Write a thank you letter to your legislators
Meeting with your legislators was the first step. Following up with them is the next. Thanking someone for their time is always important, and your follow-up can be an opportunity to share additional information on the issue discussed at your meeting, and to let them know that you are paying attention to what actions they take.
Guiding rules when communicating with
a Member of Congress
- Each Member of Congress will respond differently to different approaches, so base your Thank You letter on what you learned during the meeting.
- Consider personalizing your Thank You letter to be memorable.
- Based on the feedback you receive, continue to follow through at appropriate intervals. You want to come across as an advocate, not a pest.
Sample letter or email to a Member of Congress
Dear ___________,
Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule this past week to meet with me (and my colleagues) to discuss issues that impact the profession of occupational therapy.
(Include one to two sentences about each of the the specific issues you discussed with this office, including the bill and name of the bill where appropriate, and whether there have been any updates on the issues since you met with them.)
Support for these issues will make a difference for occupational therapy practitioners and their clients back home, your constituents, and the communities you represent.
If I can provide any additional information about these issues or any other occupational therapy related issues, please do not hesitate to contact me. Again, thank you for your time and all the hard work that you do. I appreciate your consideration of these issues.
Sincerely,
(Name), (Title)
Taking action today promotes and protects the future of our profession.
Contact your policymakers!
Your legislators want to hear from you. Write them a letter on an issue drafted by AOTA staff, write your own, or research legislation using our Legislative Action Center.
Contact policymakers