Skip to main content

6 ways to tell Congress how you really feel using the Internet

It’s been more than 10 days since the government shutdown began, and people are starting to get angry about it. Everything from national parks to museums and landmarks are closed until Congress decides to act like a team and formulate a plan. And while the government is finally making steps toward that goal, what are furloughed employees and concerned citizens supposed to do while waiting?

Here are four ways the Internet is making it easier for you to tell the government how you really feel about this mess.

Recommended Videos

1. Find your representative on the House.gov website

Obviously, for anyone looking for a legitimate way to connect with their district’s assigned congressional official, this should be the first place you check out.

house gov find your rep
Image used with permission by copyright holder

By entering your zip code and providing your address, the Find Your Representative function of the government site will whittle down your options until it leads you to the person to talk about your concerns.

house gov find your rep - congresswoman lofgren
Image used with permission by copyright holder

By clicking on the envelope icon on your rep’s page, you get to leave a message telling them how the government shutdown is affecting you personally.

house gov find your rep -  contact congresswoman lofgren
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Now, it should be understandable that these government officials receive a crapload of emails from people around the world, so make sure you’re reaching out to the right person to ensure that you get a response back.

house gov find your rep - congresswoman response
Image used with permission by copyright holder

My husband tried this option before and was successful in hearing from Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren (or her legislative correspondent in charge of responding to emails after conferring with her), so no, it’s not a completely fruitless endeavor.

house gov find your rep - congresswoman response 2
Image used with permission by copyright holder

It will take a couple of weeks to hear back, though, so if your sentiment can’t wait, move on to the next option.

2. This online congressional directory

congress merge - map
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Congress Merge has a pretty straightforward online database that allows you to click on your state in the map.

congress merge - directory
Image used with permission by copyright holder

This, however, will return a long list of contact information, so go back to the map page and enter you city and zip code (or your complete address, up to you).

congress merge - directory 2
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Aside from providing links to the representatives’ online contact form, you are given their phone and fax numbers in Washington D.C., which is good if you prefer person-to-person contact. Congress Merge suggests that you follow the following spiel to be given proper attention:

“Hello, my name is Sally Smith and I am a constituent of (name of senator or representative). I am calling today to urge them to support/oppose HR 1234. Thank you.”

You can modify the second sentence to something like, “I am calling today to express extreme disappointment in the government shutdown. Thank you.” Just try to keep it professional and respectful.

3. Download the Congress app

If you’re really trying hard to see a bright side in all this, be glad to know that while the government is in shutdown mode, the Congress app on iTunes is free to download (which saves you 99 cents, whoopee).

Congress app - welcome
Image used with permission by copyright holder

This welcome message is confusing. Go ahead and just hit Skip.

Congress app - more
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Congress app - upgrades Congress app - updated

To get the update for free, click on More and go to Upgrades.

Congress app - location
Image used with permission by copyright holder

This app is basically the same as the directory option above, but by clicking on the location icon on the top-left corner of the screen, you can instantly whittle down the long list to just your corresponding rep in Congress.

Congress app - results
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Once you allow access to your location and you get the results, tap on your rep to find his or her contact information.

Congress app - profile
Image used with permission by copyright holder

You will see their DC address and phone number as well as their links to their contact form and social media accounts. While any of these methods are adequate, another thing you can try is checking out their official website to find the phone number to their local office (not the one in D.C.).

Congress app - local contact
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Congresswoman Lofgren’s was located at her site’s footer, but some might have theirs in their site’s contact link.

4. Tweet your hate at Congress

A new site called FuckYouCongress.com offers news bits about the government shutdown and some of the people who’ve (arguably) led us to this situation.

fucongress
Image used with permission by copyright holder

And if you get mad enough, you get hit the tweet button, enter your zip, and let your elected official know you’re fed up. 

tweet congress
Image used with permission by copyright holder

5. Drunk dial them

If you’re really, really fed up and gotten a good dose of liquid courage, Drunk Dial Congress is a new site that asks for your phone number and connects you to a member of Congress.

drunk dial congress - phone field
Image used with permission by copyright holder

In true drunk dialing fashion, this service will use your number to connect you with a random congress person so that you may give them a piece of your mind while hammered. This fun method of getting your government to listen to your slurred complaints was reportedly created by a mobile ad firm led by former Obama campaign staffer Scott Goodstein, so you can pretty much guess which party he wants to be the brunt of your verbal abuse.

drunk dial congress - talking points
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The site offers a list of suggested talking points, in case you need a kickstarter for your phone rant. And in case you’re not drunk enough, Drunk Dial Congress also has themed cocktail recipes you can prepare before embarking on your call.

drunk dial congress - recipes
Image used with permission by copyright holder

6. Adopt a furloughed government employee

If you’re done telling off Congress or would rather make your voice heard another way, a new Tumblr could help. The site is asking you to go out and buy a furloughed worker a beer (we’re sure a meal will also do … or coffee … you get the point) and post a picture to the blog – if you yourself are a furloughed employee, then send a request in. It’s a simple little way to show some humanity during this grim time. 

adopt tumblr
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Jam Kotenko
When she's not busy watching movies and TV shows or traveling to new places, Jam is probably on Facebook. Or Twitter. Or…
Topics
Bluesky finally adds a feature many had been waiting for
A blue sky with clouds.

Bluesky has been making a lot of progress in recent months by simplifying the process to sign up while at the same time rolling out a steady stream of new features.

As part of those continuing efforts, the social media app has just announced that users can now send direct messages (DMs).

Read more
Reddit just achieved something for the first time in its 20-year history
The Reddit logo.

Reddit’s on a roll. The social media platform has just turned a profit for the first time in its 20-year history, and now boasts a record 97.2 million daily active users, marking a year-over-year increase of 47%. A few times during the quarter, the figure topped 100 million, which Reddit CEO and co-founder Steve Huffman said in a letter to shareholders had been a “long-standing milestone” for the site.

The company, which went public in March, announced the news in its third-quarter earnings results on Tuesday.

Read more
Worried about the TikTok ban? This is how it might look on your phone
TikTok splash screen on an Android phone.

The US Supreme Court has decided to uphold a law that would see TikTok banned in the country on January 19. Now, the platform has issued an official statement, confirming that it will indeed shut down unless it gets some emergency relief from the outgoing president.

“Unless the Biden Administration immediately provides a definitive statement to satisfy the most critical service providers assuring non-enforcement, unfortunately TikTok will be forced to go dark on January 19,” said the company soon after the court’s verdict.
So, what does going dark mean?
So, far, there is no official statement on what exactly TikTok means by “going dark.” There is a lot of speculation out there on how exactly the app or website will look once TikTok shutters in the US.

Read more