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SORROW TO STRENGTH - VISTING THE HILL

Tips on visiting Capitol Hill, everything from getting there to finding a congressman's office

Getting To Capitol Hill

By taxi: Taxis are a fast and inexpensive way to get to Capitol Hill from any location. Most taxi drivers know where the congressional office buildings are. Simply tell the driver which building you want to visit.

By metro: Capitol Hill can be reached by subway. To get to the Senate and House office buildings, take the Orange Line train towards New Carrollton or a Blue Line train towards Addison Road. Exit at Capitol South, the station closest to the House office buildings. The offices of the House of Representatives are on the south side of the Capitol, and the Senate offices are on the north side.

If you have questions, station attendants at each entrance can assist you. You will need a Farecard to enter and exit the system. To save time, buy one Farecard for a round trip.

Finding The Offices

For all Capitol Hill office buildings, you will have to pass through security. Don't carry any items (even a pocket knife) that may be suspect.

House Office Buildings
For House offices, you can tell the building and floor by its room number:

Any three digit room number:
Cannon House Office Building (CHOB), First Street and Independence Avenue, SE
The first digit indicates the floor.
Example: 327 CHOB = third floor Cannon

Four digit room numbers beginning with "1":
Longworth House Office Building (LHOB), Independence and New Jersey Avenues, SE
The second digit indicates the floor.
Example: 1223 LHOB = second floor Longworth

Four digit room numbers beginning with "2":
Rayburn House Office Building (RHOB), Independence Avenue and South Capitol Street, SW
The second digit indicates the floor.
Example: 2449 RHOB = fourth floor Rayburn

Exception: Basement room numbers in Longworth and Rayburn both begin with "B"; however, no House members have offices on those floors.

Senate Office Buildings
You need to know the building as well as the room number. In all buildings, the first digit indicates the floor.

Dirksen Senate Office Building (DSOB), First Street and Constitution Avenue, NE
Three digit room numbers preceded by "SD-"
Example: SD-145 = first floor Dirksen

Hart Senate Office Building (HSOB), Second Street and Constitution Avenue, NE
Three digit room numbers preceded by "SH-"
Example: SH-320 = third floor Hart

Russell Senate Office Building (HSOB), Delaware and Constitution Avenue , NE
Three digit room numbers preceded by "SR-"
Example: SR-216 = second floor Russell

The Visit

1.) Plan to visit the offices of your House member and one or both of your Senators. If you don't know their office numbers, look for an elevator -- elevators in House and Senate office buildings always have the room numbers posted nearby: House Members in House offices and Senators in Senate offices.

2.) Once you've located the congressional office of the Member you want to see, tell the person at the front desk who you are , where you are from and who you have an appointment with. If you do not have an appointment and you want to just "drop by" to see if anyone is available you can ask to see the congressman or senator. If the member is not available, ask for the staff person who handles transportation issues. If they are not available, ask if you could leave materials for the transportation staffer and ask for their business card.

3.) Your meeting should be short -- 10 to 15 minutes -- so plan what you will say ahead of time. Ask for their business card and offer yours if you have one. Stick to the topic you came to discuss, and ask for a commitment on the issue. If the staffer says he or she must discuss it with the member first, ask them to write you and let you know.

4.) If the staff person you need to see is unavailable, leave your business card and other materials you want them to see with the front desk.

5.) Send a thank you note (sample below).

Sample Thank You Letter

The Honorable _________
US House of Representatives (United States Senate)
Washington, D.C. 20515 (20510)

Dear Representative (Senator) _____________:

I appreciated the opportunity to meet with you (your staff member ____) on September 25/26 regarding truck safety issues (or specific bill discussed), especially given the many constraints on your (his/her) time.

(You can add in information about a specific bill or issue discussed here.)

Again, I am glad to have discussed these issues with you (your staff). Thank you.

Sincerely,

________________________
The Truck Safety Survivors Network