This resource is designed to help you be informed, comfortable and confident when you meet your members of Congress or their staff members.

Please note that you are responsible for scheduling your own appointments. This ensures that your appointments fit your travel schedule and your agenda.

We recommend scheduling your appointments as soon as possible. The earlier you send your requests, the better the congressional office is able to accommodate you.

How to schedule a congressional appointment:

1. Learn who represents you in Congress.
Identify your two Senators and one Representative. Write down the fax and phone numbers for their Washington, D.C. offices (not their home district offices).

2. Decide your schedule.
It is recommended that you leave sufficient time; factors to consider are the time it takes to travel between office buildings, going through security and traveling from building to building. It is strongly recommended that you schedule the meetings with your two Senators back-to-back because their offices will be near each other.

3. Download these meeting request letters.
Invitation template for your two Senators (Microsoft Word)
Invitation template for your Representative (Microsoft Word)

Fill in the personal information where it is asked for in the letters, and feel free to personalize the letter in any way you consider appropriate.

4. Fax (or e-mail) the meeting requests.

To the Washington, D.C., offices. The fax cover sheet can be directed to the Scheduler. Do not mail the meeting requests because the security screening process can cause severe delays. If you prefer to e-mail the request, call the congressional office and ask for the best e-mail address to use to send a request for a meeting.

If you do not get any response in one week, resend the fax or call the office and request to speak to the Scheduler to follow up on your meeting request.

Please note that it is difficult for Congressional offices to guarantee in advance that the member of Congress will be available to meet with because their schedules are always subject to change. Most commonly, the appointment will be scheduled for you and the legislative assistant (or LA) for health issues, and the member of Congress will do his or her best to sit in as well. Meetings with aides are tremendously important and influential.

Updated June 27, 2013.