(supposed) Congressional contact rules

[smileyeagle1021]

OK, this is brilliant. Nancy Pelosi, as speaker of the house, is one of the most important people in determining which bills get put to vote (as I understand it). It would make sense for people, even outside of her district, to wish to contact her, not as Representative Pelosi, but as Speaker of the House Pelosi. Want to know what she is claiming the rules are? Her website claims that only her constituents may contact her... if you wish to have any say you must contact your own congressperson and have them bring it to her attention.
... Umm, sorry, so because I live in Utah (one of the weaker states Congressionally) my voice should cont for less? Because asking Jim Matheson to bring it up in the House will do absolutely jack shit. My two senators will laugh off any request I'd send them to bring up in the Senate... after all, who is this idiot who thinks Utahn's care about such things as equality, non-discrimination, or education funding.
So much for every citizen having a voice.

[HYHYBT]

Ideally, sure, she'd listen to everybody.... but that's a lot of people, even if you have staff to do it and summarize. I can see limiting it in some way just to have time to do anything else.

(and I've got Paul Broun, no point in talking to him either.)

[crashhelmet]

I always thought of it as a chain of command situation. Go to your local reps first. if they're unable or unwilling to help, then go over their heads.

CH

[elsporko]

You should go to your own congressmen first because if they see a huge number of people in their district wanting something they will change. 45% of people in a district could want a bill to pass but the congressmen wouldn't know it if those people all called a congressmen from another state about what they wanted.

[smileyeagle1021]

You should go to your own congressmen first because if they see a huge number of people in their district wanting something they will change. .

I always thought of it as a chain of command situation. Go to your local reps first. if they're unable or unwilling to help, then go over their heads.

CH

Elsporko, as CH mentioned, there is the problem of reps who are unable or unwilling to help... and on issues like ENDA and DADT none of the reps in Utah are willing or able to do anything on either.

[daleduke17]

Elsporko, as CH mentioned, there is the problem of reps who are unable or unwilling to help... and on issues like ENDA and DADT none of the reps in Utah are willing or able to do anything on either.

But, those are the people who the residents of Utah put into office to see what is important. Don't like their choices? Vote them out in the next election.

[smileyeagle1021]

Daleduke, yes, we will vote out people who win with 70% of the vote...

[Greenday]

But, those are the people who the residents of Utah put into office to see what is important. Don't like their choices? Vote them out in the next election.

From smiley's posts, he's surrounded by people who are pretty bigoted and even though the right thing to do would be to fight for equal rights, the politicians will back the bigots because they are larger in number.

Democracy fail...

[smileyeagle1021]

From smiley's posts, he's surrounded by people who are pretty bigoted and even though the right thing to do would be to fight for equal rights, the politicians will back the bigots because they are larger in number.

Democracy fail...

Exactly, in the state of Utah the only recourse a gay or lesbian has to gain anything resembling equality is to go to the feds... you'll find very few gay state's righters in Utah... you'll find some who are opposed to the federal government but that sure as hell doesn't make them even remotely support the state government.

And greenday, I don't think you realize the half of it... this is a state where you can go on national television and say that "gays are the greatest threat America will ever face" and "What are the morals of a gay man, you don't know because none of them have any" and my personal favorite (not gay related believe it or not) "this bill is as ugly as a black baby" (OK, so that last one wasn't on national television) and not only get reelected but get reelected with an even higher percentage of the vote than the previous election.
If you are a straight, white, Mormon, life is extremely good for you under the Utah Legislature... everyone else feels damn lucky to be at the back of the bus because we know if the Legislature had their way we wouldn't even be allowed on.

[Greenday]

And greenday, I don't think you realize the half of it... this is a state where you can go on national television and say that "gays are the greatest threat America will ever face" and "What are the morals of a gay man, you don't know because none of them have any"

Sounds a lot like Nazi Germany, except instead of Jews, it's now gays.

[elsporko]

So Utah sucks, I don't see how telling congressmen in other states is going to change how much Utah sucks. They only have a minor concern about what is happening in Utah. If your representatives don't listen to you then work on getting somebody in there who will.

[smileyeagle1021]

So Utah sucks, I don't see how telling congressmen in other states is going to change how much Utah sucks.

Federal laws do not know state boundaries. And going to random out of state congressmen I agree would be useless... however, going to the specific congressperson with control over a federal law that you have interest in that you know your representatives will not support to let them know that contrary to what the Utah delegation may be saying, not everyone in Utah opposes that law may actually have some sway on whether or not that bill moves forward.

[elsporko]

I doubt it will. Even if everybody in Utah loves that bill it won't help them get relected and Utah isn't going to change anything if she decides to go for president or vice president. Politicians are pretty much only motivated by votes.

[smileyeagle1021]

It might actually help them get reelected or move forward. If they are hesitant to push a bill because they are unsure about how it will be received side their district (a very important thing to be mindful of if you have presidential ambition), then yes, hearing from outside your district may be helpful.
That and the original post was specific to speaker Pelosi, who, as Speaker of the House does somewhat transcend just representing her district.