Identifying Your Senators
Visit the Senate website and find your senators by state. You can find the senate's website online at: https://www.senate.gov. From there, click on the drop-down menu on the top left corner of the page. Scroll down until you see the name of your state. Click on the state's name, and the website will redirect you to a page that lists both of the state's senators. In most cases, this page will also list the senator's contact information. Each state in the U.S. has 2 elected senators. Each senator serves a 6-year term.
Scroll through a list of senators if you know your senator's name. Open up a web browser and navigate to: https://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm. At this web page, you'll see a comprehensive of all 100 U.S. senators. If you know the name of your senator, scroll down the page until you find them. Keep in mind that this list of senators isn't alphabetical by last name. It's organized by state. So, the 2 senators from Alabama will be listed first, and the 2 from Wyoming will be listed last. You can also search senators by Class from the web page given above. Class refers to how long a senator has been in office and when they're up for reelection.
Click on a senator's name to see their contact information. If the page you were just on did not list part of the senator's contact info (e.g., their telephone number), click on the senator's name. This will direct you to their professional senate website. From there, look for a link that says “Contact Me” to find their phone number and email address, and physical address. If you don't see a “Contact Me” link, look for a synonymous link at the top of the webpage. For example, some senators' web pages have links that read “Connect” or “How Can I Help.” If you'd rather go straight to your senator's web page and not navigate through the senate website, search their name in an online search engine. The senator's official website will usually be the first result.
Contacting the Senator's Office
Phone the senator's office by calling their direct line. The senator's phone number should be displayed on the same web page that shows their other contact info. Once you've located the phone number, call that line directly if you'd like to speak to someone in the senator's office. Since it's unlikely that the senator themselves will answer the phone, you'll probably end up speaking to a member of the senator's office staff. If you happen to call after normal business hours, you'll probably get a voicemail recording.
Call the U.S. Capitol Switchboard if you can't find the senator's number. In some cases—for example, if a new senator was just elected—you may not be able to find the senator's phone number on their web page. In this case, call the switchboard at (202) 224-3121. A switchboard operator will answer the line. Ask the operator to connect you to the office of the senator you'd like to speak with. The Capitol Switchboard should be answered by a live person during business hours on Monday through Friday.
Send an email to the senator if you have internet access. Emailing is one of the easiest and most convenient means of reaching out to your elected officials. Each senator's government email address will be listed on the same page that shows the rest of their contact information. Make sure that your email is polite and courteous—even if you disagree with a vote that your senator has cast—and sign your name at the end of the message. As a courtesy, include your physical mailing address at the end of the email. Many senators (or their office staff) will send a physical letter in response rather than replying to your email.
Leave your feedback in a comment form if one is given. Some senators have their web pages set up to contain a comment form rather than providing an email address. In this case, you can type your comments or questions for the senator directly into the text box. Make sure to also include any other information that the comment form asks for, including your name and email address. Once you've filled in the comment form, click “Submit” to file the comment. For example, John Barrasso, a Republican senator from Wyoming, has a comment form on his web site and doesn't list an email address: https://www.barrasso.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact-form.
Write a letter to the senator if you prefer paper correspondence. Writing a physical letter may seem old-fashioned to some readers, but it's the most traditional and formal means of contacting your senator. On the front of the envelope and at the top of the letter, address the letter to the senator as follows: The Honorable John Ossoff. United States Senate. Washington, D.C., 20510. Open the body of your letter with: “Dear Senator Ossoff.” Sending a letter also ensures that you'll receive a paper-copy reply from the senator or their office. Always address an elected official using their title and their last name.
Send a letter to a senate committee if you have a broad concern. Senate committees are comprised of a group of senators and have jurisdiction over specific areas of the U.S. government. If you'd like to reach out to elected officials regarding an issue that no single senator oversees, your best bet is to write to a senate committee. Address the top of the letter (and the front of the envelope) as follows: (Committee Name). United States Senate. Washington, D.C., 20510. There are 20 senate committees in total. These include the Committee on Ethics, the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, and the Committee on Armed Services. For a full list of committees, visit: https://www.senate.gov/committees/index.htm. When you correspond with a senate committee, you'll most likely receive a paper-copy response from the committee's senior member or chairperson.
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