Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Farming is a way of life for many Arkansans. Our farm families make a tremendous contribution to our local economy and our great quality of life. Below are several links that you may find helpful. Please know that I am also here to help farmers when they have problems with federal agencies through my toll free number at 1-800-223-2220. I also consider my office as an important resource for providing information about federal support following natural disasters. If you have any questions about seeking federal disaster assistance, you can visit the Federal Emergency Management Agency's website or you can call my El Dorado office at (870) 881-0681.
Links:
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
House Agriculture Committee
Agriculture Law
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Arkansas Agriculture Department
National Weather Service
Arkansas FSA
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
In March 2003, service and benefit functions of the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) transitioned into the Department of Homeland Security as the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). USCIS processes all immigrant and non-immigrant benefits provided to visitors of the United States, including family-based petitions, employment-based petitions, asylum and refugee processing, naturalization, special status programs, and document issuance and renewal.
Link:
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (www.uscis.gov)
Privacy Act Release: As indicated above, your privacy is protected by Federal Law. Before I can assist with any case, I am required to have your consent in writing. To provide written consent, you may request a Privacy Act Release Form from one of my offices. Click here to download the release form.
Expedite Requests: I am often asked to expedite cases. My office does not have the authority to move your application in front of others who are also waiting. However, in the event of an emergency situation, I will communicate the new circumstances to the agency and request that the agency take appropriate action.
Emergency Travel: If you need to travel and have legal permanent resident status or refugee status, you should determine if you need a travel document, reentry permit, or advance parole.
Link:
Travel Document/Reentry Permit/Advance Parole Information
Forms: Many of the forms necessary to file an application with the USCIS are available online. However, if the form you are looking for is not available online, you may contact my Madison office and I will be happy to mail a copy to you.
Link: USCIS Immigration Forms
USCIS Field Office: The Field Office for the State of Arkansas is located in Fort Smith. You may need to go there for an interview and fingerprinting. For information including address, office hours and driving directions, refer to the Arkansas Field Office webpage. You may also consider the Memphis Field Office.
Link:
Fort Smith Field Office
Memphis Field Office
Visas for Visitors to the U.S.: If you have friends or family who are interested in visiting the United States, most will need to apply for a visa at the Consular Section that presides over their country of origin.
Link: U.S. Department of State Visa Services
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Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
I may be able to assist you in resolving problems with the IRS. If you cannot get an answer to a question, or do not understand an IRS notice, contact one of my district offices. If you want me to submit an inquiry on your behalf and have the IRS send me information about your taxes, click here to file a case with my office.
The IRS has a useful web site, almost all forms and publications are on line, and you may find a lot of helpful information at the site.
Link: http://www.irs.gov
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Medicare & Medicaid
Medicare is the taxpayer-financed program that helps to pay for medical services for the elderly and people with disabilities. I may be able to assist you if you have had a claim denied, or are disputing coverage of procedures. Click here to file a case with my office.
Medicaid, which provides medical care to low income individuals, is administered by the Arkansas Department of Human Services.
Links:
U.S. Medicare http://www.medicare.gov
Arkansas Medicaid https://www.medicaid.state.ar.us/
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Military - Active Duty
If you are serving in the military from Arkansas's Fourth Congressional District and you have tried to resolve a problem through your chain of command with no success, please contact Patricia Herring in my El Dorado office to see if we can help at (870) 881-0681. I welcome contacts from concerned relatives, but in order to submit a Congressional inquiry on your behalf, I need to hear directly from the service member. You should send me a written request for help which outlines your problem and tells me what relief you want. Make sure to include your unit address and social security number. You may fax or mail it to my El Dorado office. Please click here to open a case with my office.
If you are a concerned family member, or need to communicate with a servicemember regarding a family emergency, the American Red Cross can help. American Red Cross communication services can help following the death or serious illness of a family member, the birth of a child, or in other family emergencies. For generations, the Red Cross has sent messages quickly, anywhere in the world, including ships at sea, embassies, and isolated military units. For more information, contact your local Red Cross.
Link:
http://www.redcross.org
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Military - Veterans
Federal veterans benefits for those who qualify are administered by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs [link: http://www.va.gov]. These benefits include educational assistance, home mortgage loan programs, medical care, disability compensation and pensions, among others.
Occasionally, veterans may experience difficulties or may have special circumstances in obtaining benefits they are due. Typical cases where my office might be able to help are requests for a claim to be expedited for terminal illness or other major emergency, determining the current status of a pending application/claim, assisting in overcoming a bureaucratic "logjam", locating military service and medical records, making referrals to a veterans service officer (VSO) or other advocate, and similar situations. Unfortunately, my office cannot represent you before the VA, nor am I able to direct the VA to approve a claim or application.
My office is also able to help in obtaining military service medals that were authorized but never issued (fairly common among WWII veterans) or that may have been lost or misplaced. My office can also sometimes be of assistance when a medal should have been authorized but wasn't, though these cases are much more challenging.
For Congressional assistance, you should complete and send me a Privacy Act Release Form. Be sure to include a brief description of the problem, copies of any relevant correspondence from the VA, and a copy of your military discharge papers, if available. Click here to open a case with my office.
Service-Connected Disabilities: Veterans are now able to apply online for Service-Connected disability compensation, pension benefits, education benefits, and enrollment in VA healthcare programs. For more information, visit the VA's website at http://www.va.gov, or contact a VA benefits counselor toll-free at 1-800-827-1000.
Arkansas residents may also be eligible for additional state benefits from the Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs [link: http://veterans.arkansas.gov], including various loans, grants, tuition reimbursement, and assistance in applying for federal and state veterans benefits.
Veterans filing a claim for service-connected disability should always use the assistance of a veterans service officer (VSO), just as an individual with a court case would almost always use the services of an attorney. Claims assistance is available from your county veterans service officer (CVSO), from the Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs, or from many of the veterans service organizations.
Links:
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs
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Passport Services for U.S. Citizens
If you would like to travel abroad, you will probably need a passport. It generally takes several months for your passport to be processed. If you need to travel in less than a month, you may pay an additional $35 to have your passport processed quickly. However, if a travel emergency develops, we may be able to arrange for your passport to be expedited. If you are requesting assistance to expedite, please provide documentation concerning the true emergency and a completed Privacy Act Release.
Passport applications are available online, at many post offices, or through my office by calling 1-800-223-2220.
Link: http://travel.state.gov/passport/index.html
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Social Security
I may be able to assist you if you have a problem with your retirement benefit, survivor's benefit, supplemental insurance, or a disability claim. Please keep in mind that I cannot force the Social Security Administration to grant benefits. You must have an active claim with the Social Security Administration for me to help you. Please click here to open a case with my office.
Link: http://www.ssa.gov
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TRICARE (formerly CHAMPUS)
The health program for active duty and retired service members and their families is administered by Humana Military Health Care in the Heartland Region. For up-to-date information, visit their website. For official Department of Defense (DOD) information, see their website. Click here to open a case with my office.
For more information, the following telephone numbers may be helpful:
- General TRICARE information/assistance: 1-877-363-2273
- TRICARE Pharmacy: 1-877-363-6337
- TRICARE For Life: 1-888-DOD-LIFE (1-888-363-5433)
Links:
Humana: http://www.humana-military.com
DOD: http://www.tricare.osd.mil
TRICARE Online Provider Directory: http:www.tricare.osd.mil/provider_directory.html
E-mail TRICARE questions to: QUESTIONS@tma.osd.mil
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Workers' Compensation
Federal workers' compensation is administered by the Department of Labor. If you have a problem, click here to open a case with my office. You may also get information at the U.S. Department of Labor website: http://www.dol.gov
If you are employed by a private employer or state or local government, you should contact the Arkansas Department of Workforce Services at http://www.arkansas.gov/esd/
Links:
U.S. Department of Labor
Arkansas Department of Workforce Services
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Consumer Protection
According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation's consumer protection agency, in 2007 there were 5,083 fraud and identity theft complaints filed by Arkansans, who reported having lost over $19.1million to scams. The highest number of complaints reported were for fraud such as scams through Internet auctions, shop-at-home/catalog sales, advance fee loans and credit protection/repair, and prizes/sweepstakes and lotteries.
The National Do Not Call Registry gives you a choice about whether to receive telemarketing calls at home. Most telemarketers should not call your number once it has been on the registry for 31 days. If they do, you can file a complaint on the FTC website. You can register your home or mobile phone for free. The FTC is accepting online registrations at the National Do Not Call Registry Web site.
Links:
Do Not Call Registry
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Non-Federal Problems
Some activities are not regulated by the federal government, and those issues should be raised with state or local authorities. My office can help you identify the right agency to assist you in resolving problems.
The insurance industry is regulated at the state level. If you have problems with an insurance company, you should contact the Arkansas Insurance Commissioner at 1-800-852-5494.
Problems with divorce, separation, child support or child custody can be upsetting and frustrating to deal with. These issues are handled by state courts. If you have a concern about a court order, or another person's compliance with a court order, you must resolve that matter in court. I am not allowed to intervene in court proceedings. In all of these matters you should consult with an attorney. With child support matters, you may also obtain further information and guidance by contacting your local child support agency.
If you want to report child abuse, you should contact your local police or your county's social services department.
Link: State of Arkansas agencies
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