—- Official envelope as chairman of a committee or subcommittee:
——– The Honorable (Full Name)
——– Chairman
——– (Committee or subcommittee name)
——– (Address)
—-———-—- or
—————- The Honorable (Full Name)
—————- Chair
—————- (Committee or subcommittee name)
—————- (Address)
—- Letter salutation:
——– Dear Mr./Ms./etc. (Surname):
——————- See NOTE below
—–— Congressman (Surname):
—–— Congresswoman (Surname):
—–— Representative (Surname):
Robert Hickey author of “Honor & Respect”
NOTE ON HONORIFICS: It surprises many that the first option for a salutation when addressing a member of the U.S. House of Representatives is Mr./Ms. (Surname) rather than Congressman (Surname), Congresswoman (Surname) and Representative (Surname). Congressman, Congresswoman and Representative are in fact less formal honorifics. There have been some members of the House who hold a doctorate and might prefer Dr. to Mr./Ms. If you know that is their preference, of course, use it. But others will say being a member of the House so outranks holding even a high academic/professional degree they prefer the standard forms of address all other members use.>
Members often prefer Congressman (Surname), Congresswoman (Surname) or Representative (Surname). I’d describe it as a practice which emphasizes the office held in a way Mr./Ms. (Surname) does not.
RE: Congressman and Congresswoman: Purists say that since ‘Congress’ is comprised of two bodies – the Senate and the House of Representatives – members of both houses are technically ‘Congressmen’. But in the public’s mind Congressman/Congresswoman identify members of the House.
WHAT TO DO? If you know the Member prefers Congressman/Congresswoman (Surname) or Representative (Surname) – use their preferred form in conversation. Often you can find out their preference by looking at the banner on their website. Typically they present their name there using one of the three honorifics.
But back to formal correspondance – in writing it’s the Honorable (Full Name) and in a salutation as Mr. (Name) or Ms. (Name) as noted above.
Sorry for this long note!
BELOW: Note how on Capitol Hill members (seated behind their committee name plates) are Mr./Ms./Mrs. (Surname) How to Address a Congressman Congresswoman How to Address a Congressman Congresswoman