How to contact your senators

Bishop Wester asks Catholics to be a voice for humane immigration reform by contacting U.S. Senators Orrin Hatch and Michael Lee. That request may have sent a few chills up spines at the mere thought of calling a United States Senator. But calling or emailing a senator is not as frightening or difficult as it might sound.

First, Senators Hatch and Lee are mere mortals. As we advocate for the dignity of all human beings in immigration reform, we cannot overlook that fact that these two elected officials are no less – or more – deserving of being treated with respect than anyone else. These are men with jobs, families, flaws, embarrassing moments, good days and bad. They are not superhuman, subhuman, monsters or myths.

Second, you will most likely not be speaking directly to either senator, but rather to an underpaid, overworked but very professional staff person. These individuals, like their senators, are also just people with jobs, families, and personal stresses. If you call, you will most likely connect with a very personable receptionist who will say something along the lines of "Senator Hatch’s office, how may I help you?" To which you can respond, "I’d like to talk to the staff person who deals with immigration issues, please."

At this point, you may be told the person is not in but you can leave a message, or you will be directed to the staff person. In either case, you should be prepared to give a brief message stating who you are, that you are a Catholic voter in Utah and your point of view on the topic at hand. Keep your message short and polite. You may also request that the senator support a particular bill, amendment, or option, depending on the purpose of your call.

For example, if you called in response to Bishop Wester’s request, you could simply state, "hello, my name is ____ and I am a Catholic voter in Cedar City, Utah. I want Sen. Hatch to know that I support a reasonable and fair path to citizenship in S. 744 and would ask our senator to support the bill."

Chances are, the staff person will thank you for calling to express your point of view and provide a brief statement of the senator’s overall position. At this point, thank the staffer for his or her time and you are done.

Your two minutes of conversation with the senators’ offices are a brief moment, but the potential impacts are huge. As Bishop Wester noted in his call to action, our senators and representatives often remark on the silence of constituents. Because Utahns are not calling their congressmen regularly, you can bet that when they do, it makes a difference. It’s important to note that national interest groups opposed to our position are inundating the offices with scripted calls and form emails, so your voice as an actual voter in the senator’s own district will stand out against the tide of prefab messages.

Jean Hill is the government liaison for the Diocese of Salt Lake City.

Contact information:

104 Hart Office Building

Washington, D.C. 20510

202-224-5251

Cedar City: 435-586-8435

Ogden: 801-625-5672

Provo: 801-375-7881

SLC: 801-524-4380

St. George: 435-634-1795

Sen. Mike Lee

316 Hart Office Building

Washington, D.C. 20510

202-224-5444

SLC: 801-524-5933

St. George: 435-628-5514