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Constituent Assistance PDF Print

Anyone who's ever dealt with a government bureaucracy knows how frustrating and intimidating it can be. Fortunately, Congressman Edwards can help you handle any problem you encounter with the federal government. Each year, we help thousands of 17th District residents who have questions or need help with federal agencies.

 

In addition, if you cannot get an answer from a federal agency in a reasonable time or if you have been treated unfairly, we might be able to help resolve a problem or get you the information you need. While we cannot guarantee you a favorable outcome, we will do our best to help you receive a fair and timely response to your problem.When submitting an inquiry to our office requesting assistance with a federal agency, a personal signature is required to process the request. Also, if assistance is requested with a case or claim from an agency, the corresponding claim, or social security number must be provided.

 

In order for me to give you assistance, please complete this text only, or PDF form and mail or fax it to me at the address shown on the form. Or if you prefer, you can stop by one of my Texas offices to speak in person to a Constituent Services Representative, or call your district office. I have listed the phone numbers below:

 

Waco Office - (254) 752-9600
College Station - (979) 691-8797
Cleburne Office - (817) 645-4743

 

Sometimes it can be difficult to understand the complicated regulations of our federal agencies. Click here to find out how Congressman Edwards may be able to assist you. Below are helpful links that may provide some answers to your questions. If you have additional questions, please go to my Frequently Asked Questions Section.

 

American Legion Department of Texas
The American Legion offers a full range of assistance to veterans and their families through our Department Service Officers (DSO). D. E. "Darby" Bybee or Kimberly Parmer at the Waco Veterans Administration Regional Office (VARO) (254) 299-9960, and Edward Reyes or Raymond Wildman at the Houston VARO (713)794-3668. One of the primary roles of the DSO is to assist veterans in filing claims with the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA).

Archives and Records Administration
The National Archives is a public trust on which our democracy depends. We enable people to inspect for themselves the record of what government has done. We enable officials and agencies to review their actions and help citizens hold them accountable. We ensure continuing access to essential evidence. NARA ensures, for the citizen and the public servant, for the President and for the Congress and the Courts, ready access to essential evidence.

Army Corps of Engineers
The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is made up of approximately 34,600 civilian and 650 military men and women. Our military and civilian engineers, scientists and other specialists work hand in hand as leaders in engineering and environmental matters. Our diverse workforce of biologists, engineers, geologists, hydrologists, natural resource managers and other professionals meets the demands of changing times and requirements as a vital part of America's Army.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The CDC is recognized as the lead federal agency for protecting the health and safety of people - at home and abroad, providing credible information to enhance health decisions, and promoting health through strong partnerships.

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
CMS is the federal agency, which administers the Medicare Program. Currently, Medicare, provides coverage to approximately 40 million Americans. Medicare is the national health insurance program for people age 65 or older, some people under age 65 with disabilities, and people with End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD), which is permanent kidney failure requiring dialysis or a kidney transplant.

Citizenship and Immigration Services
On March 1, 2003, services formerly provided by the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) transitioned into the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) under U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS). In support of the DHS overall mission, the priorities of the USCIS are to promote national security, continue to eliminate immigration case backlogs, and improve customer services.

Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS)
The people of the DFAS take pride in serving the men and women who defend America. We take our contribution to national defense seriously. We work hard to fulfill the important fiscal responsibilities entrusted to us by the American taxpayers. We ensure the resources they provide are accounted for properly.

Department of Agriculture
In 1862, when President Abraham Lincoln founded the U.S. Department of Agriculture, he called it the "people's Department." In Lincoln's day, 58 percent of the people were farmers who needed good seeds and information to grow their crops. Today, USDA continues Lincoln's legacy by serving all Americans. USDA remains committed to helping America's farmers and ranchers.

Department of Education
ED was created in 1980 by combining offices from several federal agencies. Its original directive remains its mission today: to ensure equal access to education and to promote educational excellence throughout the nation.

Department of Housing and Urban Development
HUD's mission is to increase homeownership, support community development and increase access to affordable housing free from discrimination. To fulfill this mission, HUD will embrace high standards of ethics, management and accountability and forge new partnerships--particularly with faith-based and community organizations--that leverage resources and improve HUD's ability to be effective on the community level.

Department of Labor (DOL)
The DOL fosters and promotes the welfare of the job seekers, wage earners, and retirees of the United States by improving their working conditions, advancing their opportunities for profitable employment, protecting their retirement and health care benefits, helping employers find workers, strengthening free collective bargaining, and tracking changes in employment, prices, and other national economic measurements.

Department of Transportation
The Department of Transportation was established by an act of Congress on October 15, 1966, the Department's first official day of operation was April 1, 1967. The mission of the Department is to: Serve the United States by ensuring a fast, safe, efficient, accessible and convenient transportation system that meets our vital national interests and enhances the quality of life of the American people, today and into the future.

Farm Credit Administration
The Farm Credit Administration (FCA or agency) is an independent agency in the executive branch of the U.S. Government. It is responsible for the regulation and examination of the banks, associations, and related entities that collectively comprise what is known as the Farm Credit System (System), including the Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation (Farmer Mac).

Farm Service Agency (FSA)
Stabilizing farm income, helping farmers conserve land and water resources, providing credit to new or disadvantaged farmers and ranchers, and helping farm operations recover from the effects of disaster are the missions of the FSA.

Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent United States government agency, directly responsible to Congress. The FCC was established by the Communications Act of 1934 and is charged with regulating interstate and international communications by radio, television, wire, satellite and cable. The FCC's jurisdiction covers the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. possessions.

Federal Student Aid
The FSA programs include Pell grants, Stafford loans, PLUS loans, and the "campus-based" programs: Federal Work Study, Perkins loans, and Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity grants. This web page will keep you abreast of the changes to our organization and our progress in reinventing these important programs, which provide more than $70 billion of financial aid a year to college students.

Food and Drug Administration
The FDA is responsible for protecting the public health by assuring the safety, efficacy, and security of human and veterinary drugs, biological products, medical devices, our nation's food supply, cosmetics, and products that emit radiation. The FDA is also responsible for advancing the public health by helping to speed innovations that make medicines and foods more effective, safer, and more affordable; and helping the public get the accurate, science-based information they need to use medicines and foods to improve their health.

Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
The IRS, a branch of the Department of Treasury, deals directly with more Americans than any other institution, public or private. It also is one of the world's most efficient tax administrators. In 2003, the IRS collected nearly $2 trillion in revenue and processed more than 222 million tax returns. It cost taxpayers 48 cents for each $100 collected by the IRS.

Passport Services
The Passport Services Office provides information and services to American citizens about how to obtain, replace or change a passport.

Personnel Records Center - Military Awards and Decorations
Requests for the issuance or replacement of military service medals, decorations, and awards should be directed to the specific branch of the military in which the veteran served. However, for Air Force (including Army Air Corps) and Army personnel, the National Personnel Records Center will verify the awards to which a veteran is entitled and forward the request with the verification to the appropriate service department for issuance of the medals.

Presidential Greetings
Thank you for your interest in a greeting from President Bush. The White House Greetings Office handles as many requests as possible, in accordance with a set of long-standing guidelines.

Small Business Administration
Our people inspire creativity in the American economy by developing and supporting entrepreneurs through a vast network of resource partners. We advocate for all small businesses by taking leadership in building a productive partnership between the American people and its government. Our team focuses on delivering results for small business, being accountable, accessible and responsive. We empower the spirit of entrepreneurship within every community to promote and realize the American dream. We facilitate the environment necessary for America's small businesses to succeed, measuring our performance by small business success.

Social Security
The Social Security Administration (SSA) is headed by a Commissioner and has a staff of over 65,000 employees within an organizational structure of 13 offices. SSA's central office is located in Baltimore, Maryland. The field organization, which is decentralized to provide services at the local level, includes 10 regional offices, 6 processing centers, and approximately 1300 field offices.

Department of Veterans Affairs
Our goal is to provide excellence in patient care, veterans' benefits and customer satisfaction. We have reformed our department internally and are striving for high quality, prompt and seamless service to veterans. Our department's employees continue to offer their dedication and commitment to help veterans get the services they have earned. Our nation's veterans deserve no less.

US Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims
The Court was created under Article I of the Constitution by the Veterans' Judicial Review Act on November 18, 1988. This federal court is not part of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). It is not connected to the Board of Veterans' Appeals (BVA), which is an administrative body within VA. The Court can review final decisions of the BVA. Only the claimant may seek such review. Most cases deal with entitlement to disability or survivor benefits, or the amount of those benefits, but a few deal with education benefits, life insurance, home loan foreclosure, or waiver of indebtedness.

Veterans Benefits Administration
The mission of the Veterans Benefits Administration, in partnership with the Veterans Health Administration and the National Cemetery Administration, is to provide benefits and services to the veterans and their families in a responsive, timely and compassionate manner in recognition of their service to the Nation.

Veterans Health Administration
The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) provides a broad spectrum of medical, surgical, and rehabilitative care to its customers. Our goal is to share information about these benefits and services to make it as easy as possible for you to receive the care you need.

Veterans' Employment and Training Service (VETS)
The Mission statement for VETS is to provide Veterans with the resources and services to succeed in the 21st century work force by maximizing their employment opportunities, protecting their employment rights and meeting labor-market demands with qualified Veterans.

Veterans of Foreign Wars: Department of Texas
The VFW was organized in 1899 and is the oldest major U.S. veterans' organization with a membership of 1.9 million.

Texas Veterans Commission
The TVA was created by the Fortieth Texas Legislature in 1927 as the Veterans State Service Office to assist veterans by informing them of their rights and applying for entitlements. TVA was renamed the Veterans Affairs Commission in 1947 and again in 1985 as the Texas Veterans Commission. TVC's mission is to guarantee that Texas Veterans and their families receive all the rights and entitlements provided for veterans by law.

Texas Veterans Commission Office Locations
Find the closest TVC office here.

 







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Washington Office
2369 Rayburn Building
Washington, D.C. 20515-4311
Phone: 202-225-6105
Fax: 202-225-0350
VIEW GOOGLE MAP

Waco Office
St. Charles Place
600 Austin Ave, Suite 29
Waco, TX 76701
Phone: 254-752-9600
Fax: 254-752-7769
VIEW GOOGLE MAP
Brazos Valley Office
4001 East 29th St., Suite 116
Bryan, Texas 77802
Phone: (979) 691-8797
Fax: (979) 691-8939
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Cleburne Office
115 south Main Street
Suite 202
Cleburne, Texas 76033
Phone: (817) 645-4743
Fax: (817) 645-4796
VIEW GOOGLE MAP