The U.S. observes National Write to Congress Day on January 3 every year, a day for the citizens to exercise their democratic rights. It is crucial to write to the State and Federal level representatives, relaying all concerns to them. Small business owners can also write to their elected representatives about any recent bills that might affect them. Very few people do write or even know the number of representatives in their state, which makes this day that much more meaningful. It is our duty as the citizens who elected them to hold our representatives accountable.
The Congress is the legislature of is the United States of America, first established under the Constitution in New York in 1789 before moving to Philadelphia. It is bicameral, meaning it has two houses — the Senate represents each state with two senators and the House of Representatives elected based on population. The First U.S. Congress laid the foundation, forming government departments, passing the Bill of Rights, and announcing the President. In 1800, the national capital was moved to Washington D.C.
The war against Great Britain in 1812 brought significant loss and damage to the country. In 1814, British forces invaded Washington D.C. and set public Congress buildings, including the Capitol, on fire. By 1912, America had become a union of 48 states and was the most influential country in the world. The members of Congress moved into their first permanent office buildings, their congressional service becoming a full-time occupation compared to the very seldom meetings that were held in the 19th century.
Even into the 1960s, members of Congress "were out of session about as much as they were in, and they had almost no personal and committee staffers assigned to them unless they were senior and powerful," says Larry Sabato, an American history professor at the University of Virginia and director of the university's Center for Politics. It wasn't until the 1970s that members of Congress began seeing their positions as year-round commitments.
Article 1, Section 2 of the Constitution states that the House Members have two years in office. A House ends after each two-year Congress, and the new Representatives must constitute a new House for the next Congress, choose its Speaker and officers, and adopt the chamber's rules of procedure. The Constitution also provides a set time for the new Congress to convene, which is noon on January 3, except when the previous Congress designated a different day by law. National Write to Congress Day is set on this day to coincide with the constitutional opening day of each new Congress.
On December 30, 2005, Congressman Higgins recognized National Write to Congress Day, deciding that the day would be annually observed on January 3 to encourage the general public to contact their representatives through email, letter, or phone calls. The U.S. Congress receives an estimated 86.9 million mails every year.