“Dear Colleague” Letters: Current Practices
Released: 2011-05-10T00:00:00

Background

A "Dear Colleague" letter is official correspondence that is sent by a Member, committee, or officer of the House of Representatives or Senate and that is widely distributed to other congressional offices. A "Dear Colleague" letter may be circulated in paper through internal mail, distributed on a chamber floor, or sent electronically.

"Dear Colleague" letters are often used to encourage others to cosponsor, support, or oppose a bill. "Dear Colleague" letters concerning a bill or resolution generally include a description of the legislation or other subject matter along with a reason or reasons for support or opposition.

Additionally, "Dear Colleague" letters are used to inform Members and their offices about events connected to congressional business or modifications to House or Senate operations. The Committee on House Administration and the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, for example, routinely circulate "Dear Colleague" letters to Members concerning matters that affect House or Senate operations, such as House changes to computer password policies or a reminder about Senate restrictions on mass mailings prior to elections.

These letters frequently begin with the salutation "Dear Colleague." The length of such correspondence varies, with a typical "Dear Colleague" running one to two pages.

Development

Member-to-Member correspondence has long been used in Congress. For example, since early House rules required measures to be introduced only in a manner involving the "explicit approval of the full chamber," Representatives needed permission from other Members to introduce legislation. A common communication medium for soliciting support for this action was a letter to colleagues. For example, Representative Abraham Lincoln, in 1849, formally notified his colleagues in writing that he intended to seek their authorization to introduce a bill to abolish slavery in the District of Columbia.

The use of the phrase "Dear Colleague" has been used to refer to a widely distributed letter among Members at least since early in the 20 th century. In 1913, the New York Times included the text of a "Dear Colleague" letter written by Representative Finley H. Gray to Representative Robert N. Page in which Gray outlined his "conceptions of a fit and proper manner" in which Members of the House should "show their respect for the President" and "express their well wishes" to the first family. In 1916, the Washington Post included the text of a "Dear Colleague" letter written by Representative William P. Borland and distributed to colleagues on the House floor. The letter provided an explanation of an amendment he had offered to a House bill.

Congress has since expanded its use of the Internet and electronic devices to facilitate distribution of legislative documents. Electronic "Dear Colleague" letters can be disseminated via internal networks in the House and Senate, supplementing or supplanting paper forms of the letters. Such electronic communication has increased the speed and facilitated the process of distributing "Dear Colleague" letters.

Use of "Dear Colleague" Letters

In the contemporary Congress, Members use both printed copy distribution and electronic delivery for sending "Dear Colleague" letters.

House of Representatives

In the House, Members may choose to send "Dear Colleague" letters through internal mail, through the electronic e -"Dear Colleague" system, or both. Regardless of distribution method, House "Dear Colleague" letters are required to address official business and must be signed by a Member or officer of Congress.

Members of the House often send out "Dear Colleague" letters to recruit cosponsors for their measures. The practice of recruiting cosponsors has become more important since the passage of H.Res. 42 in the 90 th Congress (1967-1968). H.Res. 42 amended House rules to permit bill cosponsors, but limited the number to 25. In 1978, the House agreed to H.Res. 86 , which further amended House rules to permit unlimited numbers of cosponsors.

Internal Mail

"Dear Colleague" letters sent through internal mail must be written on official letterhead, address official business, and be signed by a Member or officer of Congress. A cover letter must accompany the "Dear Colleague" letter, addressed to the director of the House customer solution center, with specific distribution instructions and authorization as to the number to be distributed. These materials must be submitted by 9:45 a.m. for morning distribution and 1:45 p.m. for afternoon mail delivery.

The current number of paper copies needed for distribution of a "Dear Colleague" letter in the House is

475 for all Members only (including leadership); 525 for all Members (including leadership and full committees); 625 for Members, full committees, and subcommittees; 300 for Republican Members, leadership, and full Republican committees; 275 for all Republican Members and leadership only; 250 for Democratic Members, leadership, and full Democratic committees; 200 for all Democratic Members and leadership only; and 700 for all House mail stops.

For distribution to the Senate, House "Dear Colleague" letters must have a separate cover letter addressed to the deputy chief administrative officer of the House for customer solutions, adhere to the same standards as House "Dear Colleague" letters, and follow the current distribution numbers of

110 for Senators only, and 135 for Senators and committees.

When using the paper system, congressional offices create and photocopy their "Dear Colleague" letters and deliver them to either the First Call Customer Service Center or to the House Postal Operations Office. When the House Postal Operations Office is closed, letters may be deposited in a drop box located in the vending area of the Longworth cafeteria. A copy of the "Dear Colleague" letter is delivered to offices as requested.

e-"Dear Colleague" System

On August 12, 2008, the House introduced a web-based e -"Dear Colleague" distribution system. The e -"Dear Colleague" system replaced the email-based system. Under the e -"Dear Colleague" system, then-chair of the Committee on House Administration, Representative Robert Brady, wrote that Members and staff "will be able to compose e -Dear Colleagues online, and associate them with up to three issue areas. Members and staff will be able to independently manage their subscription to various issue areas and receive e -Dear Colleagues according to individual interest." Pursuant to the House Members' Congressional Handbook , the rules regulating a paper "Dear Colleague" letter sent via internal mail are also applicable to a letter sent electronically.

House Members and staff who want to use the e -Dear Colleague system can subscribe and send letters at http://e-dearcolleague.house.gov . During the registration process, they may choose up to 32 issue areas for which they wish to receive "Dear Colleague" letters. The website also allows them to sign up for either the Republican or Democratic "Dear Colleague" distribution lists. Additionally, the website enables individuals "to search all e -Dear Colleagues by session, date, issue area, and keyword or bill number." The e -Dear Colleague system did not alter the process for the delivery of paper "Dear Colleague" letters.

To send an e-"D ear Colleague" letter, an individual staff member views http://e-dearcolleague.house.gov and clicks on send. This action brings up the send screen, where the staff member takes the following actions:

enters his or her email address, the type of office the staff member works in (i.e., Member, leadership, committee, or other), and the Member's, committee's, or office's name; types in a letter title, selects whether it is a letter to be sent to either the Republican or Democratic distribution lists, and chooses up to three issues to associate with the letter; types, or cuts and pastes, the letter into the text editor on the webpage, including uploading any graphics or attachments; associates the letter with a particular bill or resolution number (optional); and reviews the letter before sending.

Following the completion of this process, staff members receive an email asking them to confirm that they are sending the "Dear Colleague" letter. A final opportunity to edit the letter is also provided. Once the letter is completed, it is sent to all individuals who have selected to receive "Dear Colleague" letters in issue areas associated with the letter.

Electronic versions of "Dear Colleague" letters sent prior to August 12, 2008, are stored in a Microsoft Exchange public folder that is accessible to all House Members and staff. Electronic versions of "Dear Colleague" letters sent on or after August 12, 2008, are archived on the House e -"Dear Colleague" website.

Senate

Similar to the House paper system, "Dear Colleague" letters in the Senate are written on official letterhead and address official business, but there is not a central distribution policy. In general, when using the paper system, Senators and chamber officers create their own "Dear Colleague" letters and have them reproduced at the Senate Printing Graphics and Direct Mail Division. Once reproduced, paper copies of the "Dear Colleague" letters are delivered to the Senate Mailroom by the sending office, accompanied by a distribution form or cover letter with specific distribution instructions.

As prescribed by the Senate, current distribution numbers for "Dear Colleague" letters in the Senate are

100 for all Senators; 20 for standing, select, and special committees; 5 for the joint leadership; and 1 each for the officers of the Senate (total of 7).

The choice to send "Dear Colleague" letters electronically is at the discretion of the individual Senate office. There is no central distribution system for electronic Senate "Dear Colleague" letters.