A member knows that your vote can be won or lost by his/her response to your inquiry. Responding to your letter can be crucial to their reelection. Hard copy letters and faxes are much more effective than e-mails. All correspondence needs to have your return address on it in order for the Senator or Representative to take it seriously.

Now if writing such a letter takes too long, just pick up the phone and call your representative's closest state office. Ask to speak with a staff person who handles health care issues. Request a written or email response to your comments about lung cancer issues and keep note of the name of the person you spoke with, in case you don't get that response.

Let us know how it goes. Call us at 202-463-2080 or email us at info@lungcanceralliance.org.

You can use our sample letter to write to your Congressperson. If you are composing your own letter, follow these tips when writing your Senator or Representative:

Address them as "The Honorable _____________"
United States Senate
Washington , DC 20510
Dear Senator _______________
or
United States House of Representatives
Washington , DC 20515
Dear Representative ________________

• Be sure your name and return address are legible.
• Keep it to one typewritten page -- two at most.
• In your first paragraph, get to the point quickly. State your purpose. It's best to bring up just one subject or issue at a time. Use the rest of your letter to illustrate your position.
• If referring to a bill, cite it by name and number (i.e. "H.R.__" for House Bill and "S.__" for Senate Bill)
• If you believe legislation is wrong, by all means, say so. Let them know how you feel about a particular issue. Tell them how it will affect you and others in your community. You may even suggest a better approach they should take.
• Ask for your legislator's point of view, but do not demand support.
• Know how your Senator or Representative stands on an issue before you write. Familiarize yourself with his/her voting record, committee assignments, etc.
• Ask them for their consideration and thank them for their service.
• And finally, everyone loves to be acknowledged, so you enhance your relationship with your elected officials by thanking them for voting for your favorite bills. Let them know the positive impact their actions have had.

 Key websites that you will need in order to leap right into advocacy:

• Find out who your representative is at: www.house.gov and www.senate.gov
• View the status of legislative bills by going to: thomas.loc.gov
• Keep track of how your representatives vote by going to: www.vote-smart.org or www.rollcall.com
• Visit the White House at: www.whitehouse.gov
• Visit the Library of Congress at: www.loc.gov

Key phone numbers:

• Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121
• The President: 202-456-1414
• The Vice President: 202-456-2326
• Register your opinion on an issue: 202-456-1111
• Whether a Bill is signed or vetoed: 202-456-2226
• Library of Congress—Congressional Research: 202-707-5700
• Democratic National Committee: 202-863-8000
• Republican National Committee: 202-863-8500