Let Me Help

"Next window please." Those words are seen and heard much too often, and the government gets the lion's share of the blame when it comes to giving people the run-around.

It's not our federal employees' fault - the vast majority are hard-working people who are trying to do their best under difficult circumstances. The problem lies with the enormous size of the federal bureaucracy and the huge quantity of paperwork which must be processed.

One of my jobs as a representative in Congress is to help 6th District residents in their dealings with the federal government. Many people call, write, or visit because they are having trouble with Social Security, Medicare or veterans benefits.

I have also helped constituents obtain passports on short notice and assisted service members with family emergencies. And local businesses frequently need help with applications for federal contracts.

No representative can order agency officials around, but with the help of my staff it's often possible to get answers where previously there was only silence or confusion. Here are some examples of recent casework successes:

Problem: A resident of Sheboygan County needed to obtain a duplicate copy of the citizenship certificate that she had lost. She applied for a copy, but over 3 years had elapsed with no result.

Solution: After her case was brought to my attention, my staff contacted the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services on her behalf. We learned that her immigration file had been archived in another state as it had been more than 25 years since she became a U.S. citizen.

After the file was transferred, my assistant learned that documentation of a name change was also required. Once that was provided, the citizenship certificate was finally issued, much to the delight of the constituent.

Problem: A Green Lake County resident discovered someone was using his social security number. His credit had been adversely affected and the state thought he was receiving unemployment, although he was working full time. He wrote to me for assistance.

Solution: My staff contacted the Social Security Administration. A review of his employment records established his accurate earnings history. Subsequently his old social security number was cancelled and a new one issued to resolve his identity-theft problems.

Problem: The grandfather of a 6th district service member stationed in Iraq was terminally ill. The soldier desperately wanted to return to Wisconsin during this family crisis, but military regulations do not include grandparents in the definition of immediate family whose serious illness qualifies for the granting of emergency leave.

Solution: The grandfather's attorney contacted one of my staff members. The staff member was able to clarify the emergency leave guideline and it was determined that since the grandfather had practically raised the soldier he could qualify as having served "in the place of a parent".

The emergency leave was approved in time for the service member to attend his grandfather's funeral service.