Grassroots Advocacy 101:
Making Your Voice Heard in
Congress and the White House

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Understanding Congress

The United States Congress consists of two distinct groups of elected officials:the Senate and the House of Representatives.
There are 435 members in the House of Representatives and 100 in the U.S. Senate. You are represented by one Congressperson (elected to the House of Representatives from your district) and two Senators (elected to the Senate from your state).

According to the U.S. Constitution, these individuals are expected to represent you in Congress. However, to do that, they must hear from you. Establishing and developing an ongoing, effective relationship with your elected officials helps to educate them regarding your issues and ensures that their votes aren’t cast without your input.

The U.S. Congress handles their workload through a system of Congressional Committees.
Our complicated federal legislative process requires a Congressional Committee system to handle the workload. HIV/AIDS-related funding and legislation are handled in a number of these committees, including Appropriations; Labor and Human Resources; Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs; Judiciary; and Budget.

The most important work is done at the committee and subcommittee levels. Members negotiate the final details of new legislation and/or funding before a bill emerges for a floor vote. While it is still generally most effective for you to contact and make requests of your own elected officials, there may be times that it is strategic to ask your representative to contact a specific committee member.