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“I Write Good”

“I Write Good”. Guidelines for writing an effective letter to Congress. The amount of effort you put into your letter is the amount of attention you should expect it to receive. Know Your Member Male or female? Spell his or her name correctly Committee assignments . Know Your Civics!.

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“I Write Good”

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  1. “I Write Good” Guidelines for writing an effective letter to Congress

  2. The amount of effort you put into your letter is the amount of attention you should expect it to receive

  3. Know Your Member Male or female? Spell his or her name correctly Committee assignments Know Your Civics!

  4. Know Your Civics! • Senators vs. Representatives • Federal Congressional districts • State vs. federal legislation

  5. Know What You Want • You are not writing for the sake of writing a letter • Be clear, concise • A one-page letter is more effective than a six-page rant

  6. Details, Details, Details • Don’t assume that Members of Congress and their staffs know everything about the issue • This is your chance to educate

  7. Identifying The Bill • House bills usually start with H.R. followed by the number • Senate bills usually start with S. followed by the number • Always include the title of the legislation along with the bill number • Committee of jurisdiction

  8. http://thomas.loc.govwww.congress.gov OnlineLegislative Information

  9. Writing The Letter

  10. Introduction • Who are you? “I am a letter carrier for the USPS and a member of the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) Branch xxx in (town/city).”

  11. What do you want? - Cosponsor a bill - Ask for a Member’s views - Share your thoughts on a bill

  12. The Meat • Why write to this Member? • Never simply because “you are my Representative/Senator”

  13. Does he or she sit on the Committee of jurisdiction? • Does he or she hold a leadership position? • How many letter carriers in the district or state?

  14. Make your case • How will the bill affect letter carriers and the USPS? • Personalize

  15. Conclusion • Repeat your request • Thank you for taking time to consider my views • “I look forward to your response.”

  16. When Is The Best Time To Write?

  17. Letters are most effective when written while the bill is in Committee.

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