Meeting with Your Member of Congress: How to Set Up a Meeting 

Call Your Representative or Senator’s district office. Click here to find your representative.

While meetings with your Member of Congress can take place in Washington DC or in their home district office(s), it is usually best to conduct these meetings while the Member is home. You are likely to receive more of the Member’s time if you meet while Congress is in recess and he/she is home.

To find contact information for your Representative or Senator, go to www.nailba.org, click on 'Legislative Action Center,' click on 'Find Your Elected Officials,' and enter your zip code.

When you call the office of your Member of Congress, ask to speak to the scheduler. It is important to note that some Members have one staff person who will schedule all of their meetings- both back home and in Washington, DC. Other offices have two staffers- one who schedules local meetings and events and another who schedules the Washington, DC appointments.

During the call: Be as specific as possible.

Many offices require scheduling requests to be submitted in writing. It is important to call the Member’s office to ask the scheduler how he would prefer to receive the schedule request (fax, email, or mailed letter).

The job of the scheduler is to prioritize his boss’s schedule. With that in mind, emphasize why it is important that you meet with your Member and what kind of connection you have to the district/state.

Clearly identify yourself and your company/agency.

Identify yourself as a constituent.

If you are not a constituent but you work in the Member’s district/state, mention the fact that you do business in the district/state.

Be polite.

Schedulers control access to Members. Politeness matters.

An example is below:

“Hello, my name is [name] with [name of company, agency, member organization]. I am a constituent of Representative Jones [alternative: I do a lot of business in Representative Jones’s district] and I’d like to meet with him to discuss [insert topic here]. My colleagues and I would like to visit with Representative Jones on [insert suggested date]. How do you prefer I send you the official request- email, fax, or letter?”

After the call: Follow-up

Follow-up with a fax, email, or letter—depending on how the scheduler requested the information—giving the full details of your meeting request.

If you do not hear back within one week, follow-up a second time. Do not get discouraged; Members of Congress have very busy schedules and get dozens of requests a day. Be persistent. When your Member’s office does contact you, be flexible with your dates and times. You should be prepared to offer several options to give your Member an opportunity to fulfill your meeting request.