I’ve been thinking about asking this for a while, but after seeing it mentioned in this thread, Stuff that seems common, but outside your life experience, a few times I feel now is the best time to act.
So, if you’re having a problem with Social Security, a VA hospital, or some other federal government organization how is your congressperson able to help? What authority do they have, or threat can they make, to stop a bureaucrat from giving you the runaround?
An individual Congressman has no authority (obviously, a mjaority of them acting as a un9it xcan change the law) – but a lot of moral suasion. Remember that said bureaucrat looks to Congress for funding, for regulatory improvements, for not being deregulated/privatized into oblivion, etc. So if a Congressman asks him to help a constituent, why, then, that becomes a Really Important Issue to be Helpful About. 
I have never contacted my Congressman about anything but I know people that have and gotten results. The Representative or Senator doesn’t usually even handle the problem themselves unless it is something really big. They have staff that reads mail and addresses these types of issues for them.
As stated, they don’t have any direct authority but tons of political power. Intergovernment relationships are the epitome of the term politics and they didn’t get elected without knowing lots of people and doing favors for people that have direct control over a given issue. On the other side, they need to keep their voters happy and make themselves appear powerful and effective to get reelected so they are happy to pull some strings when asked.
One power they have is the ability to draft new legislation and get it passed. For some problems, that might be the only solution.
Congressional committees also have the power to investigate malfeasance. Sometimes just the threat of daylight is the best disinfectant.
Bolding mine. Calling your congressman is one way to petition the Government.
I came here to make a similar comment. I have friends who are disability lawyers. They tell me that in their cases where Bad Things* are going to happen due to delays, writing the congressman/representative really helps. Apparently there is significant bureaucracy involved - lots of piles of paper to go through. Having someone “important” say “Please look at this one now, instead of in a month when you’d normally get to it” gets things going.
FYI, it also works the other way around. I recently ran a charity event - a formal, classy English style Tea in a community garden. We transformed a few run down acres into a beautiful setting, and provide fresh food to food banks as an alternative to all the canned goods. We sent an invitation to our Representative, and she showed up. It was a good photo-op for her, but she also seemed genuinely interested in what we were doing.
*Fighting to get medical treatment, going to be homeless, etc.
-D/a
This is not a whit different from the way the rest of the world works. “I know somebody” is a way to get things done. People respond to people. Influential people - influential in any of a hundred ways - cut through priorities and bureaucracy and get individual cases to jump to the head of the line. No influential person likes to hear “sorry, but those are the rules” even if those are the rules. Sooner or later an influential person will find a way to remind the other side what influential means.
Yes it is. It is not a right in all of the rest of the world.
It’s not a right here either. Your sole right is the ability to address representatives without fear of reprisal. You don’t have a right for them to listen or do anything in your behalf. That’s not different from any other position or profession in this country.
I didn’t say you had a right to a response or any action. But it is clearly different from places where such a right is not guaranteed. In this country you do not have to know someone, and you do have an avenue for redress, whether it works or not.
Sometimes it’s just a matter of being able to find the right person to speak with. You can sit on the phone with some federal agency for ages. A staffer may know someone or at least know where to call.
When I worked on staff for a short period, many constituents just couldn’t stand getting the runaround at the switchboard of some agency. I was at least able to call someone at the liaison office and find out how to get in touch with a staffer for the Office for Meatball Regulation. I could either pass along a question or ask them to contact my constituent.
My mother tried for several months to get retirement credit for a couple years of Federal employment that wasn’t under the civil service program. National Personnel Center was utterly swamped and couldnt be bothered to look for it.
Our congressman called someone over there and in a few weeks, we received a package that included her employment record, pay stubs, receipts from the Base Exchange and credit for those years of service.
Are there any Ombudsmen or other government organizations in the US that will deal with complaints or requests only if they are referred by a Congressman? Because that’s certainly the case in the UK; if you have a grievance with a government-run organization such as the NHS or UK Border Agency and can’t resolve it through the usual channels, your last resort (apart from filing a lawsuit) is usually the Parliamentary and Health Services Ombudsman. But in order for the Ombudsman to investigate your case it has to be referred to them by your Member of Parliament.
In my experience MPs’ offices are all too happy to forward complaints to the Ombudsman, and the mere threat of an investigation from the Ombudsman is enough to get the government office which wronged you to remedy your grievance. Last year my partner had submitted her passport to the UKBA to register her residence; I subsequently got a job offer overseas so she withdrew the registration application, but the UKBA neglected to return her passport, even after weeks of phone calls, letters, and faxes. She ended up being stranded in the UK as she couldn’t leave without her passport. We contacted our MP, whose office got the UKBA to return the passport soon after, but the UKBA ignored our subsequent complaints and requests for compensation. We asked our MP to refer the matter to the Parliamentary Ombudsman, and within a few weeks we got a very flowery apology from the UKBA for having held her passport, for ignoring requests for its return, and for then ignoring our subsequent complaints. They asked how much financial damage we had incurred as a result of their actions, and upon producing receipts they quite promptly paid it all, plus a bit extra for our inconvenience.
Fed responding.
Washington, DC, based bureaucrats in the Executive branch fear Congress critters. Being a recipient of a Congressional query means you bust your butt to answer it. Personally, it’s no big deal. However, my superiors get all stressed out.
Ah yes, the “Congressional”. In the Defense Department, a question/inquiry comes down from a congress critter or staff and it becomes your priority. You may have 24 hours to get a preliminary answer going up the chain and 72 hours for a detailed answer, briefing slides, etc… The Congress provides our funding so we serve their needs.
Economic threats could only be very limited I would imagine.
Congresscritter, “You had better right the wrong you did to Joe Blow or else!”
Bureaucrat, “Or else what?”
Congresscritter, “Or else I’ll draft a proposal that will have to work its way out of committee, get voted on to see if it will go to the CBO, which will then be taken under consideration, and if enough congress members agree then by this time next year you will have a slightly lower budget! Of course you work for a very popular department and cutting funding would create outrage and assure that I don’t get re-elected, but…Well, just do it!”
I’m guessing more personal threats would be more effective.
Congresscritter, “You had better right the wrong you did to Joe Blow. I’m good friends with the deputy director and if you don’t make this right you’ll be demoted to weekend janitor.”
Bureaucrat, “Yes sir!”
“Or else I’ll hold a hearing and subpoena you and call you a pimple-faced bureaucrat on C-SPAN” is a bit more effective (and requires a lot less effort.)
Good point. I forgot they could do that.
So what good is the right if they can just throw your petition in the garbage? How is that any different than denying your right to petition from the start?
He did address that initially. I wouldn’t suggest petitioning the government of Syria right now, as an example.