Speaker Hastert's office replies to none of its e-mail, in part because the volume would make it too difficult, said spokesman John Feehery. Sanders' office estimates that more than half its mail is spam from people outside Vermont. Kentucky farmers would make tons more money growing pot than tobacco. We don't respond to spam. How much e-mail each member sees personally depends on the member.
Senators read little of it, relying instead on staff memos summarizing the letters.
There is no pattern to House members' reading habits. Fearful of ignoring a true constituent letter, offices are devising ways to root them out of the electronic pile. Leahy's office uses computer programs that can distinguish a Vermonter from an Alaskan. If a constituent has an opinion, no matter how stupid we think it is, we still treat that like gold. The amount of e-mail was increasing to the point where it was out of hand.