Holding a Congressional meeting, otherwise known as lobbying, is a tried and true way for citizens to communicate with their representatives. Meeting with your Member of Congress lets him or her know that ending genocide and mass atrocities in Sudan and Congo are priorities for our community – priorities that they should share!
Setting up a meeting with your Member of Congress is actually easier than you think. The tips below will help you through the process. JWW would be happy to organize the meeting with you!
Set up a meeting with your Representative
Step One: Set Up Your Meeting
- Find your Representative or Senator: Visit www.congress.org and type in your zip code to find your member of Congress. Get the email, phone number, and fax number for your Representative’s local office.
- Decide when to have your meeting: Unless you’re planning on flying out to Washington DC (or you’re already there!), you’re most likely hoping to meet with your Representative or Senator (or one of their aides) in their home offices. That means waiting for a Congressional Recess – a time scheduled by Congress as a “break,” when Representatives and Senators are expected to return to their home offices and very often take meetings with their constituents. Check here for the House of Representatives Calendar, and here for the Senate Calendar.
- Send a Meeting Request: Address your request to the Scheduler in your Senator or Representative’s office. A sample meeting request is below!
[DATE]
The Honorable [First Name] [Last Name]
Attn: Scheduler
U.S. House of Representatives [or U.S Senate]
Street Address
City, State Zip
VIA FACSIMILE: [fax number]
Dear Representative (or Senator) [First Name] [Last Name]:
I am writing to request a meeting with you in your [name of city where district office is located] office during the [season] recess, which ends on [date]. I, along with other [student leaders/community members/congregants/other], would like to discuss upcoming legislation and opportunities aimed at stopping the genocide in Darfur. I am involved in [name of your group/organization], a local activist group that works with Jewish World Watch.
Right now, we have an opportunity to make significant strides towards achieving our goals of peace and protection for the people of [Darfur/Sudan/Congo/Other]. We look forward to working with you on this issue. I will contact you shortly regarding the possibility of scheduling this meeting. In the meantime, you can contact me at [insert phone number] or [insert email] if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Name of Group]
