U.S. Representative

The Basics

The U.S. House of Representatives is one of the two groups of officials in the U.S. Congress, also called the legislative branch. This is the branch of the federal government that passes laws and decides the country’s budget every year. Representatives serve 2-year terms, and the entire House of Representatives is up for election every even-numbered year.

The House of Representatives has 435 voting members, who are called U.S. Representatives or sometimes ‘members of Congress.’ It’s sometimes called the ‘people’s house’ because representation in the House is based on population: states are divided into districts, and each district has roughly the same amount of people in it, so the more people a state has, the more districts and the more representatives it has. A few of the smallest states only have one at-large representative who represents the whole state (currently Alaska, Delaware, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming); the state with the most representatives is California, which currently has 52. Information from the Census, which happens every ten years, is used to find out more about population changes and redraw districts to ensure they’re based on up-to-date information.

Washington DC and the U.S. territories don’t have representatives, but they do have non-voting delegates who can participate in debates and committee meetings. A few Native American tribes also have non-voting delegations.

Your U.S. Representative is your most direct connection to the federal government. Contacting their office is a great way to voice your opinion on national issues, issues specific to your district that you think need more attention, or any other issue they might be voting on. 

Some of their most important responsibilities are:

• Drafting, introducing, debating, and voting on proposed federal laws
  Including any laws involving taxes, which need to start in the House, and ‘appropriations’ bills, which decide how much money the federal government will spend on all its various programs (things like Social Security, healthcare, the military, and more)
• Voting to begin impeachment proceedings against federal officials, including the president
• Voting on whether to declare war on another country or authorize military actions
• Serving on House committees
  Many committees are focused on specific policy issues, and others have oversight power over the executive branch of the federal government, which means they can conduct investigations and subpoena people to testify before Congress if they suspect wrongdoing 

Term Limits

None

Eligibility

To run for U.S. Representative, you must be at least 25 years old, have been a U.S. citizen for at least seven years, and live in the state you want to represent

Sources: the U.S. Constitution, U.S. Congress

How can I make my voice heard?

So the thing about Congress is…you learn about it one way in school, but when you read the news, it seems like everybody’s playing by a totally different set of rules. It can feel like only people who do politics for a living can get anything done in Washington.

You’re not crazy! There’s how Congress works, and then there’s how Congress really works. And with more and more partisan gridlock every year, people are starting to wonder if anything can get done. Nothing is ever simple, but if you’re ready to put in the work, there’s a lot you can do to impact your representatives and senators.

Hit them up

You might assume that your senators and reps know what you think about the issues – doesn’t there always seem to be some layer of professional advocates and organizations that go crazy every time anyone in DC says something? There is, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a say. Hit the phones, hit send on an email, or hit the streets for a meeting to make your voice heard. (Calls can be especially effective – staffers log every call the office gets!)

Happen to be in the neighborhood

Meeting with your congressional representatives in person at their DC offices is a bit more of an undertaking, but totally worth the trip if you can swing it. You can also get a face-to-face chat much closer to home at one of their district offices. All representatives have at least one office in your congressional district, and senators have several across your state.

Firsthand account

When Congress holds hearings, it asks all kinds of people to testify: experts, government officials, and yes, regular people. If you have experience or expertise that could help Congress understands how an issue affects individual Americans, make sure your senators and representative know that you’re engaged and willing to speak publicly. It’s a long shot, but constituents absolutely testify at hearings, and their words can be powerful.

Bottom up

You may not think of states and cities having DC lobbyists, but they do! That means your representatives are hearing from your state legislators, mayor, county government, and more. Is there a local issue that you think needs more oomph in Congress? Talk to your local elected officials and ask them to push it in Washington.

Knock, knock

Running a successful congressional campaign takes a LOT of elbow grease. Get directly involved by supporting or opposing a House or Senate race. In most House districts, the real action is in the primary (that’s when the Dems and Republicans decide who’s going to run on their party line), so start paying attention early to see which candidate is doing it for you. Posting on social media is just one small piece of winning a campaign – research shows that one-on-one conversations are most effective. Sign up to phonebank if you like making a difference from the comfort of your home, or to knock on doors if you’re looking for some exercise and like to play with other people’s dogs.

Vote

Duh. You’d think so, anyway. Even though the 2020 elections had record voter turnout, millions of eligible voters still didn’t cast ballots. Stop reading this right now and make sure you’re registered to vote! When you get back from doing that, learn how to make the most of your ballot.