The case for casework

Dusting off this newsletter with a proposal for pressuring Congress.

Feb 11, 2025

An essential—if not the essential—component of the American government is the division of labor. Congress writes laws and provides funding, the President and federal agencies implement the laws with provided funds, and the judicial branch protects this balance of power.

Yet, the past few weeks has demonstrated the fragility of this 249-year-old arrangement. A slew of legally-mandated and funded programs have been “deleted” by a renegade team lead by the world’s richest man: Head Start Pre-K programs cannot access their funds, forcing families to scramble for childcare; publicly-funded data has been purged from the internet; farmers’ reimbursement payments are being rejected, leaving them on the hook for millions of dollars; and foreign agents have been left vulnerable around the world.

This is all illegal, of course. Congress established these programs (and appropriated their funds) via law. But in a stunning display of dereliction of duty, Congress is choosing to defer on its premier power: control over the country’s purse. While I have ample speculation on the lack of congressional motivation (cough, fear, cough, laziness), my audience today is we, the people.

Unlike the executive branch, Congress is a representative body, and they are motivated to act by the citizens they represent. So, we also have a responsibility here to “petition the government”1 to act on our behalf. While we often think of phone calls and protest as our outlet for persuading Congress, there is another option—and one that Congress cares about greatly.

What is casework?

Casework is a formal constituent request for assistance with a federal agency. Today, every House and Senate office dedicates a great deal of time and resources to solving casework requests, and in some offices, caseworkers make up over half of the staff in both the district (state or local) and Washington, D.C. office.2

Unlike phone calls or emails that express general concern with the government, casework is for personal petitions. Casework is how Congress acts as our liaison to the executive branch, by solving a specific problem you are having. Common examples include tracking down a social security payment, applying to a military school, providing assistance with FEMA, or getting a passport.

Also unlike phone calls or emails, casework is highly formalized. There are specific paperwork, rules, and processes that govern casework, with an end goal of formal resolution. Members take great pride in resolving casework requests, with many publicizing stats of successful “casework wins” every year. While a phone call can be ignored and filed away, an open casework request will linger with members and force staff to engage with federal agencies.

Citizens can, and should, utilize casework to formally petition Congress to, well, do its job. We can use casework to resolve personal loss of funding from and access to executive branch programs. And we can use casework to investigate rogue employees and decision-making in federal departments. In short, we can use casework to make Congress care.

How to file a casework request with Congress

A key component of casework that you are asking your member of Congress to help you with a personal issue.

Find your member of Congress. Everyone has one House Representative and two Senators (unless you live in D.C., sorry). House representatives will often respond quicker (smaller constituencies). But Senators often have more power.
1. Find your House representative here.
2. Find your Senators here.
You need a personal reason to file a casework request. Do you rely on CDC data to access your child’s vaccination schedule or food safety information? Were you relying on an NIH grant to fund a research center you use? Are you experiencing a delay in Social Security funding? Get creative.
Visit your member’s website to begin the casework request. Every website is different, but in general you want to look for the link that says “help with a federal agency.”
Screen grab from Rep. Jim McGovern’s website. 2/10/2025.
Fill out a digital privacy release form. This form gives the office permission to contact a federal agency on your behalf. It includes contact information, as well as information about your request (more on that next).
Screen grab of Rep. Jim McGovern digital privacy release form. 2/10/2025.
Again, how you fill out will differ by office. For my representative, Rep. Jim McGovern (above), I am able to fill out a form that is directly submitted via his website. For my Senator, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (below), I have to download and submit the form to her office via email.
Sample Privacy Release Form, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA). 02/10/2025
You are allowed and encouraged to send similar casework requests to all three offices—but it can only be sent to your specific representatives and Senators.
The key part of this form is the specific request your are submitting. In order to have your request addressed, you need to know which federal agency your issue falls under. Some of these are easy: Social Security assistance is common enough that members will a Social Security Administration division. Others, like assistance with the CDC, will require you to know which agency the department or program falls under.
The easiest way to do this is a trusty google search: “Which federal agency does ____ fall under?” So, for CDC requests, we will file a casework request under the Department of Health and Human Services.

Consider specific goals of resolution. Often, forms will ask you how you would like your case to be resolved. If not, you can write this yourself when providing an overview of the casework).

Because some offices will consider “looking into it” enough to “close a case”3, the more specific your request, the more likely it will be resolved in a meaningful way. Ex: “help me track down my social security payment”, “or provide me with missing vaccination information.”
Submit the form (online or via email). After you submit the privacy request form, your casework request has been filed. A staff member will often reach out to you about questions, next steps, and potential resolutions. Be kind and helpful to them! They are working on your behalf.

What’s the point?

Casework requests are demands on the time and resources of a congressional office. And most congressional staff are already overworked and underpaid. How will adding to their plate help anything?

Well, one, this is their job! And this gives staff a very real motivation to look into the legality of the executive branch’s actions. As one former caseworker said: “Representatives & Senators both have full-time staff in their offices devoted to casework and it is closely monitored!”

Two, it is a formal and impactful lever of pressure, and holds weight that calls and emails often do not—particularly in deep-red or deep-blue districts and states. As one former caseworker told me, “I’m sure it would only take a few hundred letters to bury a Senate office, I imagine even less for a Rep… an influx of a few hundred would get a lot of attention.”

Three, it provides all members with stories and specific problems that clarify the scope of vague and largely unknown executive actions. Congress reacts to specific “fire alarms” rung by their constituents. So ring the alarm!

Lastly, if you live in a Republican-heavy or moderate district, this action matters even more. The executive branch is simply not beholden to us in the same way that our congressional representatives are. For members of Congress, the only thing that matters more than being liked by a president is the support of their constituents After all, you can’t be a member of Congress if you don’t win reelection.

Well, I guess we’re doing this. Let me know what I should write about next:

Share your own casework stories (and suggestions) here:

Attentive Public

Discussion about this post