Write Your Member Of Congress
Deciding on the format
The Congressional Management Foundation highlights that as long as theyāre personalized, email and letters are nearly equally effective. In fact, a clear majority (90%) of Congressional office respondents to one of Congressional Management Foundationās surveys agreed that fewer than 100 personalized emails on a given issue is enough to get their office to consider taking the requested action. Ā
If there is no rush,Ā handwritten letters are great because of the relationship building potential. Think about the last time you got a handwritten letter from someone. It really makes an impact, especially in a time when weāre buried in email. Letters that arrive in an envelope go through anthrax screening and delivery will be delayed 2-3 weeks.Ā
The most effective communication is the one you actually send, so if doing it by email will get you to send more letters, either way helps generate political will for climate action.Ā
Using CCLās online email tools
When you use our online tool to send your email, the tool will provide you an example message for you to customize and send andĀ automatically logĀ the email in the Action Tracker. ThisĀ helps us track how many emails your member of Congress is receiving.
The latest online actions are always available atĀ
Making your letter personal
Itās not hard to write a compelling letter to your member of Congress that will help move them forward on climate policy. Hereās a basic outline:
- Introduce yourself, sharing something personal (e.g. āIām a constituent and a voter,ā or āI live in [city] with my familyā)
- Share your concern about climate change (e.g. āClimate is a priority issue for meā) and why the issue is important to you
- Make your āask.ā This could be as specific as asking them to cosponsor or vote for a certain piece of legislation, or as general as asking them to prioritize climate change and support a price on carbon.
Helpful talking points about a price on carbon
Here are a few talking points about a price on carbon that might be helpful to use when you write a letter to Congress:
- A strong, economy-wide price on carbon could reduce Americaās carbon pollution by 50% by 2030, putting us on track to reach net zero by 2050.
- Businesses will respond to a price on carbon by becoming more energy efficient and innovating new technologies, which will lead to abundant, affordable, and reliable clean energy.
- Carbon pricing policies can include a regular ācarbon cash backā payment to Americans. This protects low- and middle-income households financially as America transitions to a clean-energy economy.
- A carbon price will save 4.5 million American lives over the next 50 years by restoring clean air across the country.
- A carbon fee will incentivize innovation by Americaās businesses, creating millions of new jobs that will transform our economy and put Americans back to work.
Find more information to include in your letter, as well as sources for the information,Ā here.
Additional tips
You can include talking points, but make the message it your own. Here are a few other tips:
- Be personal, polite and factual.
- If you write an handwritten letter, be sure to use the appropriate title every time you communicate. On the envelope: āThe Honorable [Full Name].ā In the salutation: āDear Representative/Senator [Last Name],ā
- Write about only one issue.
- Be short and concise.
- If your handwriting is not very legible, type your letter.
- Include your address so they know you are a constituent.
- Consider hosting a letter writing party for other group members (see more ideas for what's worked for other groups here)
Sample Letter
Feel free to use any part of the outline below and share your sample letters here in the forums!
Dear Congresswoman XXXXX,
Since my first child was born in 2004, Iāve fallen in love with Virginiaās beaches all over again. Itās wonderful to be able to share them with my family, and Iām grateful for your consistent support for protecting our priceless coast.
In the decades to come, however, rising sea levels will increasingly threaten the beaches and shorelines that are so important to all Virginians. The recent king tides that have flooded so many homes in Hampton Roads are an early sign of a trend that will place communities, livelihoods, and crucial habitats at risk.
Iām writing now to ask that you support legislation that includes carbon pricing.Ā Carbon pricing canĀ help reduce Americaās carbon pollution by 40% within 12 years and bring climate change under control while unleashing American technology innovation and ingenuity.
Thank you very much for your attention; I would welcome a reply at your convenience.
Sincerely,
XXXXXXX
Address
Finding the address (if mailing)
Use the Congressional Directory to find the mailing address for your member of Congress. Or, use the following generic physical address:
Rep. NAME HERE
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
Ā
Sen. NAME HERE
U.S. Senate
Washington, DC 20510
Share about your effort!
- Log your action in CCL's Action Tracker!
- Share it on social media
- Todd Elvins