Does it do any good to contact Kentucky Congressmen concerning a bill if I do not live in their home districts?

This concerns the S-Chip Bill. My congressman voted for the bill, but I would like to state my wishes for the veto override.

According to Stephanie Pepper, communications director for Rep. Ben Chandler, no message goes unheard. Usually when a congressperson gets a communication from someone outside his or her district, the message is forwarded to the congressperson who represents the constituent. This is considered “congressional courtesy.” Pepper also said every member of Congress is generally interested in hearing opinions that are among the electorate. It’s also important to know, though, that a Congressperson’s response is carefully regulated. The “Rules and Practices of the House of Representatives” stipulates how a representative is allowed to respond. For instance, a congressperson cannot mail the same response to someone out of district that they can mail to someone in their district.

Filed under: Law