Getting Washington to work for you

WASHINGTON—Some Americans have no idea who represents them in Congress, and those who do may not understand what their representative does each day or how to contact them in a time of need. But help is often available to those who ask, like a Florida couple did in Republican Rep. Daniel Webster’s district.

They filed their income taxes and took a deduction, but the IRS later denied them and ordered them to pay thousands of dollars in additional taxes. Webster’s office helped the couple set up an appointment with an IRS official to give their return a second look. The IRS admitted its error and wrote the Florida couple a $40,000 check, Webster said.

“Constituent services is one of the most rewarding parts of my job, because it's directly benefiting people in our district,” Webster said.

I spent a day walking through the halls of Congress, going door-to-door, stopping people on their way to the airport or to a meeting. I spoke with dozens of congressional staff, including interns, staff assistants, press secretaries, communication directors, legislative correspondents, chiefs of staff, and the members themselves to get tips for people who need help from their government.

The first step is to find out who represents you in Congress. The easiest way is to visit house.gov and enter your ZIP code in the “Find Your Representative” field on the top right of the page. The most frequent help constituents request regards federal agencies, specifically Veterans Affairs and Social Security. The best way to receive assistance in those areas to call your representative’s regional office, not the Washington office. The Washington office deals with public policy and specific pieces of legislation. For individual help regarding a passport issue or a problem with the IRS, for example, contacting the regional office is generally more efficient. Most members of Congress staff multiple office locations throughout their state. Phone numbers for each are located on their official congressional websites, which typically follow the format “last name.house.gov.”

Most congressional offices, regional or in Washington, get more calls than they can process each day. Callers speak first with staff at the front desk—usually someone in an entry-level position or an unpaid intern. Each call gets catalogued according to subject matter, date, and name. The first time a constituent calls, whoever answers will create a personal file for that individual. For subsequent calls, the office can pull up that file and see when that person called previously and for what reason.

Some offices have regular constituents who call every day. Sometimes these regulars call about the same issue or even about something already resolved.

“It’s not my time, it’s their time,” said Duncan Rankin, a legislative correspondent for Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas. “We are the people’s House and our time belongs to our constituents.”

Rankin works directly with constituents living in Gohmert’s district. He reads letters that come in through the mail, opens each email sent to the congressional inbox, and calls back each constituent who needs assistance.

“We’re here to represent them and to do all we can in our power to make sure they understand what happens in their government,” he said.

Taylor Deisinger, staff assistant for Rep. Scott Peters, D-Calif., said her office has a goal to get back to everyone who contacts them within two weeks: “It’s an ambitious goal because we hear from a lot of constituents, but we do try get some kind of response to them.”

But there are no hard and fast rules for when—or if—an office responds. Constituents often get frustrated with their representatives, calling time after time without getting the desired results.

“The key is to make sure you get back in a timely manner,” said Rep. Gregg Harper, R-Miss. “Usually they don’t call to say hello. They usually have a pressing need—sometimes it can be a crisis moment.”

Harper said it usually doesn’t matter what method someone uses to contact him, but he did give one piece of practical advice: Don’t mail anything to a Washington, D.C., office. Every piece of mail sent to Congress is screened in Ohio first, a security measure taken after the 2001 anthrax attacks. This process can take weeks, so constituents can save time by sending mail to the regional office.

Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham, D-N.M., said the best way to get help from your representative is to build a relationship with him or her. According to her, too many people miss out on the opportunity to engage directly because they either don’t know whom to contact or doubt they can actually receive help.

Grisham said she’s had the same cellphone number for years because she wants constituents to be able to contact her directly.

“I will literally get a text on a Sunday night at 11 o’clock,” Grisham said holding up her gold-colored iPhone. “If I get a call from a constituent saying, ‘They’re going to discharge me from the hospital and it’s not fair,’ I just tell them I’m in. … I will get in my car and drive to wherever they are if I have to.”