They can be used to inform other members about an upcoming hearing or vote, to request support for a particular bill, or to express a position on an issue.
And they can also be used to organize support for a cause or issue, or to gather signatures for a petition.
Signing on to one of these letters is a relatively easy ask for most lawmakers.
Origin of the “Dear Colleague letter”
The practice of members sending each other letters to solicit support dates to at least the 1800s. But the phrase “Dear Colleague letter” has only been used since 1913.
One of the first uses of the term was in 1913 when the New York Times referenced the text of a letter written by Rep. Finley Gray (R-IN) on how lawmakers should “express their well wishes” to President Woodrow Wilson and his family.
Although these types of letters have been used by members of Congress for more than a century, technological advances in recent years have facilitated their distribution.
In 2008, the House introduced an electronic “Dear Colleague” system, streamlining topic headings and distribution lists. Each of these letters can be tagged in the electronic system with up to three self-selected policy categories.
A Congressional Research Service report explains the current practices in the House and the Senate.
Use of “Dear Colleague letter” in a sentence
Boston University School of Public Health: “Last month, 73 members of the US House of Representative – 11 of them from New England – signed a Dear Colleague letter to support the Public Health Training Centers in the federal budget.”
Regulatory Relief Coalition (May 12, 2021): “Representative Suzan DelBene wrote a Dear Colleague letter to garner support for the Improving Seniors' Timely Access to Care Act.”
Senate Democrats: “In Dear Colleague Letter To Senate Democrats, Leader Schumer Warns Senate Dems To Brace for Trump-GOP Rescission Fight: 'This Is Beyond A Bait-and-Switch, It's Bait And Poison To Kill'.”