Initial Publication Date: February 19, 2025

Be an Advocate for Earth Science

Calling Your Representative and Senators in Congress

One important aspect of advocacy is to call your Representatives and Senators in Congress to express your support and/or concern about federal government policies and actions. Calling is one of the most effective ways to interact with Congress because they know it takes time and effort.

Prepare before you call

  • Decide who you are going to call
    • https://www.congress.gov/members/find-your-member
    • Look up the committees they serve on.
    • Look at a map of their district.
    • Have you met them? Did you vote for them?
    • You may live (and vote) in a different district than where you work. If so, you can call both representatives.
    • For policy concerns, you should call the office in Washington, DC.
    • For local concerns, you should call the local office.
  • Develop your message
    • Write it down, including your greeting and anything you want to say.
    • Greeting
      • "Thank you for taking my call.  My name is ________, and I am a voter in (Congressperson's name) district. I live in (city)."
      • Provide your occupation/expertise as relevant to the call (you do not need to name your employer).
      • Clearly state who you represent (yourself in most cases).
        • If you have permission to represent your employer, then do so.
      • If you have met or voted for the person, you can mention it. (optional)
    • Decide what the focus of your message will be.
      • Keep it short and to the point.
      • If you have multiple concerns, it is better to call once for each topic.
    • Link your concerns to their district and/or to one of their committees.
    • Include something that you appreciate.
    • Conclude with your "ask." What would you like the Congressperson to do?
    • Offer to be a resource.
    • Additional resources are provided below.
  • Develop some background information
    • The person you speak to may ask for more information.
    • Write down answers to questions they might ask you, including resources for additional information.

Make the call

  • Keep your notes in front of you when you call.
  • If the call is not answered, call back. (Be persistent.)
  • Be polite. The person answering the phone is usually an intern.
  • Ask if the officeholder is available to speak with you.  (You never know unless you ask.)
    • You can ask to speak with the staff person assigned to your area of concern.
    • You can speak with the person who answered the phone.
  • Share your message!
  • Take notes
    • Who did you talk to?
    • What did you tell them?
    • Did they ask for a follow-up?
  • You may request or offer to speak with someone as a follow-up; provide your contact information.
  • Thank them for their time.

After you call

  • Provide any follow-ups you offered as soon as possible.
  • You may use your phone script to help write a follow-up email or letter.
    • A letter on paper may have more impact because it takes time and effort; however, it can take a while for it to get through.
    • Email follow-ups are best if you have a specific person to email and information to share.
  • If your interaction was positive, you may give them a shout-out on social media.

Useful resources


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