On April 27, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) sent a letter to eight Democratic senators finding that the Bush administration's program to promote its Social Security plan to the public does not constitute illegal use of government funds for grassroots lobbying. The senators had asked for an assessment of whether the overall context and message of the administration's Social Security campaign amounted to a clear appeal to the public to contact members of Congress. The GAO disagreed, saying that no violation occurs unless there is an express request to the public to contact Congress.