This, the third and last in our "Clip and save" series, is designed to help you get in touch with your representatives in Congress, which will convene on Thursday. And if there is a representative body that needs guidance and direction from the people whose interests it is supposed to serve, it is Congress.

The 110th Congress has much to do, the 109th having done not much at all - including not adopting budgets for most of the government. Given that it was in session very little (22 days for the House, 32 for the Senate) in the last five months of the year, the lack of accomplishment is not surprising.

But the 110th Congress will gather on Thursday with new leadership and a new balance of power - and a lot of issues that need to be addressed, from the war in Iraq to immigration, minimum wage to Medicare drug benefits, tax policy to energy policy, the future of NASA to that of No Child Left Behind. All are important locally, as are other issues related to shipbuilding and the military.

So let your senators and representative know what you want. If pollsters have gauged public sentiment accurately, a large majority of Americans are disgusted with what Congress has done - and not done. This is a fresh beginning. If the public gets and stays engaged, it may produce a better ending.



Sen. John Warner (R)
225 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Send e-mail at

Sen. Jim Webb (D)
Office assignment will be released today.
Write to Webb at:
U.S. Senate
Washington, DC 20510
Senate information: 202-224-3121
Send e-mail at