National Write To Congress Day Is Jan. 3: How And Why To Weigh In

ACROSS AMERICA — An important holiday you may not know much about is approaching Tuesday, Jan. 3: It’s National Write to Congress Day, a chance for all Americans to tell their elected officials what’s on their minds.

As made-up holidays go, this one has more merit than many. Among the most basic tenets of U.S. democracy is citizen participation in government, seen not only as a right, but a duty.

There are no shortage of issues — health care, monetary policy and Federal Reserve hikes, the labor market, immigration, tax policy, U.S. support for Ukraine in its war with Russia, you name it — to discuss with your congressional delegation.

Emails and phone calls are best, because mail sent through the U.S. Postal Service is often delayed in the screening process. Find your congressional representatives and their contact information. One note: first-time lawmakers who won their races in the midterm elections may not yet be in the congressional database.

Here are six tips from the American Civil Liberties Union on writing to members of your congressional delegation:

1. Keep the letter or email brief and limit it to a single issue. Legislative aides read multiple pieces of mail on multiple issues every day, so keep your letter concise and to-the-point.

2. Make it known in the opening paragraph that you’re a constituent and what issue you’re concerned about. It helps to identify the bill number if you’re writing about a specific issue.

3. Limit your talking points to the three most persuasive arguments.

4. Make it personal. Tell your legislator why it’s personally important to you and your family, your community or your state. Personal stories can help legislators form their own positions on an issue.

5. Personalize your relationship with elected officials by letting them know you voted for them, contributed to their campaigns or supported them in other ways. If you’re familiar with them through a business or professional relationship, state that, too.

6. Be polite and to the point, but don’t forget you’re the boss and don’t be afraid to make a firm case. A lawmaker’s job is to represent your interests. Also, you may be more familiar with the issue you’re interested in advancing than your legislator, and it’s your job to educate them.

Like many unofficial observances, this history of National Write to Congress Day is murky. Congressman Brian Higgins of New York popularized it with a Dec. 30, 2005, blog post in which he encouraged his constituents to share their concerns, calling letters, emails and phone calls “an essential component” of democracy.

At the time, Higgins estimated he received about 600 constituent correspondences a week. Also at the time, it was estimated members of Congress received about 86.9 pieces of mail annually.