting your letter read. Send a copy to the representative's local home office for extra backup.

Tips & Warnings

• Find out what committees and subcommittees your representative sits on, or those from your state who serve on specific committees that relate to conservation, energy, transportation, the economy and budgeting.

• Encourage your representative to express your point-of-view to the committee members. This will also convey that you are staying aware and tracking how your representatives are voting on fuel and energy issues and affairs.

• Be patient. Due to the high volume of Emails and letters that representatives receive, it could take up to six weeks to receive a response.

References

• United States House of Representatives: Write Your Representative
• Contracting The Congress: Information on House Subcommittee on Conservation, Energy, and Forestry
• National Write Your congressman: National Write Your Congressman
• Planet Green; How to Write Your Elected Officials; Josh Peterson; December 10, 2008.
• Congress; Communicating with Congress; Craig Crawford, et.al.
• Fuel America: Rising Oil and Gasoline Prices