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Phone calls carry 3x the weight of emails. Here is exactly what to say.
9 min read | Sources: Congressional Management Foundation, City of Houston Council offices
Every call to a congressional office gets logged. A staffer picks up, asks your name, your ZIP code, and what issue you are calling about. They write it down. At the end of each day, those calls get tallied by issue.
Representatives read those tallies. When 200 people call about the same bill in one week, it moves to the top of the priority list.
Phone calls carry roughly 3 times the weight of emails. Why? Because calling takes effort. It signals that you care enough to stop what you are doing and pick up the phone.
Form emails get filtered. Phone calls get counted.
Source: Congressional Management Foundation, 'Communicating with Congress' survey, 2017
The Numbers Behind Your Call
Former congressional staffers explain what happens on the other end of the line and how to make your call count.
The Indivisible Guide to calling Congress -- practical tips from former congressional staffers
The Indivisible Project was started by former congressional staffers who watched the Tea Party movement use phone calls to reshape Congress in 2009. They wrote a guide based on what they saw work from the inside.
The core lesson: be brief, be specific, be local.
Source: Indivisible Project, indivisible.org
You do not need to be an expert. You do not need to know the bill number. Use these scripts as a starting point and adjust for your issue.
Timing matters. A call at the right moment is worth 10 calls at the wrong one.
Dial (202) 224-3121. Tell the operator your state and they will connect you to your senator or representative. Use the federal script above. It takes 30 seconds.
Go to wrm.capitol.texas.gov and enter your address. You will see your state representative and state senator with phone numbers for both their Austin and district offices.
Look up your district at houstontx.gov/council. Call the district office, not City Hall. Smaller staff means your call gets more attention. Main line: (832) 393-1000.
Pick one issue you care about. Set a monthly reminder to call. Consistent callers build a reputation with staff. They start to recognize your name. That is when your influence compounds.