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| Related Pages Ending Abortion How You Can Help in Any of a Number of Ways Contact Your Elected Officials Who to Contact?Key points: Whenever you write to President Obama, it's important to send a personalized copy or version of the letter to your two U.S. Senators and your U.S. House Representative as well. Contact pro-abortion legislators and ones that you think will vote pro-life on a proposed issue. Also, it's important to contact your state senator, House representative, and governor regarding life issues in your state.
Who to Contact Regarding Federal IssuesIn general, when you contact the U.S. Congress, contact only your representatives. You have three: one U.S. House representative and two U.S. senators. Congress members generally want to hear only from their constituents, or at least they'll prioritize their time to deal with constituents. The representative of your district and the senators of your state cast your votes in the Congress and want to know your views. However, some citizens undertake to contact all 435 members of the House and 100 senators, most of whom cast their votes for other districts and other states. If you happen to be acquainted personally with a member from a state other than yours, he or she might answer your letter, but there's a "congressional courtesy" procedure that provides that all letters written to representatives of districts other than the writer's district are simply referred to the writer's representative. Receiving hundreds of forwarded messages from you can anger your member's staff at the expense of any point that you are trying to make. An exception to this rule is if members of a committee are considering impending legislation. In that case, contacting committee members directly is acceptable, even those of whom you're not a constituent. The White House web site says that President Obama is committed to creating the most open and accessible administration in American history. Communicate with him. CatholicAnew advocates sending to President Obama a personalized copy of every letter that you send to your Congress members. That is, near the beginning of the version to the President, mention that you've sent a similar letter to your U.S. senators and House representative. That way, President Obama's staff may retain the letter and give it consideration rather than forwarding it to your legislators.
I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. ... And, to those Americans
whose support I have yet to earn, I may not have won your vote, but I hear
your voices, I need your help, and I will be your president, too.
Barack Obama in his victory speech, November 5, 2008
In general, don't write only to the President about bills, because generally legislation under consideration has to pass through both houses of Congress before it gets to the President, and your Congress members need to know where you stand. Depending on the issue, contact the following regarding federal legislation:
Finding Out What the Key Issues
Are
Who to Contact Regarding State IssuesIt's also important to contact your state elected officials about life-related legislation that your state legislature is considering. Find out if your state legislature is considering life-related legislation. Depending on the issue, contact the following regarding state legislation:
Finding Out What the Key Issues
Are
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