Email Me: Congress and the Internet

In the nearly three decades since personal computers were introduced, they have revolutionized interaction between Congress and its constituents. In 1969, there were only three computers on the entire Capitol campus. The first computers introduced in the House of Representatives provided basic word processing and accounting functions to assist in the administrative tasks of running a congressional office.  By 1975, computers became a common fixture in most congressional offices. To assist Member offices in modernizing their offices, Members were granted computer allowances in their operating budgets and given personalized training classes. By the start of the 106th Congress (1999–2001), freshman Member orientation was supplemented with a computer tutorial featuring the House office buildings and the Capitol.

Although a precise date is difficult to pinpoint, electronic mail, or e-mail, was first used internally by the House of Representatives in the early 1980s. External e-mail began in the mid-1990s, permitting the public to contact Member offices 24 hours a day. The Internet provided a new level of accessibility to Congress. The mid-to late-1990s launch of congressional Web sites, such as the House of Representatives Web site, Member Web sites, committee Web sites, the Library of Congress THOMAS Web site, and the Online Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, granted the public instant access to information which once required weeks and even months to obtain.

With the advent of social networking and new wireless computer technologies, Members of Congress have embraced the new forms of media. From social media Web sites to online video, blog, and Twitter accounts, Members use these resources to provide greater accessibly for their constituents.