How to schedule a meeting
1. Find out who your lawmakers are.
Search for your Senators and Representative. (Find their contact information there, too.)
2. Decide between a District Office visit & a DC visit.
Do you want to travel to DC for the meeting or to the member’s local district office?
If you are planning a district office visit, target a time when Congress is in recess and the lawmaker will be home and more available for a meeting. This calendar shows what days Congress is in session (in DC) or on recess (at home). You can usually find the closest district office to you on your Member of Congress' website.
Sometimes a district office may put you in touch with staff in their DC office if you want to discuss policy issues. They may want to reach out via phone or email. Don't be dismayed at this; your views will be given the same attention as if you had an in person meeting.
3. Fax a request letter.
Fill out and print our sample request letter and fax it to the office you have chosen to visit, whether in the district or in DC.
4. Follow up with a call.
If you don’t hear back in a few days or promised to call in your fax, call the Washington office and request a meeting.
Sample script: “Hello, my name is Dr. Millie A. Mole. I am a constituent of Senator X and I will be visiting Washington, DC the week of ___. I would like to schedule a meeting with your office to talk about federal funding for scientific research & innovation.”
5. Tell us!
Email us about your new meeting. Tell us your name and contact information, the office you are visiting, and the date and time of your meeting.
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