Making laws
Dear Colleague letter
A letter circulated to every member of a chamber, usually asking them to cosponsor a bill, sign onto a letter, or vote a certain way.
In full
Dear Colleagues are the internal mail of Congress, sent by members to members. Most solicit cosponsors for a newly introduced bill or signatures on a letter to an agency. They are also how members announce a discharge petition, a forthcoming amendment, or an intent to object. Many are public, and they are a reliable early signal that a measure is being organized around.
Where to go next
Keep going
Browse every term in the glossary, or see the vocabulary in motion in the How government works walkthroughs.
A plain-language explanation for civic education, not legal advice. When in doubt, the official source named above controls.