Now More Than Ever: What You Need to Know to Make Congress Hear You
Democracy and good government are under siege from within. Iowans in Congress are on the wrong side
One of the most widely read columns I’ve published in this space was one a couple of months ago about how to communicate with your elected congressional representatives in a way that will ensure that you are heard. There was a lot of interest in that topic. It drew five times as many readers as any column before it, and was “shared” and “re-stacked” four times as often as any published previously.
Since then, the desire to have our voices heard by Congress has grown exponentially. The massive “Hands Off” protest crowds that gathered across the country Saturday, April 5 - tens of thousands in Washington, DC alone - and more thousands across Iowa - prompt me to update and revisit that topic.
Clearly, millions of Americans want Trump and Elon Musk to stop working to destroy democracy and good government and replace both with authoritarian fascism and an unthinking wrecking ball to destroy the federal government.
Those millions of Iowans and Americans want the Republican controlled Congress to hear them and stop Trump and Musk, or at least do its job, as the founders intended, and be a responsible “check and balance” on the executive branch.
Simply put, American democracy is in a fight for survival with Republican far right-wing ideology, the current president’s thirst for vengeance and revenge against imagined enemies, and his preference for fascism over democracy.
Sadly, Iowa’s congressional delegation has largely chosen to be Trump’s ally rather than stand with democracy and good government in this fight, so - now more than ever - they need to hear the voice of pro-democracy, pro-good government Iowans.
Here’s my advice for seeing that they do, in fact, hear you:
Most of Iowa’s Republicans in Congress surely know what Trump is doing is a catastrophe in the making. They let it fester, however, for the same reason all the other Republicans in Washington let it fester: fear.
Fear of Republican primary voters if they so much as criticize him.
The defining characteristic of Iowa’s congressional delegation, politically, has come to this: political cowardice.
That fact, however, suggests a way to get them to change - let them see that Republican primary voters are not the biggest threat to their re-election, but rather the biggest threat they face in being returned to Congress is general election voters. If they can’t win a general election, what difference does it make whether they can survive a primary election?
That’s why the massive “Hands Off!” rallies across Iowa, the earlier, packed Town Hall meetings, and the phones ringing off the hooks at Iowa congressional offices are so important.
All that needs to continue. Loud and long.
Democracy is under seige from within. Sadly, Iowa’s Republican representatives in Congress, so far, are not on democracy’s side. They are on Trump’s, his fascism, and his wrecking ball.
Here are some additional tips, some that bear repeating from my column a couple of months ago, for getting your voice heard by your congressional representative or senator.
First, understand that you have some leverage when writing your own congressional representative or senator that you don’t have when writing congressional representatives and senators who represent different parts of the state or nation.
When you write your own elected official, it is their job to listen and respond to you. That is literally what they are elected to do. So don’t be shy.
Secondly, understand that they work for you. That doesn’t mean you get to boss them around - they work for thousands of other voters, too, who hold many differing views - but it does mean they need to respect you, your views and your opinion. That means they have an obligation to listen to you, whether that is making a staffer accessible to you to talk with, hearing you out a public meeting, meeting with you directly, or seeing that your calls and letters to them are seen, heard and answered.
Write letters to them to share your views. E-mails, too. I know a lot of people are skeptical about the effectiveness of writing a letter, but it is absolutely worth doing. At the very least, letters get tallied and are reported weekly to the office holder. What they watch are the number of letters individual topics are generating; the number of letters received on each side of an issue; and a general summary of the content of all the letters.
Don’t stop with just one. Write often. Get your friends and allies to write, too. They watch the incoming mail count, and an issue where the letters don’t stop gets their attention. Fast.
Congressional representatives get thousands of letters a month, so it is not realistic to think an office holder will personally read every letter they get. But someone in their office will. Elected officials have staff to help them read the mail they receive, summarize it, tally it, report it, and work with the congressional representative or senator to draft replies to it.
That said, some letters do make it to the representative or senator’s desk. Here’s how to improve the odds of your letter being one of them:
Keep it relatively short, and on one topic.
Provide a unique perspective, with some facts and data not readily available elsewhere and that provide some special insight into the real world impact of the issue at hand.
Tell a unique story about your view of the problem or issue that makes your opinion on the matter at hand more understandable and relatable.
Avoid form letters. They aren’t worthless, so if it’s all you’ve got, sure, go ahead and send one. But if you are sending a form letter, they know it. They likely have a tall pile of identical letters in the mailroom already. Form letters - and form postcards the sender merely signs - are not very effective. Do you really think the congressional office is going to put more effort into reading and responding to your correspondence than you did “writing” and sending it? Not likely.
Be respectful. Few disagreements are won in person by “helpfully” pointing out that the other fellow is an “idiot.” It doesn’t work any better in letter writing. Threatening and bullying language also don’t work and could get the police involved. So, if you are angry, simmer down before you write your letter.
If the reply you get to your letter is not responsive, send it back, and respectfully ask for one that actually answers your question. If you don’t get a reply at all, write again, and note how much time has elapsed since you wrote them and that you have had no reply. Still no reply? Call their office and ask to speak to the Chief of Staff. Tell them you are a constituent and ask why you have not received a reply.
Again, remember: they work for you.
While a reply may be general and noncommittal - they are answering thousands of letters on a topic, and sometimes a simple “thank you for your views” letter is appropriate if they are still trying to decide - you deserve a response to questions you ask. Don’t hesitate to continue to ask for one if you aren’t getting an answer.
Call their office. The good news, in the current moment, is that a lot of people are doing this. The phones are ringing off the hook across Capitol Hill with angry constituents expressing their displeasure about “President” Elon Musk’s on-going wrecking ball rampage - all sanctioned by Trump, of course - and Trump’s on-going '“Vengeance, Retribution and Presidential Vandalism Tour.”
You are not likely to get connected with the office holder when you call, but a phone call arrives with a greater sense of urgency and intensity. It will be tabulated and reported daily, especially on particularly hot topics.
You can also ask to talk to the legislative assistant that works directly with the office holder on your particular issue of interest. You won’t always get connected to them, but you might, and they have the representative’s or senator’s ear on a daily basis.
Call their Washington, DC office or their home state/district offices. Maybe both. They both take, tabulate and report calls to the office holder, by issue, by position, and by volume.
Visit their office to share your views in Iowa or in Washington, DC. This is a significant step up from a telephone call. Congressional offices are public offices, public spaces. Visit them, ask to talk to the appropriate aide, and share your views. Calling ahead to make an appointment is a good idea, especially if you want to talk to a specific aide or the representative or senator. But you can also just stop in and talk with whoever is available. Like phone calls, these visits are tabulated and reported to the office holder at least weekly, sometimes daily, if volume warrants it.
Attend their public events. Ask questions, share your views. This is an opportunity for direct conversation, though the nature of the meeting means it will be a short conversation. If it is a public event, announced as such, you have a right to be there.
There can be complications. Be prepared for them. Senator Grassley, for example, has tried to dodge questions from all but the most friendly questioners by enlisting local police to keep people from other counties out of Town Hall meetings when no such restriction on attendance was announced.
Personally, I doubt the legality of that, and encourage you to consult an attorney - maybe even take one with you if you anticipate such a response - if the meeting has been billed as a Town Hall meeting or other pubic “listening” meeting.
In any event, go. They can only turn you away.
Be aware of another tactic Senator Grassley has used to avoid tough questions at public meetings. His tactic: a curt, generally non-responsive answer, followed by a loud “Next question!” shout, during which he turns away from the questioner.
If he tries that with you, remember - he works for you. Respectfully observe that you would like to have an actual answer to your question which he did not answer, before we move on to a next one.
If he doesn’t want to answer it, fine, but let’s not pretend that he did when he didn’t.
The bottom line is that he has an obligation to at least attempt an actual response. If he chooses not to provide an answer - that’s his prerogative. But it is also your right to politely note that he didn’t answer your question, and to request that he do so.
The unfortunate fact is that Iowa’s congressional delegation has inexplicably decided to abandon good government and democracy and turned into cheer leaders for Trump’s attack on democracy, his pursuit of retribution and vengeance; and the destruction of a functional, effective federal government.
TheyIowa’s congressional delegation needs to hear from Iowans who support democracy and a functioning federal government, even if they don’t.
So keep speaking up.
WEEKLY OVERDUE FARM BILL TICKER - 554 DAYS: The number of days that have passed since the 2018 Farm Bill expired on September 30 2023, without Congress passing a new one. (Total days as of Sunday, 04/06/2025).
Two thirds of Iowa’s congressional delegation serves on the U.S. House and Senate Agriculture Committees.
There is little indication Congress will act any time soon to pass a new Farm Bill, or - given the Trump-Musk wrecking ball - that if it does, it will be generally helpful to farmers.
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Thank you for this advice, Barry. It is easy to feel defeated and that our efforts are futile out her in the hinterlands. Your words of encouragement mean a lot.
Thank you for your comments and suggestions. Very helpful.