Frequently Asked Questions

• What is Congress.org?
• Is Congress.org affiliated with Congress?
• How do I locate my elected officials?
• What should I write Congress about?
• How many letters have been sent through Congress.org?
• How do I know that my e-mail will get through?
• Why can't I e-mail everyone in Congress?
• Why do I have to provide a return address?
• But I don't want politicians sending me e-mail!
• What if I want to send a letter through the U.S. Postal Service?
• I'm having trouble using the Web site. How can I contact Congress.org for help?
• How can I add information from Congress.org to my Web site?
• How can my advocacy group learn more about Capitol Advantage?

What is Congress.org?

Congress.org is a publication of the CQ-Roll Call Group, the largest news organization on Capitol Hill. It offers one-stop shopping for citizens who want to learn about the issues of the day and express their views. At Congress.org, you can read about legislation being debated by Congress, research recent votes, identify your representatives, send an e-mail to your lawmakers and encourage other voters to join your cause. For a small fee, you can also have your letter hand-delivered to Congress.

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Is Congress.org affiliated with Congress?

No. We are a nonpartisan news and information site.

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How do I locate my elected officials?

Simply enter your ZIP code in the box marked "Get Involved" on the Congress.org home page and we'll tell you your local, state and national elected officials. In some cases, we may also need your physical address. You can then e-mail your lawmakers by simply clicking on their names or through one of our many news stories about upcoming votes in Congress.

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What should I write Congress about?

Congress can be a confusing place. Every day in session new bills are filed and votes are taken on complicated issues. At Congress.org, we'll do our best to notify you of upcoming votes and what they mean in plain English. From our home page, you can also read what other users are thinking about under "Get on Your Soapbox," see what they are writing Congress about under "Letters to Leaders" or learn what national advocacy groups are working on under "Join a Cause."

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How many letters have been sent through Congress.org?

That number is available in the upper-right corner of our home page. It includes all letters sent through Congress.org since our launch in 2004. The counter is updated nightly.

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How do I know that my e-mail will get through?

Congress.org is powered by Capwiz-XC, a software program created by Capitol Advantage. E-mail sent through this program is formatted in accordance with the technical requirements of Congressional offices to verify that a letter-writer is a constituent and to route their mail to the appropriate staff member. National advocacy groups have used this software for years because it is the most effective way to reach your elected officials online.

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Why can't I e-mail everyone in Congress?

Members of Congress only accept e-mail from their constituents. For Senators, that means people who live in their state; for Representatives, people who live in their district. You may also send a letter to the president, vice president and the first lady through Congress.org. Some other Web sites promise to send your letter to every Member of Congress, but most of that mail is thrown away.

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Why do I have to provide a return address?

A return address is necessary to prove that you are a constituent. Members of Congress also ask for e-mail addresses so that they can respond to your questions and concerns. Congress.org does not resell this information to any third parties.

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But I don't want politicians sending me e-mail!

Then tell them that. A simple sentence in your e-mail — "I do not wish to be contacted in the future." or "Please do not add me to any e-mail lists." — should do the trick.

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What if I want to send a letter through the U.S. Postal Service?

You can find the physical address of your Members of Congress through the "Get Involved" box on our home page. Or, if you'd like, you can use "Advocacy Express," our new hand-delivery service. Simply select the hand-delivery option after composing your letter and we will print and deliver your letter directly to the office of your Senator or Representative.

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I'm having trouble using the Web site. How can I contact Congress.org for help?

The fastest and easiest way to contact us is through this Web form. Make sure to include specific details of what you were doing when the problem arose, including links to any Web pages you were using.

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How can I add information from Congress.org to my Web site?

You may link to Congress.org by posting a "Contact Congress" Web sticker on your Web Site.

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How can my advocacy group learn more about Capitol Advantage?

If you work with an advocacy group, you may be interested in Capitol Advantage's solutions for grassroots advocacy. Contact them here to learn more about Capwiz, the award-winning online advocacy solution that helps more than 1,500 large and small associations, nonprofits, businesses, media portals, and other organizations achieve legislative success by influencing state and federal policymakers, managing online fundraising, getting out the vote, and much more.

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