"Dear Colleague" letters

To alert fellow members of Congress to a particular issue or event, or encourage them to cosponsor legislation, senators and representatives send out “Dear Colleague” letters. These form letters are circulated through internal mail (rather than through the postal system) to all members' offices. “Dear Colleague” letters identify the sender with a certain issue and form an important unofficial link in the information chain around Capitol Hill.

See also Sponsoring and cosponsoring legislation