Writing Your Representative and Senators

Letters to Washington, D.C. congressional offices are slow to arrive, but they do get there, and many advocates believe they are more effective than any other form of communication besides a personal meeting. Letters can be handwritten and even sent on a postcard instead of a full formal letter. Writing the district offices is just fine.

E-mail is another tool with which to contact congressional offices. Although many of the same principles apply in composing e-mail, there are additional protocols to be considered. When making a strong point, avoid the temptation to write in all capital letters. All caps is the e-mail equivalent of shouting. Avoid the cutesy symbols so often seen in e-mail messages. Make your point clearly and follow the proper grammar and punctuation rules. Also, be sure to spell check your message.

Be polite, concise, and to the point. It’s a good idea to state the purpose, and any action steps you are requesting, at the beginning of your letter. Please refrain from using inflammatory language. Keep in mind these congressional offices are bombarded with literature and printed material from hundreds of organizations promoting their causes. There will be plenty of opportunity to provide literature in the future, so be sure the only thing sent in your envelope is the letter.

Key points to make reference to are that the FairTax, H.R. 25/S. 122, is a tax system which:

• Allows you to keep 100 percent of your paycheck, pension, and Social Security check.
• Is pro-growth and creates jobs by making American-made or American-grown products more competitive at home and for export.
• Eliminates taxation of income and urges a repeal of the 16th Amendment through HJR 16.
• Ensures that everyone in the United States pays their fair share of taxes.
• Is progressive by exempting all legal, resident, American taxpayers from federal taxation up to the poverty level, through a monthly rebate.
• Dramatically lowers tax rates for low-income and middle-income Americans.
• Reduces the cost of goods and services by eliminating hidden taxes.
• Allows families to save more for home ownership, education, and retirement.
• Frees up the time and money wasted on record keeping for the IRS and filling out cumbersome IRS forms.
• Protects and ensures the funding of Social Security and Medicare.
• Leaves unchanged the amount of money raised by the federal government.

Send an email
For your convenience, sample letters are provided here. Feel free to use these samples or compose one yourself using the points of reference listed above.

Sample #1 – The FairTax Act  Sample #2 – Current Tax Code

Always, always, always send a copy of your letter and any responses to FairTax Central.  The mailing address is:
    Americans for Fair Taxation
    P.O. Box 27487
    Houston, TX 77227-7487

Calling Your Congressperson
Calling the congressional offices is only marginally different from contacting them by mail. The same rules apply. Phone calls should be brief and to the point. Start with the tax aide. Once you have a good relationship established there and you believe the aide has been fully educated, suggest a conference call with the congressperson.

The primary difference between a phone contact and mail contact is that you are not going to have the time on the telephone to list all of the elements of the FairTax. Have one of the FairTax info cards at hand and open the conversation with the congressperson or the aide by saying that you support the FairTax and would like to know how he or she would vote on the bill. Please contact your Regional Director or FairTax Central if you do not have an info card, or get one here.

The key points in making phone calls are 1) be brief and to the point; 2) be prepared to state why you support the FairTax; 3) urge them to co-sponsor HR 25/S 122 or thank them for doing so; and 3) do not become confrontational, but offer information to the congressperson’s office.

Please feel free to contact your Grassroots Coordinator for further assistance in making phone contact with your congressperson. Also, as with the letters, we would like to hear about the results of your phone contact.

Meeting Your Congressperson
Congresspeople schedule time in their districts, and that is the best time to make phone contact or meet with them. Our experience is that you will have a better reception and a much greater chance of success if you meet with your congressperson in the district office rather than in Washington, D.C. If you want an escort for your first meeting, FairTax Central can help you with that. Please contact us early so that we can schedule appropriately.

Be prepared to discuss a couple of the key elements with the congressperson or staff, and why you feel the FairTax provides the best answer to meaningful tax reform. Please do not engage the congressperson or staff in an argument. If the congressperson or staff does not support the FairTax, ask why. Then send them more information on that specific point.

Again, let us know all the details of your meeting: with whom it was held, where and when, what was discussed, what the congressperson’s response was, and where you left things with them, i.e., any future steps to be taken. Please forward this information to Politics@fairtax.org with your congressperson’s name in the subject line.

The FairTax grassroots are the key force in making the FairTax happen. Be active, and let us know what you’re doing so we can help coordinate efforts around your district and around the country.Find your Elected Officials

Find Your Elected Representatives
Find your Elected Officials
At the House of Representatives site you can enter your mailing address and find out who your representative is. Although you can contact your representative through this web site, we strongly recommend taking the time to use one or more of the methods listed above to show your support for the FairTax.

Find Your Representative’s Web Site and Contact Info
This list of all the Representatives with links to their web pages with background information, news, contact information and more.

Find your Senators
In the top banner area of the Senate Web site, you can select your state and find out who your two Senators are. While in most cases you can contact your  Senator through their Web sites, we strongly recommend taking the time to use one or more of the methods listed above to show your support for the FairTax.