How to File a Letter of Complaint to a Congressman

A letter of complaint to a congressperson could lead to an investigation.

People unhappy about the price of gas, the national debt, political gridlock in Washington, D.C. -- or just about anything else can file a letter of complaint by writing a letter to their congressman or congresswoman. Aides to members of congress can investigate complaints and problems when appropriate. The aides won't personally investigate complaints about, say, a neighbor's barking dog, but they will provide contact information for local authorities who can. The congressperson's staff is more likely to spend time looking into complaints about missing Social Security checks or complaints about the Internal Revenue Service, for example.

Instructions

1. Call your public library to get the name and mailing address for your congressperson. Or visit the United States House of Representatives website to search the database. Another source is the Contact the Congress site.

2. Write a letter. Keep the letter as brief as possible while including the most essential information necessary for the representative to investigate your complaint or provide an answer. Make your complaint as specific as possible and provide as much documentation as is reasonable.

3. Mail your letter of complaint to the representative at the address provided by the U.S. House of Representatives website or a research assistant at the library. Keep a copy for your records.

Tips & Warnings

• You should not assume that the congressperson will not read your letter. The late Congressman Morris K. Udall once wrote that he read every letter sent to him from a constituent. He said that letters sent to him were initially read by an aide. The aide would prepare a response, but Udall said he would personally sign and review the response -- after reading the letter. Udall, who passed away in 1998, served as a U.S. Representative from Arizona for 30 years.

• Don't make threats, berate the congressperson, or ask for a commitment on a bill or vote before the congressperson has had a chance to review the issues. Writing a letter in such an irrational way may discourage the congressperson from taking your thoughts seriously. Make reasonable arguments as you file your complaint.

References

• Stanford University: Various Ways To Contact Congress
• Contact the Congress: Online Directory for the 112th Congress
• United States House of Representatives: Representatives
• Backcountry Horsemen of Washington: The Right To Write

Resources

• United States House of Representatives: Write Your Representative
• Contacting the Congress: A Citizen's Congressional Directory