Dear Representative,

I am writing to urge you to support and debate legislation to uncap the U.S. House of Representatives.

From the founding of the Republic until the early twentieth century, the House of Representatives expanded regularly to reflect population growth. This was no accident. The Framers understood that representative government must grow with its people or risk becoming unstable. James Madison argued that liberty was best preserved when power was divided, and representatives remained closely tied to the people they served.

That tradition ended in 1929, when Congress capped the House at 435 members—at that time, the U.S. population was about 100 million; now it’s around 340 million. As a result, the average congressional district has more than tripled in size, leaving Americans less represented and increasingly disconnected from their government. It is no wonder America and its population have grown more unstable.

An uncapped House is not a radical idea; it is a return to first principles. The First Congress’s first proposed amendment, often referred to as Article the First, would have constitutionally tied the size of the House of Representatives to population growth. 

Smaller districts will improve accountability, reduce the influence of extreme factions, and encourage representatives to govern with a deeper understanding of their constituents. Expanding the House will rebalance power away from the executive branch by strengthening Congress’s legitimacy and capacity to act.

The urgency of this issue cannot be overstated. The 2030 Census is approaching, and with it another round of reapportionment. At the same time, our political system is under enormous pressure from polarization, institutional distrust, and zero-sum power struggles. When representation fails to scale with the population, conflict intensifies rather than dissipates.

Uncapping the House offers a peaceful, constitutional way to ease current political pressure by sharing power with the people. We can strengthen the republic by widening participation and restoring confidence in representative government.

I respectfully request that you support hearings and legislation that explore repealing and replacing the 1929 Apportionment Act ahead of the 2030 Census. 

Thank you for your service and for your attention to this vital issue.

Sincerely,