E-mail Me: Congress and the Internet
In the nearly three decades since personal computers were introduced, they have
revolutionized interaction between Congress and its constituents. The first computers
introduced in the House of Representatives provided basic word processing and accounting
functions to assist in the administrative tasks of running a congressional office.
To assist Member offices in modernizing their offices, Members were granted computer
allowances in their operating budgets and given personalized training classes. By
the start of the 106th Congress (1999–2001), freshman Member orientation
was supplemented with a computer tutorial featuring the House office buildings and
the Capitol.
Although a precise date is difficult to pinpoint, electronic mail, or e-mail, was
first used internally by the House of Representatives in the early 1980s. External
e-mail began in the mid-1990s, permitting the public to contact Member offices 24
hours a day. The Internet provided a new level of accessibility to Congress. The
mid-to late-1990s launch of congressional Web sites, such as the House of Representatives
Web site, Member Web sites, committee Web sites, the Library of Congress
THOMAS Web site, and the Online Biographical Directory of the United States Congress,
granted the public instant access to information which once required weeks and even
months to obtain.
With the advent of social networking and new wireless computer technologies, Members
of Congress have embraced the new forms of media. From social media Web sites to
online video, blog, and Twitter accounts, Members use these resources to provide
greater accessibly for their constituents.
In 2009, the House of Representatives upgraded its mainframe computer to a smaller
more energy efficient model. Pictured above is the power switch to the giant mainframe computer, ca.
1996. Collection of the U.S. House of Representatives