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Write Letters to Congress
Congressional Guidelines
Never underestimate the power of a
constituent's letter. A constituent's letter can be very
powerful and personal letters show that you really care about the issue.
We encourage you to contact your legislators
at both their local offices and their offices in Washington, DC.
Contact information for local offices can be located on members'
web sites, accessible through the below House and Senate
portals.
Postal mail to the U.S. Congress has slowed
down considerably after increased security. Please note the
process for mail delivery to
members of Congress. Correspondence:
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is inspected to ensure that the letter is sent from a
constituent of the senator or representative;
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arrives at a processing unit in Virginia (2-4 days);
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is forwarded to Lima, Ohio, for irradiation procedures
(10-14 days);
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is forwarded to another processing unit where all
non-paper contents are removed and tested (7-10 days);
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is sorted and delivered to individual
congressional offices, if it clears the 7- to 10-day waiting
period for test results.
Therefore, we highly recommend that you fax
or e-mail the letter. You can still mail a letter, if you wish,
but you need more lead time for delivery.
Make Your Letter Effective
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Find your Congressional District and
contact information.
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Keep your letter short. Be concise and limit your letter to one
or two pages.
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Use the appropriate address and salutation. Use the correct
title, address, and salutation, and remember to use spell check
after completing your letter.
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For Representative:
The Honorable John Q. Smith
U.S. House of Representatives
111 Address
Washington , DC 20010
Dear Representative Smith:
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For Senator:
The Honorable John Q. Smith
U.S. Senate
111 Address
Washington, DC 20010
Dear Senator Smith: |
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Identify yourself. Let your legislator know that you
are a constituent.
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Be polite. Like most of us, legislators will respond
better to positive communication. Start by recognizing their
support on specific pieces of legislation. You can identify
those legislative priorities by visiting your representative's
and/or senators' Web pages. (Links to such sites are included in
the output provided by the above House and Senate directories.)
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Explain your position. Be clear and concise with
regard to your position on the issue you address in your letter.
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Ask for a response. Be clear about what you would like
your legislator to do and request a reply to your letter.
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Write legibly.
Your letter is part of
a letter-writing campaign, so a handwritten letter will give the
appearance of a grassroots "ordinary citizen" communication,
rather than a communication from a "special interest group."
Handwritten letters can be as persuasive as typed letters, but
your handwriting must be legible.
Topics of Correspondence and Sample Letters
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Regarding a Congressional Hearing—Please
urge Congress to investigate the Pine Ridge "Reign of Terror,"
misconduct against the American Indian Movement, and the
wrongful conviction and illegal imprisonment of Leonard Peltier.
Click here
to view a sample letter.
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Regarding Clemency—Ask your
Members of Congress to write to the White House to request a commutation
of Leonard Peltier's sentence. Click
here
for more information.
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Regarding FOIA
Documents—The
government must release all documents related to the Peltier
case. These documents are over 25 years old and are considered
historically significant. Further, they may contain information
that may exonerate Leonard Peltier. Click
here to view a
sample letter regarding the release of such
documents under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
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Regarding An Executive Review of the Case—On
June 23, 1995, Amnesty International submitted a letter of
concern about the Peltier case to the then U.S. Attorney
General. There was no response. Ask your Members of Congress to
write to Eric Holder to urge him to conduct an executive review of the case and
to finally right the wrongs of the past. It's never too
late to find the truth, but justice delayed
is justice denied. Click
here for more information.
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