You can now e-mail John Boehner

By Mackenzie Weinger

Anyone in the country can now e-mail House Speaker John Boehner.

After former Speaker Nancy Pelosi passed Boehner the gavel, his office launched SpeakerBoehner@mail.house.gov to voters to easily contact him.

Members of Congress have long accepted e-mail from their constituents through web forms, but they've typically blocked people from outside their districts or states from writing.

Boehner’s new media director Nick Schaper said having a general address makes it easy for citizens to contact the Speaker online.

Schaper noted the "Speaker Boehner" mailbox — which collects messages from both a web form on and direct e-mails — received about 150 emails over the weekend, with roughly 20 percent related to the Tucson shooting.

"It's our goal to make sure we’re tracking every touch we have with citizens — calls, letters, emails — in a way that allows us to keep them informed on the issues they care about," Schaper told Congress.org in an e-mail.

The all-access mailbox originated with Pelosi during her first stint as Minority Leader five years ago. She invited people to e-mail her at AmericanVoices@mail.house.gov. Staffers read and evaluate the emails, and they even send responses to a lucky few.

"We want to hear from everyone, not just constituents," Pelosi spokesperson Drew Hammill said. "It's an opportunity for people to have a way to weigh in on issues of the day."

According to Hammill, Pelosi receives reports on the trends and issues that are dominating the email correspondence.

And just as the email operated during her tenure as both Minority Leader and Speaker, Hammill said AmericanVoices@mail.house.gov "will continue to serve as her way to hear from people across the country" in her new role.

As for Boehner's new e-mail address, Hammill noted the success of AmericanVoices likely inspired the Speaker's team.

"I have no doubt that’s something they wanted to mirror," he said.

Meanwhile, Schaper said the GOP has taken "full advantage" of the web in recent years, and added that citizens will "now see that enthusiasm translated into more effective governing."

And Speaker Boehner recently told NBC's Brian Williams he gets "strength every day just going to my Facebook site." Boehner's no stranger to other forms of new media, and has a @SpeakerBoehner Twitter account to go along with his accounts on Facebook and YouTube.

"Whether it's Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, or the next communications tool we’ve yet to see, the Speaker and his colleagues will continue to explore new avenues to connect with those they represent," Schaper wrote.