- Where can I find a list of public e-mail addresses for Members of Congress? -- There is no central listing of Member office public e-mail addresses. Each Member of Congress establishes their office’s policy related to the processing and management of e-mail. Generally, if a Member has a public e-mail address, it can be found on the Member’s web site. Some offices choose to provide a link back to the Write Your Representative service to provide a means for their constituent’s to communicate via the Internet. In other cases, the office may list a public e-mail address or provide a form directly on the Member's web site. The U.S. House of Representatives does not currently provide a listing of public e-mail addresses for the elected Representatives.
- How can I find my 9-digit Zip Code? -- The Write Your Representative service matches the Zip Code information you provide with a list of congressional districts. Some congressional districts may share a 5-digit Zip Code, however congressional districts do not share 9-digit Zip Codes. Therefore, it may be necessary to enter the complete 9-digit Zip Code to identify the appropriate Member. If you don't know your extended Zip Code, you can use the ZIP+4 Lookup service provided by the United States Postal Service National Customer Support Center.
- What should I do when I enter my Zip Code information
and I get the wrong elected Representative? -- The
Write Your Representative service matches the Zip Code information you provide with a list of congressional districts.
If you receive an error due to a missing Zip Code or incorrect Member information, please use the Write Your Representative Administator form to report the problem. Select the appropriate Error Category for either "Error - Problem with Zip Code" or "Error - Problem with Representative Found" and provide as much information as possible to assist us in researching the problem.
Please be sure to include: Your Street Address, City, State and Zip Code, the Member or Congressional district information you are trying to reach and the Member or Congressional District the service is reporting that you feel is in error.
- Can I send a message to a Member who does not represent my congressional district? -- Congressional courtesy dictates that Representatives be given the opportunity to assist their own constituents. The Write Your Representative service does not allow for the processing of messages to a Member that does not represent the state and zipcode entered. If direct contact with a specific Member that does not represent your district is required, the Clerk of the House maintains addresses and phone numbers of all House Members and Committees, or you may call (202)225-3121 for the U.S. House switchboard operator.
- Why must I also select my state? Aren't Zip Codes unique to a specific state? -- The step of specifying the State as well as the Zip Code provides a method of verifying the Zip Code entered is correct for the State selected.
- Can I forward my message through the Write Your Representative Administrator mailbox? -- No. The Write Your Representative Administrator will not forward messages to Congressional offices. If you are having problems contacting your Representative using the Write Your Representative service, you can report the problem using the Write Your Representative Administrator form, write or call your elected Representative, or visit the Member’s web site for alternate contact information.
- Are there alternative ways to reach my elected Representative? -- If you know who your Representative is but you are unable to contact them using the Write Your Representative service, the Clerk of the House maintains addresses and phone numbers of all House Members and Committees, or you may call (202)225-3121 for the U.S. House switchboard operator. In addition, you may choose to visit your Member's website directly for further information.
- Why can't I attach files to a Write Your Representative message? -- As a security measure, attachments are not allowed on Write Your Representative messages.
- What is the proper form of address when I write my elected Representative? -- There are several correct forms of address for a Member of Congress including "The Honorable" and "Representative". The Write Your Representative service automatically places the salutation for the Member and this information does not need to be entered when using this service to contact your elected Representative.
- How can I get a copy of the message I sent to my elected Representative?
–- The Write Your Representative service does not allow for access to your message once the Send Your Message button has been selected. To keep a copy of the text for yourself, please follow these steps before processing your message through the Write Your Representative service:- Type your letter in your favorite word processor.
- Perform a Select All then a Copy command (CTRL-C). This will save a copy of your text to the clipboard, essentially creating a temporary file.
NOTE: To keep a permanent copy of the message for your records you should also perform a Save.
- Proceed through the Write Your Representative service entering your State and Zip Code and click on Submit. After validation you will be presented with the Message Page containing a large text box.
- Click in the text box on the Message Page to locate your cursor and perform a Paste (CTRL-V) command. The text that you copied to your clipboard should then appear in the text box on the Message Page.
- Click the Send Your Message button to process your message.
- Is it okay for my Company / Organization to link to the Write Your Representative Service? -- The Write Your Representative service is provided as a public resource for identifying and contacting a constituent's elected Representative. There is currently no restriction on a link being posted to the Write Your Representative Home Page at http://www.house.gov/writerep/ to facilitate constituents in expressing their concerns and issues to their Representative in Congress.
Send comments about the Write Your Representative Service to the Service Administrator. Please note that messages for specific Representatives sent to the Service Administrator will not be forwarded to the Representative.