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Timing Tips
Increase the effectiveness of your message with these great timing tips:
- Do it on Friday, Saturday, Sunday or Monday.
If you want a member of Congress to attend or participate in an event while Congress is in session, schedule it on a Friday, Saturday, Sunday or Monday because members of Congress tend to be in their home state or districts during that time.
- If it’s Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday, it must be DC.
Congress is generally in session on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and thus members are often in Washington, DC. If the member of Congress can’t attend because he or she is in Washington, invite their local staff to attend!
- The Hostess with the Mostest Gives Lots of Notice.
Plan ahead! Give the senator or representative as much notice as possible – several weeks is better and you’re more likely to get a positive response.
- Congress Not in Session? Stop by and Say “Hi”!
Check RIF’s government relations calendar to see when Congress is not in session because that is when most members are back home—and that’s a good time to visit your elected officials or invite them to an event.
- Phoning is Fastest.
If some type of Congressional action is imminent (i.e. the appropriations subcommittee that funds RIF is meeting in the next day or so), phone calls are the best way to communicate a message to members of Congress. RIF Action Alerts will let you know when phone calls should be made.
- But Faxes Are Fine Too.
Most Capitol Hill offices check their fax machine regularly throughout the day so faxing is a good way to get a message before a congressman quickly. So if time is of the essence and you can’t make a phone call, sending a fax is a good thing. Call the congressional office and confirm the fax number; some offices have special fax numbers for constituents. Ask if there’s a fax number for the staff member in charge of education issues.
- Hey, Mr. Postman, Is That a Letter for Me?
Postal mail is slow. Because of security precautions being taken, it can take between ten days to two months for your letter to arrive at a congressional office. Therefore, regular mail is ineffective to communicate a time-sensitive message.
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