Follow and Contact Congress
Every American has one representative and two senators whose job includes hearing from you.
Congress does most of its work in public, and nearly all of it is searchable: who represents you, what bills they sponsor, how they vote, and what committees hear. This page gathers the practical steps — finding your members, contacting them effectively, and following a bill or a vote from start to finish.
Congress shall make no law … abridging … the right of the people … to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
U.S. Constitution, First Amendment
Find Your Members
Find Your Representatives
Enter your address to see your representative and senators, with profiles, committees, and recent work.
Congress Directory
Browse every current member of the House and Senate.
Contacting Congress Effectively
Offices track constituent contacts by issue and position, and staff pay most attention to people who live in the district or state. A few habits make contact count:
Say you’re a constituent
Include your city or ZIP code. Offices prioritize the people they represent.
Be specific
Name the bill number or issue and the action you want — support, oppose, or amend.
Call or write the right office
Calls to the Washington or district office are tallied quickly; letters and web forms are logged too.
Tell your story
A short personal example is more persuasive than a form letter.
Ask for help with an agency
Casework offices help with Social Security, veterans’ benefits, passports, immigration, and other federal agencies — for free.
Tracking a Bill
Every bill has a number — H.R. for House bills, S. for Senate bills — and a page on Congress.gov showing its sponsor, cosponsors, text versions, committee referrals, actions, and related bills. Use the “Actions” tab to see where it stands, and remember that most bills never move after introduction. How the stages work is on How a Bill Becomes a Law.
How Your Members Voted
Recorded (roll call) votes are published by the House Clerk and the Senate within hours. Many votes are procedural — on a rule, a motion to table, or cloture — so check what question was actually being decided before reading too much into a single vote. Member profiles in the Congress Directory summarize recent votes and sponsored legislation.
Watching Hearings and Floor Debate
Committee websites post hearing schedules, testimony, and video. Floor proceedings are broadcast live and archived, and the Congressional Record publishes what was said on the floor each day. See Finding Committee Records.
Elections: The Ultimate Check
All 435 House seats and about a third of the Senate are on the ballot every two years. Voting is the most direct way to hold Congress accountable.
