Letter to the Editor: Submitted by Elaine St. Clair
To the Editor:
Contact your congressional representatives, is often suggested when we become aware of an issue. Crafting a message and delivering it can seem like a difficult or time-consuming task, a task that can be postponed until some later time.
However, communication with the Iowa U.S. Congressional Delegation is made easy using your Word or Pages software to create your message, your browser to access a delegates website, and their website pages to deliver your message.
Members of the Iowa U.S. Congressional Delegation are: Senator Chuck Grassley, Senator Joni Ernst, District 1 Representative Mariannette Miller-Meeks, District 2 Representative Ashley Hinson, District 3 Representative Zach Nunn and District 4 Representative Randy Feenstra. The district numbers are for reference only.
Create your message:
To: Chuck, Joni, Mariannette, Ashley, Zach and Randy. (This communicates all have received the same message). The message can consist of five to seven sentences that strongly communicate your thoughts and feelings.
Full name; Address; City, State, Zip; Phone. (This block of information assures the recipient you are a real person).
Save this document, it is the source for your copy and paste into each of the message fields.
1) Type in your browser: Senator Grassley. Open his website. On the first page find CONTACT. Click CONTACT then Click Questions and Comments to move to the create an email page. Fill in the required fields of name, email, address and phone.
There are three more data entry fields; Issue, Subject and Message. Issue is a list of titles on a drop down menu. Select title Other found at the bottom of the list. Subject requires a typed descriptive word or phrase. Type a word(s) from your message. The Message field is filled with the highlight, copy and paste function in your Word or Pages document.
Submit sends your message to the senator. Thank you…. your message has been received. You have successfully communicated with Senator Grassley.
2) Type in your browser: Senator Ernst. Open her website. On the first page find CONTACT. Click Email Joni to move to the create an email page. Fill in the required fields of title, name, phone, address and email.
There are three more data entry fields; Message Topic, Subject and Message. Message Topic is a list of titles on a drop down menu. Select title Other found in alphabetic order. Subject requires a typed descriptive word or phrase. Type a word(s) from your message. The Message field is filled with the highlight, copy and paste function in your Word or Pages document.
Submit sends your message to the senator. Thank you…. your message has been received. You have successfully communicated with Senator Ernst.
3) Type in your browser: Representative Miller-Meeks. Open her website. On the first page find Contact. Click Contact, and page 1 of five pages appears.
Page 1: Enter prefix, data in all name fields, click I am human and Next Page.
Page 2: Enter data in all address fields, email and click Next Page.
Page 3: Enter phone, retain Standard voice telephone and click Next Page.
Page 4: Please choose the issue of concern. Select title Other Issue found at the bottom of the list.
Page 4: Message field is filled with the highlight, copy and paste function in your Word or Pages document.
Page 4: Would you like a response? YES, please contact me or NO, I wanted to voice my opinion. Choose one.
Page 4: Submit sends your message to the representative.
Page 5 Thank you…. your message has been sent. You have successfully communicated with Representative Miller-Meeks.
4) Type in your browser Representative Hinson. Open her website. On the first page find Contact. Click EMAIL, page 1 of five pages appears. Proceed to navigate the pages and fields in the same way as in the Miller-Meeks instructions above. You have successfully communicated with Representative Hinson.
5) Type in your browser Representative Feenstra. Open his website. On the first page find Contact. Click Contact, page 1 of five pages appears. Proceed to navigate the pages and fields in the same way as in the Miller-Meeks instructions above. You have successfully communicated with Representative Feenstra.
6) Type in your browser Representative Nunn. Open his website. Click Email Zach to move to the create an email page.
Your Information - enter prefix and data in all name fields.
Contact Information - enter data in all address fields, email and phone.
Please choose the issue of concern - select title Other Issues found at the bottom of the list.
Comments is filled with the highlight, copy and paste function in your Word or Pages document.
Would you like a response? choose Yes or No.
Submit sends your message to the representative. Thank you for your message. It has been sent. You have successfully communicated with Representative Nunn.
The practice of communicating with our congressional representatives may counter the feelings of anxiety in these chaotic times. May constituents be heard.
Elaine St. Clair
1308 Laurel Drive #6
Decorah
