How Senator Merkley Can Help You

Senator Merkley will do everything he can to help you interact with the federal government.  If you have questions about federal programs, are having problems getting what you need from a federal agency, or just have a situation you need help with, please call or write to one of Senator Merkley's offices.  Senator Merkley or a member of his staff will get back to you as soon as possible after receiving your call, email, fax, or letter.

We can help you with a wide range of issues, including:

• Social Security
  
  
• Veterans' benefits
  
  
• Health care
  
  
• Housing
  
  
• Immigration
  
  
• Student loans
  
  
• Taxes
  
  
• Passports
  

We are committed to doing everything we can to get you the help or information you need, regardless of your situation.  If we are unable to help you directly, we will put you in touch with someone who can.

After you’ve contacted our office, here a few quick tips to speed up the process:

• Filling out a privacy release form. The federal Privacy Act prohibits any federal agency from sharing your personal information with anyone without your permission.  We usually need a signed privacy release – which is your permission allowing a federal agency to share information about you with Senator Merkley and his staff – before we can start working on your case. Begin writing out your privacy release (English | Español ).
  
  
• Sending us copies of any essential documents. The letters, responses, notices, statements, or other documents that federal agencies send you often contain key information (such as reference or claim numbers, decision codes, and status updates), which can be extremely helpful.  However, please send us copies of only the most pertinent, essential documents.
  
  
• Writing down a brief summary of your situation.  Having something in writing is extremely helpful for us when we are working on your case.  Supplying us with a timeline of events, or a list of people you’ve already talked to, can provide a great starting point for us.
  
  
• Letting us know who you’ve already contacted.  It will expedite our work on your case if we have info about what agencies you've already contacted for help – whether it’s an agency representative, social worker, attorney, or other elected official.  We might want to contact those other people, but more importantly, we’ll have a much better idea about your situation and the status of your case.
  

If you would like more information about how we can help you, please call our Portland office at (503) 326-3386.