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American Knife & Tool Institute
Communicating with Your Elected Representatives
The same guidelines generally apply whether you are communicating with your state or federal
representatives. PLEASE... send AKTI a copy of your email or letter, or email us that you telephoned and
when. Our lobbyists and representatives can make a much stronger case for us if they know how much
contact has been made with a certain lawmaker.
To improve the effectiveness of your communication:
The best way to communicate often depends on the specific situation we are facing. When we put out
a call to action, AKTI will try to let you know whether it should be by email, letter, telephone call or any
of those methods. We may also ask you to communicate the same letter to both the district and D.C.
offices of your representative. It is also effective to communicate by email and follow up with a fax.
Find your congressional officials
Insert your zip code to get links to your President, Senators, Representatives,
Governor and State Legislators. Click on the appropriate link, Contact tab, and
Email link. You will be able to fill out a message to send either by email or to print
out and mail.
Senators and Representatives also have a form on their website and also comments or blogs. You
can also check out Facebook, Twitter and other social networking sites.
Writing Your Representatives
Generally the same guidelines apply whether you are writing a letter or communicating by e-mail.
How to address correspondence to federal representatives:
To a Senator:
The Honorable (full name)
(Room #) (Name of) Senate Office Building
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510 (or local address)
Salutation: Dear Sir: or Dear Senator:
Closing: Sincerely yours, or Very truly yours,
To a Representative:
The Honorable (full name)
(Room #) (Name of) House Office Building
United States House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515 (or local address)
Salutation: Dear Sir: or Dear Representative:
Closing: Sincerely yours, or Very truly yours,
Committee Chair: Dear Mr. Chairman (or Madam Chairwoman:)
Speaker of the House: Dear Mr. Speaker:
Telephoning Your Representatives
To find your representative's phone number, you can also use Find your congressional officials
Individuals calling should not expect to speak directly to their congressmen. You might only be able to
speak to the receptionist, but she is required to make a record of position.
1. Telephone calls are frequently handled by a staff member. If possible, ask to speak to the
congressman's aide who handles the issue you want to make comments about.
2. Always identify yourself (name, city and state). Tell the aide you would like to leave a brief message.
3. Refer to the bill number. Senate legislation start with S. House bills start with H.R.
Suggestion: "Please tell Senator/Representative (their last name) that I support/oppose S.____/H.R.____."
The same guidelines generally apply whether you are communicating with your state or federal
representatives. PLEASE... send AKTI a copy of your email or letter, or email us that you telephoned and
when. Our lobbyists and representatives can make a much stronger case for us if they know how much
contact has been made with a certain lawmaker.
To improve the effectiveness of your communication:
- State your purpose for writing in the first paragraph.
- If your communication refers to a specific bill, identify it properly (Senate bill: S.___ or House bill: H.
R. ___). - Address only one issue or bill in each communication
- Keep letter to one page; emails to 4 paragraphs and phone calls to 3 minutes.
- Personalize your letter or email. The lawmaker wants to know who you are, that you’re a voter, that
you represent a number of jobs, why this issue is important to you. - Be courteous, concise, and use examples to support your position, if possible.
The best way to communicate often depends on the specific situation we are facing. When we put out
a call to action, AKTI will try to let you know whether it should be by email, letter, telephone call or any
of those methods. We may also ask you to communicate the same letter to both the district and D.C.
offices of your representative. It is also effective to communicate by email and follow up with a fax.
Find your congressional officials
Insert your zip code to get links to your President, Senators, Representatives,
Governor and State Legislators. Click on the appropriate link, Contact tab, and
Email link. You will be able to fill out a message to send either by email or to print
out and mail.
Senators and Representatives also have a form on their website and also comments or blogs. You
can also check out Facebook, Twitter and other social networking sites.
Writing Your Representatives
Generally the same guidelines apply whether you are writing a letter or communicating by e-mail.
How to address correspondence to federal representatives:
To a Senator:
The Honorable (full name)
(Room #) (Name of) Senate Office Building
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510 (or local address)
Salutation: Dear Sir: or Dear Senator:
Closing: Sincerely yours, or Very truly yours,
To a Representative:
The Honorable (full name)
(Room #) (Name of) House Office Building
United States House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515 (or local address)
Salutation: Dear Sir: or Dear Representative:
Closing: Sincerely yours, or Very truly yours,
Committee Chair: Dear Mr. Chairman (or Madam Chairwoman:)
Speaker of the House: Dear Mr. Speaker:
Telephoning Your Representatives
To find your representative's phone number, you can also use Find your congressional officials
Individuals calling should not expect to speak directly to their congressmen. You might only be able to
speak to the receptionist, but she is required to make a record of position.
1. Telephone calls are frequently handled by a staff member. If possible, ask to speak to the
congressman's aide who handles the issue you want to make comments about.
2. Always identify yourself (name, city and state). Tell the aide you would like to leave a brief message.
3. Refer to the bill number. Senate legislation start with S. House bills start with H.R.
Suggestion: "Please tell Senator/Representative (their last name) that I support/oppose S.____/H.R.____."