WASHINGTON – In 1775, a year before the nation declared its independence from Great Britain, the Continental Congress convened with representatives from all 12 original colonies established the congressional frank.
The frank was a taxpayer-funded way to give members of that early American assembly a way to inform their constituents, a practice that has changed over the ensuing 250 years but remains vigorous.
For most of the history of Congress, franking referred to free postage to send newsletters, postcards and other missives to constituents.
Now it includes text messaging, Facebook and Google ads, robocalls and radio spots, as well as traditional mailers and other forms of communication.
But one thing has not changed much. Sometimes these taxpayer-funded messages to voters blur the line between being totally informative and touting a lawmaker’s accomplishments in a way that boosts their chances of reelection.
In any case, these outreaches to constituents are a privilege incumbents have over their challengers in an election year like this one, and their popularity is on the rise.
A MinnPost review of information collected by the Clerk of the U.S. House shows these outreaches to constituents are on the rise among members of Minnesota’s delegation in this election year.
Last year, the eight members of the delegation received approval for 264 “unsolicited mass communications.” Meanwhile, in the first quarter of this year, there were 162 franked communications, worth a total of nearly $200,000.
Over the years, the congressional frank has been abused, including one instance in which office accounts were used to purchase stamps, then redeemed at post offices for cash for personal use.
Now, most messaging must be approved and the cost of these mass communications is paid from a lawmaker’s annual “representational allowance,” or the budget each lawmaker receives to hire staff and run offices. The average budget a House member received this year is about, give or take, $1.9 million.
Even with new restrictions, messaging to constituents is on the increase in the whole Congress and not just within Minnesota’s congressional delegation.
A recent paper published by the Legislative Studies Quarterly showed that during the 115th Congress, which covered 2017 and 2018, lawmakers sought approval for fewer than 3,000 communications. But by the 118th Congress, 2023 and 2024, there were more than 24,000 submissions for franking approvals.
The paper also found that message content differs along party lines as Republican lawmakers have traditionally been more likely to invoke their party affiliation. It also determined that members who are electorally vulnerable — those who won their last election by small margins — send significantly more franked communications than those whose seats are secure.
Annelise Russell, a professor at the University of Kentucky’s Martin School of Public Policy and a co-author of the paper on franking, said the mass communications are certainly an advantage for congressional incumbents but that their cost pales when compared to the money they spend on campaigns.
“I think anything that connects lawmakers to the public is positive,” she said. “Now members can certainly use that to their advantage to talk about preferred issues or talk to preferred communities. But at the end of the day, dialogue can’t just live on Twitter and Fox News.”
How Minnesota lawmakers use the frank
Rep. Brad Finstad, R-1st District, issued nine communications in the first quarter of this year and 33 last year. His messages to constituents included one touting his support for a House-approved farm bill and notices about a mobile “help desk” that would travel his southern Minnesota district to help constituents with tax and Social Security issues and other problems.
“My office uses franked communications to maintain regular contact with constituents, ensuring they stay informed and connected, and allowing my office to respond promptly to southern Minnesotans who reach out with questions, policy concerns, or requests for assistance with federal agencies,” Finstad said in an emailed statement. “Franked communications are also an effective way to share updates about my work in Washington … .”
Rep. Angie Craig, D-2nd District, who is running for U.S. Senate, sent just 13 communications last year and 12, which cost more than $56,000, in the first quarter of this year.
In one text message, Craig touted a bill she sponsored that would penalize health insurers that denied claims at an above-average rate. In another, Craig alerted her constituents of her early call for the impeachment of former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem during last winter’s Operation Metro Surge.
Rep. Kelly Morrison, D-3rd District, sent 46 mass emails and texts last year, her first one in office, and another 21 this year. Among her many mass communications to constituents was a survey on whether taxpayers should spend millions of dollars on a new White House ballroom that President Donald Trump has made a priority.
Morrison also informed constituents that she had voted for a bill that would rein in Trump’s ability to continue the war in Iran and asked them if they agreed with her that “Congress must act NOW” to end that war.
Rep. Betty McCollum, D-4th District, sent seven mass communications last year and only four in the first quarter of this year. A strong opponent of the U.S. conflict with Iran, McCollum, like Morrison, also touted her vote on the legislation that would curb Trump’s war-making authority.
McCollum also sent out a survey asking constituents if they supported Rep. Pete Stauber’s legislation ending a 20-year moratorium on sulfide mining in Superior National Forest, mining the Democratic lawmaker said would pollute the Boundary Waters.
Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-5th District, sent out 34 communications last year and 32 in the first quarter of this year. She favored digital ads that announced her town halls and criticized Trump’s hardline immigration policies.
Omar also touted the money in earmarks, or special projects, she has steered to the 5th District. In a radio ad, Omar said she has sent $65 million to her district since taking office and is also “working to make ICE agents accountable.”
Rep. Tom Emmer, R-6th District, favors reaching constituents through email. He sent 43 communications last year and another 31 – worth about $40,000 – this year.
Emmer likes to tell constituents about the earmarks he has procured for his district, mostly transportation projects. He also highlighted for his constituents what he determined were Trump’s accomplishments during the president’s first year in office.
Emmer has also used his franking privileges to condemn fraud in Minnesota’s social service programs.
Rep. Michelle Fischbach, R-7th District, released more franked communications of any member of the state’s congressional delegation. She produced 55 last year and spent about $51,000 to send another 50 in the first quarter of this year.
Fischbach made a radio ad promoting the legislation she has introduced aimed at fighting fraud and texted her constituents about her support for the “SAVE America Act,” legislation stalled in the U.S. Senate that would require individuals to provide documentary proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in federal elections and would mandate photo ID to cast a ballot.
Fischbach is also a big fan of constituent surveys. One asked them if they “support revoking welfare benefits to immigrants who send taxpayer-funded benefits dollars to foreign countries?” Another, sent on Mother’s Day, asked, “Do you support increasing access and support services to expectant mothers and their families?”
Rep. Pete Stauber, R-7th District, sent 33 franked communications last year and only seven this year.
His mass communications include a robocall inviting constituents to a telephone town hall and a Facebook ad promoting legislation he sponsored that would strengthen penalties on those who exploit childcare assistance programs.
In other news:
▪️In Capitol Conversations, state government reporter Matthew Blake takes a look at the state auditor’s race and explains what a state auditor does.
▪️Also, Greater Minnesota contributor Forrest Peterson writes about the northern Minnesota forest fires that are sending smoke across the state – and what might come next.
▪️And we shared an AP story on President Donald Trump’s endorsement of GOP candidate Mike Lindell – aka the My Pillow Guy – in the race for governor.
Please keep your comments, and any questions, coming. I’ll try my best to respond.
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