Contacting Your Senator
All questions and comments should be directed to the senators from your state.
Please be aware that as a matter of professional courtesy, many senators will acknowledge, but not respond to, a message from another senator’s constituent.
FIND YOUR SENATOR
CONTACT METHOD
By Email
Some senators have email addresses while others post comment forms on their websites. When sending email to your senator, please include your return postal mailing address.
By Telephone
Call the United States Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121.
A switchboard operator will connect you directly with the Senate office you request.
By Mail
Write to your senator or to other U.S. Senate offices at the following address:
Office of Senator (Name)
United States Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510
SAMPLE LETTER
[DATE]
[Senator’s Name]
[Senator’s office address]
Dear [Senator whom you are writing],
I am writing to you to express my concerns with the implementation of Section 731 of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2020 that was enacted to give servicemembers a route to address military medical malpractice.
[Insert language about specifics of your case].
I have been patiently awaiting the promulgation of the rules that Congress ordered the Department of Defense (DOD) implement regarding how these types of claims would be assessed and processed. However, despite almost a full year passing since its enactment, there is still no clear policy or procedure to ensure timely, efficient, and effective processing and administration of these types of claims under this section.
There has been no transparency on what servicemembers, and their families can expect in the context of how the DOD is moving forward on the proposed regulations and when servicemembers and families can anticipate the interim rule being published. The significant delays in publishing an interim final rule appears to signal a reluctance on the DOD to promptly and expeditiously create the administrative process that servicemembers can use to address the medical malpractice they have suffered from at the hands of the Department.
I am concerned that the DOD may be delaying this process to prevent the creation of policies or procedures that would ensure the timely, efficient, and effective processing and administration of these types of claims as required under law. This delay is also having an adverse effect on the servicemembers this law was intended to protect treatment as the lack of any clear process has discouraged servicemembers from bringing claims timely under the law.
I am respectfully seeking your assistance in providing clarification on the DOD’s timeline for the anticipated interim final rule and explaining what the public could expect regarding the administrative process for handling these claims.
I am thankful for all your support and advocacy in getting this law changed with the passage of Section 731 of the NDAA, and hope you understand the frustration and discouragement that servicemembers and families like us are experiencing when it comes to waiting on finding out the process the DOD will be using to consider these cases.
I look forward to your response and appreciate your time and attention to this letter.
Respectfully,
[sender contact information]