Our Elected Officials
PA-01 BUCKS COUNTY REPRESENTATIVE and PENNSYLVANIA SENATORS
otherwise known as your 'MoC's (Members of Congress)
OLD SCHOOL:
CALL THE CONGRESSIONAL
SWITCHBOARD:
202-224-3121 TTY: 202-225-1904
SMARTPHONE:
This handy app makes it easy to call your MoC and provides you with talking points about current issues.
Resistbot is a chatbot that turns your texts into faxes, postal mail, or emails to your representatives in minutes. Fast & easy.
_edited_edited_edited.jpg)
_edited.jpg)
What Your Elected Cares About
When it comes to constituent interactions, electeds care about what makes them look good, responsive, and hardworking to the people of their district. In practice, that means they care a lot about some things and very little about others. Organize your time and effort accordingly.
Electeds Care a Lot About:
Verified constituents they actually represent (e.g., people who live in their district for rep, or state for senate.
Advocacy that requires effort - the more effort, the more they care. Calls, personal emails, and especially showing up in person.
Local press and editorials, maybe national press.
The endorsement of an interest group with verified political power (lots of money or lots of people).
Groups of constituents, locally famous individuals, or big individual campaign contributors.
A concrete ask that entails a verifiable action - vote for a bill, make a public statement, etc.
One single, timely ask in your communication (letter, email, phone call, office visit, etc.)
Electeds Don't Care Much About:
People from places they don't represent
Form letters, a Tweet, or Facebook comment (unless they generate widespread attention)
Wonky D.C.-based news
Your thoughtful analysis of the proposed bill
A single constituent
General ideas about the world
A laundry list of all the issues you're concerned about
What Your Elected Considers a Good Outcome vs Bad Outcome
To make this a bit more concrete and show where advocacy comes in, below are some examples of actions that an elected might take, what they’re hoping to see happen as a result, and what they really don’t want to see happen. Some electeds will go to great lengths to avoid bad outcomes -- even as far as changing their positions or public statements.
Example Action
Letter to Constituent
In-district Event
Town Hall / Listening Session
Policy Position
Desired Outcome
Constituent feels happy that their concerns were answered.
Local newspaper reports that Congresswoman Sara appeared at the opening of a new bridge, which she helped secure funding for.
Local newspaper reports that State Senator Rob hosted a town hall and discussed his work to balance the budget.
Congresswoman Sara votes on a bill and releases a press statement hailing it as a step forward.
Bad Outcome
Constituent posts letter on social media saying it didn’t answer their questions or elected didn’t answer for weeks/months, calls Councilmember Bob unresponsive and untrustworthy.
Local newspaper reports protestors barraged Congresswoman Sara at bridge opening with questions about corruption in the infrastructure bill.
Local newspaper reports that angry constituents strongly objected to State Senator Rob’s attack on public schools.
Congresswoman Sara’s phones are deluged with calls objecting to the bill. A group of constituents stage an event outside her district office and invite the press to hear them talk about how the bill will personally hurt their families.