Congress becoming more reliant on technology. (Headlines).

A January 29 ASAE Town Hall meeting, "The New Realities of Congressional Communications," examined how recent events have made it challenging to deliver messages to Congress. Speakers Robert Neel, president, House System Administrators Association; Kathy Goldschmidt, director of technology services, Congressional Management Foundation; and Pam Fielding, principal, e-Advocates, all of Washington, D.C., discussed how the September 11 attacks and the anthrax contamination have disrupted postal mail delivery to Capitol Hill. Consequently, congressional members are becoming more technology-oriented and committees are putting issue information on the Web. @text/indent:"Congressional offices are seeing e-mail as the primary means of communication with constituents for the future," Goldschmidt said. However, as Neel noted, some members are reluctant to use e-mail because of the ease with which a message can be forwarded and concerns about spam. When sending e-mail to a member of Congress, therefore, it is important t o include basic information such as the constituent's name, address, and zip code. "Constituents can encourage [members] to use e-mail," Neel said. "It's a powerful tool for communicating."

Fielding agreed that personalizing your communication and making sure it comes from a constituent is the best way to get members' attention. She advised associations to create areas on their Web sites designed specifically for lawmakers and their staff. "Educate your membership," she said. "Discourage bad practices. Put things on your site to help congressional staff."