How Congress.org Works

Welcome to Congress.org, a nonpartisan news and information website devoted to encouraging civic participation.

If you've used Congress.org in the past, you've probably noticed that we've made significant changes. The news section is bigger and more user-friendly, and we've added a news ticker that's updated throughout the day.

Our reliable tools for advocacy remain unchanged, and we'll be adding more in the weeks ahead.

If you've never been to Congress.org, we're glad you're here. Our goal is to provide useful information on public policy issues being dealt with in Congress, as well as helpful tips and discussions on how to be a more effective advocate for your cause.

Here's a quick guide to our site and its features.

As an unregistered visitor to our site you can:

As a registered user to our site, you can take full advantage of the many tools we offer citizen activists:

  • Contact your Member of Congress with an e-mail that you can be assured will go directly to his or her inbox.
  • Write a Soapbox Alert, which is a public message that other site users can read and use in their own letters to lawmakers. It's a great way to rally others to a cause, and every registered user gets four free Soapbox Alerts a month.
  • Follow your favorite issues, track the letters and Soapbox Alerts you've written, and keep an eye on the lawmakers who represent you in Congress.
  • Create a public profile page, where other users at the site can see as much or as little as you wish to share about your views and interests.
  • Sign up to receive any or all of our four weekly e-mail newsletters.
    1. Updates on Congressional action
    2. Health care news
    3. Energy and environment news
    4. MegaVote, our personalized tally of how your lawmakers voted on the big issues of the day

Have any questions? You may find the answer on our FAQ page or you can contact us.

Recent Headlines

Want to write Congress about SOPA?

If you'd like to write Congress about SOPA, the easiest thing to do is go to our Facebook page and use our Tell Congress app.

The Beat: How Government Works

In this episode of "The Beat," we talk with Roll Call Associate Editor Paul Singer about a new project exploring the behind-the-scenes work that makes government function.

The Beat: Defense

Congress.org editor Ryan Teague Beckwith and CQ defense reporter John Donnelly discuss the latest in defense news.

Directories

Legislation

Issues & Actions

Election


Soapbox

More Resources