How is mail to the president processed?

[Inchworm]

How is it routed when it comes from Joe Public?

I'm sure he rarely sees the mail that is sent to him, but who does and who decides whether or not to send it up to the next level if the president is to ever read it?

I'm talking about regular snail mail, but I am sort of curious about emails as well.

Just curious if anyone knows the process.

Thanks in advance.

:shrug:

[Captain Hilts]

1. It gets de-toxed, x-rayed and then opened.

The detox process leaves paper feeling like parchment. Yuck. Same process for all government agencies - Library of Congress, etc. I think the Washington Post does the same.

The Old Soldiers/Airmen's home opens mail for First Pets and, I think, the First Lady.

Presidential mail goes through several layers of folks. I think the same, though not quite as much for the First Lady.

Send a postcard, then they can see it isn't holding anything.

E-mail effectiveness can really vary. In a lot of places they just check whether it is 'pro' or 'con' of an issue and tally it without reading it much. If you have a specific request, you are more likely to get a specific answer.

[Inchworm]

3. I figured as such

I've recieved a few stock "thanks for your interest" replies over the years but never knew how far they really got.

:)

[Captain Hilts]

4. When friends need something copyrighted, I carry it over to the LoC for them...

that way it gets in the front of the line, and because it isn't ookie feeling, everybody wants to work with it.

[mimitabby]

5. i had heard that if things werent of standard size, they got tossed

for that reason, i've never sent Pres. Obama a copy of my painting, i can't bear the thought of it just going into the trash.
i wrote to change.gov asking them about how to deliver it, but never heard back.

[mimitabby]

6. from whitehouse.gov

Gifts & Items Sent to the White House

Items sent to the White House are often significantly delayed and can be irreparably harmed during the security screening process. Therefore, please do not send items of personal importance, such as family photographs, because items may not be returned.

For security reasons, please do not send consumable gifts -- such as food, flowers, and other perishable items -- to the White House. While President Obama, the First Lady, Vice President Biden, and Dr. Biden appreciate your thoughtfulness, they request that instead you look to your local community for opportunities to assist your neighbors in need.

[Captain Hilts]

8. Yeah, that's been the policy for a long time. nt

[Inchworm]

9. So written things should be standard?

I once sent a manilla envelope with an old presiden't speech transcript inside. Best I remember I was bitching about the Patriot Act.

So the coversheet inside was probably never read?

[Captain Hilts]

10. It very well might have been...but loooong after you mailed it. nt

[Captain Hilts]

7. Trying walking it over to the DNC and handing a copy of it to someone. OR -

to the office of your congresscritter or senator. When you walk in with it, they know it's clean.

I was just reading "Dinner at the White House" about Churchill's last dins with the Roosevelts in Jan '42 and part of the conversation is about a crazy painting that some guy did of FDR.

[jwirr]

2. I also am interested.

[ThomWV]

11. Apparently about the same way as Absentee Ballots - nobody ever bothers to look at them

[jwirr]

12. So how do we contact him and our reps? This is frustrating. I worked

in an Iowa congressman's office years ago and we had case workers who took the calls and answered them. I was one of them and only once did it just circle file it - couldn't understand what he wanted me to do about his problem.