Write only to your own Representative
Representatives in the US House of Representatives answer to the people living in their congressional district. A letter from outside it is normally logged and set aside, however well argued. That is why we confirm your congressional district from your ZIP code before you write.
If the issue is national, your own Representative is still the right route: they can raise it in the US House of Representatives, sign on to a motion, or write to the responsible federal agency on your behalf.
Say who you are and what you want in the first two lines
Staff triage post quickly. Open with your full address, then one sentence naming the issue, then one sentence naming the action you are asking for — a reply, a question in the US House of Representatives, a letter to a minister, or a meeting.
- Your address, so they can confirm you are a constituent.
- One sentence on the issue, in your own words.
- The specific action you are asking for.
- Any reference number if you are writing about your own case.
Never send a template
Identical wording arriving from many senders is counted once and discarded. Offices tell us plainly that the letters that change minds are the ones describing something that happened to a real person at a real address. Two paragraphs in your own words beat two pages of campaign copy.
What happens next
Expect an acknowledgement quickly and a substantive reply in about three to six weeks. If nothing arrives after a month, write again referring to the first letter and its date. Persistent silence is itself worth recording — we ask everyone whether they got a reply, and publish how responsive each office is.