Writing a Member of Congress

Writing a letter is a simple and powerful way to communicate with policymakers about important issues that are affecting you and the Parkinson’s community.  Members of Congress want to hear from their constituents and will listen when you communicate with them.  If your letter concerns a time-sensitive issue, send it via fax or e-mail or call with your requests.  Traditional mail can take up to four weeks to be delivered on Capitol Hill due to strong security measures.

For all written communication, make sure you include your name, address, e-mail address, and phone number.

Identify your Member of Congress:  To identify your members of Congress and their contact information, click here and enter your ZIP Code.  You may also call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121.   

Use appropriate address and salutation.  Letters to individual Members of Congress should be addressed as follows: 

Identify yourself.  Identify yourself as a constituent of your Member’s state or Congressional district and a Parkinson’s Action Network advocate.  For example, “I am an advocate with the Parkinson’s Action Network and a constituent who lives in [city], [state].”

Be Specific.  Identify one specific issue and/or bill number on which you want action and specifically state what action you want taken.  For example, “I am seeking your support for research critical to people suffering from Parkinson’s disease that is being conducted by the Department of Defense’s Neurotoxin Exposure Treatment Parkinson’s Research (NETPR) program.  I ask that you support full funding for the NETPR program in Fiscal Year 2010.”

Tell your story.  Tell your personal story and how this particular issue affects you, your family, and your community.  Personal stories and examples can help your elected officials make decisions on important legislation.  If responding to an Action Alert (link), please add your personal story to the letter provided.

Keep it short and polite.  Try to keep your communication brief and under one page.  Also, always maintain a polite tone.  Even if you are angry or disappointed, it is important to use appropriate and respectful language. 

Ask for a response.  Respectfully request a written response on the official’s position or action on the issue you addressed.  Make sure to enclose your name, address, e-mail address, or telephone number so that they can fulfill your request and contact you if questions arise.  Response mail from your elected official may take six weeks or more.

E-mail PAN.  Send a copy of your letter to PAN.  The more information we have about your advocacy efforts, the better able we are to do our jobs.  E-mail PAN, info@parkinsonsaction.org.

Sample Letter.  Click here to download a sample letter to Congress.