Talk to Your Representatives

How do officials know what we want unless we tell them?  There are many ways to communicate with officials. 

Call, Write, Text or Tweet Your Representative 

You will speak to a staff person rather than the representative.  However, the staff person records the call.  This link offers a script on how to prepare and what to say to your representatives.

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You can write, email, text, or Tweet your representatives.  Find their contact information here.

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Plan an In-District Meeting. 

Representatives have field offices where you can contact staff at all times.  Your contacts will more likely be with staff than with your representative, but it is the job of the staff to inform the representative of constituent visits and requests, so prepare for your meeting as if you are meeting the representative.  Nevertheless, always request a meeting with the representative--you may succeed.

At various points during the year, members of Congress venture home to the communities that put them in office. It’s a time for elected officials to meet with their constituents and hear from people who feel the impact of decisions made in Washington. In fact, face-to-face meetings are one of the best ways to remind lawmakers that it's their job to serve the public. 

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For a detailed, step-by-step tutorial on how to set up a meeting and then what to say and do, go to Free Press.

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The League of Women Voters of Oregon offers these tips on visiting representatives.

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A more detailed list of Do's and Don't for a visit is offered at this link.

Consider organizing a meeting with the representative and a club or civic organization when you know the representative is scheduled to be in town.  Politicians appreciate opportunities to meet with large groups of people.  Group meetings can be more impactful in showing your representatives that many people are interested in an issue.

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These same guidelines for visiting members of Congress can be applied to the Texas Legislature, City Council and County Commissioners Court as well as other elected and government officials. 

State Representatives and Senators, City Councilmembers and County Commissioners and other local officials are a little closer at hand because they live and work near where you live, and they have local offices in Bexar County.  You can visit their offices with or without an appointment and you can testify at committee and commission hearings to give them your opinion of pending decisions.  You also can go to Austin to visit the Texas Legislators’ offices and give testimony at committee hearings.