Other Services
Birth Certificates
You'll need a birth certificate to get a passport or other official documents. Only the state where you were born can give you an official copy of your birth certificate. If you were born in Pennsylvania, you'll need to contact the Pennsylvania Department of Health in Harrisburg. If you were born in another state, you'll need to contact the appropriate office in that state. Some Web-based companies will help you expedite your application. If you were born overseas, you'll need to contact the embassy or consulate of the country you were born in. In some cases, Congressman Pitts may be able to help you if you were born overseas as an American citizen and your birth was registered with the American embassy there.
Pennsylvania Department of Health
List of Foreign Embassies
Help with American embassy-registered births
Child Support Issues
If you or your children are owed money by a non-custodial parent, there are government agencies who are prepared to help you. If you and the non-custodial parent both live in Pennsylvania, however, the federal government doesn't have the authority to get involved. That means Congressman Pitts doesn't have the authority either, but we can refer you to the right people. If the non-custodial parent lives in another state Congressman Pitts can help you. Likewise, if the non-custodial parent is is serving in the military, Congressman Pitts can help you.
The non-custodial parent lives in Pennsylvania
The non-custodial parent lives in another state or is serving in the military
Congratulatory Letters
If a friend or relative of yours has made a notable achievement, and you'd like to ask Congressman Pitts to send them a congratulatory letter, please call or write to Congressman Pitts at the district office for the county you live in.
Click here for contact information
Disability Benefits
If you are disabled, you may qualify for assistance from the federal government. Disability benefits are administered by the Social Security Administration. To apply, you will need to go to your local Social Security office and file an application. If you have already applied and need help from Congressman Pitts, he and his staff will be happy to do what they can.
Social Security Administration Web site
Ask Congressman Pitts for help
Eagle Scout Certificates
Congressman Pitts is happy to award certificates of congratulation to Eagle Scouts. Certificates should be requested by the scoutmaster, who should include his name, address, and phone number along with the scout's name and address and the date of the honor court. Certificates should be requested from the Congressman's Chester County district office and will be sent to the scoutmaster's address unless alternate delivery is requested.
Contact Congressman Pitts' Chester County office.
Click here for contact information
Employment Discrimination
Unfair discrimination based on a person's race, color, or religion, gender, or national origin is illegal in America, with only a few reasonable exceptions such as one for religious institutions. Women, disabled people, and other groups also have certain protections against unfair discrimination in federal law. The federal government, the largest employer in America, also has its own internal rules about discrimination. If you believe you have been discriminated against in a way that is against the law, Congressman Pitts can help you.
Ask Congressman Pitts for help
Employment Opportunities
More than 3 million civilians work for the federal government, making the government the largest employer in America. The government has opportunities in just about every field imaginable, ranging from accountants to park rangers to astronauts. Congressman Pitts can't get you a job. It's against the law for him to attempt to force a federal agency to give an applicant special treatment. The best place to start is with the Office of Personnel Management, "the federal government's human resources agency." The OPM Web site features frequently updated job listings.
Office of Personnel Management Web site
Family and Medical Leave Act
The Family and Medical Leave Act allows many people to take up to 12 unpaid weeks off from work in a year to care for a newborn or sick family member. The details of FMLA are a bit complicated, so you might have questions. The Department of Labor has information on its Web site about FMLA's provisions. You can also call Congressman Pitts' district office for help or to forward a complaint to the government if you think your employer isn't complying with the law.
Department of Labor's FMLA Web page
Call Congressman Pitts for more information on FMLA - see below
Ask Congressman Pitts to help you with an FMLA-related dispute
Federal Disaster Assistance
The federal government has an agency to help people facing disasters like earthquakes and droughts. Once the President has declared a disaster in a certain area, government assistance becomes available to people in that area if they qualify. Dramatic natural disasters like earthquakes and tornados are not common in Pennsylvania; floods and droughts are more common. If a federal distaster has been declared where you live and you would like help applying for assistance, Congressman Pitts will be happy to lend a hand.
Federal Emergency Management Agency Web site
Ask Congressan Pitts for help
Federal Employee Issues
If you are a federal worker and have a question or concern regarding your employment, your first resource should be the human resources office of the agency you work for. The Office of Personnel Management and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission may also be able to be of assistance. If you are having trouble getting the help you need, please contact Congressman Pitts and he or his staff will be happy to work with you.
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Web site
Ask Congressman Pitts for help
Flood Insurance
If you live in or near a floodplain, you may be required to purchase flood insurance through the National Flood Insurance Program. The first place to go for answers about this is your township, borough, or city government. If it turns out that you have a problem with the federal government, Congressman Pitts will do what he can to help you.
Township, Borough, or City questions
Ask Congressman Pitts for help with a federal issue
Grant Applications
The federal government offers grants to support many different enterprises, from policing to academic research. If you have applied for a grant, Congressman Pitts can help you by checking its status. He is not permitted to try and stack the deck in your favor. The Catalogue of Federal Domestic Assistance is an on-line directory of virtually every grant offered by the federal government.
Catalogue of Federal Domestic Assistance
Ask Congressman Pitts for help with a grant application
Home Buying Assistance
The federal government has programs to help you buy a home, especially for the first time. If you'd like more information about these programs, visit the Department of Housing and Urban Development's Web site. If you'd like additional information from Congressman Pitts or if you have a dispute with HUD or another government agency you've been working with, Congressman Pitts and his staff will do what they can to help.
HUD's Web page for prospective homebuyers
Ask Congressman Pitts for help
Housing Assistance
If you are having problems renting a home that you can't afford, or if you are homeless, the federal government has programs to help you. The Department of Housing and Urban Development's Web site has a page for renters. It includes information on your rights, advice on planning ahead, and information on what kinds of help the government can give you. If you have more questions, or you need more help, Congressman Pitts and his staff will be happy to assist you.
HUD's Web page for renters
Ask Congressman Pitts for help
Immigration Problems
The Immigration and Naturalization Service is one of the most overworked agencies in the federal government, creating long backlogs in their work. If you're waiting for a visa application to be approved or applying to become an American citizen, you may start to get impatient. Congressman Pitts can check on the status of your applications and help you if you think INS has made a mistake. Even Congressman Pitts can't get the INS to rush your application except in serious emergencies.
INS Web site
Download immigration forms and instructions
Download Adobe Acrobat Reader (free)
Ask Congressman Pitts for help
Internships
Congressman Pitts accepts interns in his Washington, Lancaster, and Chester County offices. Interns are not paid. If you are a high school or college student and would like to gain interesting and valuable experience working in a Congressional office, please contact Mary O'Connor in the Congressman's Washington office or Tom Tillett in either of the Congressman's Pennsylvania offices.
Contact information
IRS Disputes
The federal tax code is long, complicated, and constantly changing. Taxes are also higher than they should be. Paying your taxes can be difficult, and correcting mistakes can be even harder. Congressman Pitts will be happy to help you in whatever ways he can. If you proceed to the next page, please note that there is a special consent form for IRS issues.
IRS Web site
Print out IRS forms and instructions
Download Adobe Acrobat Reader (free)
Ask Congressman Pitts for help
Junk Mail, Telemarketers & "Spam"
Getting too much junk mail, telemarketing calls, and E-mailed advertisements ("spam")? The Postal Service, the phone company, and your Internet service provider cannot tell advertisers to stop contacting you. Neither can Congressman Pitts. However, a private industry association called the Direct Marketing Association, has a program to help you cut back on unwanted junk mail, phone calls, and E-mail. The Postal Service also encourages you to exercise your right to control mail delivery by marking unopened mail "refused" and returning to the post office. You can also direct most telemarketers to remove you from their list.
National Do Not Call Registry
Direct Marketing Association Web site
Mail Fraud & Pornography
If you would like to report suspected mail fraud, or have received pornography in the mail and want to make sure it doesn't happen again, the Postal Service will help you. Information on what to do is available on the Postal Service Web site. If you would like Congressman Pitts' assistance in this, feel free to contact either of his Pennsylvania offices.
Report Mail Fraud to the USPS
Medicare
Every American senior is entitled to health insurance through Medicare. The program isn't free, though, and you'll need to do certain things to sign up (before reaching retirement age) and get the benefits you are entitled to. The program is run by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), and administered locally by your Social Security office. If you're having trouble with Medicare, Congressman Pitts will be happy to try and help you.
How the new Medicare bill affects your coverage
Medicare Web site
Ask Congressman Pitts for help
Military Academy Appointments
America has five service academies that train and prepare future generations of leaders. To apply to the United States Military Academy (West Point), the United States Naval Academy (Annapolis), the United States Air Force Academy (Colorado Springs), or the United States Merchant Marine Academy (King's Point), you will need to be nominated. No nomination is required to apply to the Coast Guard Academy. To start the process, please fill out this form and fax it to my Washington, D.C. office at (202) 225-2013, ATTN: Mary O'Connor. For more information about the nomination process, please call my Washington office. For more information about the academies, please click on of the following links:
United States Military Academy Web site (Army)
United States Naval Academy Web site (Navy and Marines)
United States Air Force Academy Web site
United States Merchant Marine Academy Web site
United States Coast Guard Academy Web Site
Contact information for Congressman Pitts
Military Service issues
If you are in uniform, Congressman Pitts encourages you to follow the chain of command in dealing with issues pertaining to your enlistment or commission. Likewise, if you are the parent or spouse of someone who has concerns about their service, Congressman Pitts advises you to encourage them to first address their concerns through the chain of command. In those cases where you feel it is appropriate to request assistance from the Congressman, he will attempt to assist you in every way appropriate.
Ask Congressman Pitts for help
Military Service Medals/Military Service Records
If you are a veteran who earned a medal but never received it, or received a medal but lost it, you may apply to the appropriate service branch for the medal in question. You may also apply for a replacement copy of your service record (DD-214). Detailed information on how to do this is available at the National Archives and Records Administration's Web site. Processing time is slow, averaging 14 to 16 weeks. If you would like Congressman Pitts to check on your application or to help you in some other way, he and his staff will be happy to do what they can.
National Personnel Records Center Web page
Ask Congressman Pitts for help
Passports
If you plan to travel abroad, you will need a passport. Passports are issued by the U.S. Department of State. It is important to note that because of new security regulations requiring a passport for all foreign travel in the Western Hemisphere (including Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean), normal passport application turnaround time is around 12 weeks. The only exceptions are children traveling by land or sea to Canada, Mexico, or the Caribbean. Children under age 16 traveling with a parent and children ages 16-18 traveling with a school or athletic group can use a birth certificate. All air travel abroad, regardless of age, now requires a passport. The State Department strongly urges travelers to obtain a passport before booking nonrefundable foreign air travel. Congressman Pitts can help you expedite your application if necessary, but the State Department will charge you a fee for the service. For more information on how to apply for a passport, including a search engine for passport offices near you, see the Department of State Web page.
Department of State Passports Web page
Ask Congressman Pitts for help
Pension Benefits
If you have a problem regarding your pension, the federal government may be able to assist you. For most people, the Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration is the right agency to contact. If you are a federal government employee or retiree, you'll need to contact the Office of Personnel Management. If you have already contacted one of these agencies, and would like to ask Congressman Pitts to follow up for you, he'll be happy to.
Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration Web site
Ask Congressman Pitts for help
Postal Service Problems
The United States Postal Service is a quasi-independent agency of the federal government, run like a business. The postmaster at your local post office can help you with most issues. If you have a concern you would like Congressman Pitts to help you address, he and his staff will be happy to work with you. The USPS Web site can answer most of your questions and includes a search engine for finding post offices and their phone numbers.
USPS Web site
Ask Congressman Pitts for help
Public Transportation
Red Rose Transit Authority (RRTA) Web page (Lancaster)
Berks Area Reading Transit Authority (BARTA) Web page (Berks County)
Ask Congressman Pitts for help
Road Problems
While the federal government provides funds for road construction and repair, roads are the responsibility of state and local (municipal) governments. Many bridges, especially smaller bridges, are the responsibility of county government. Generally speaking, if your issue concerns an interstate highway (e.g, I-76), a U.S. Route (e.g., Route 1, Route 30), or a Pennsylvania Route (e.g., Route 100, Route 272), you will need help from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. If your issue concerns the street you live on or another smaller road, you will probably need help from your municipal (township, borough, or city) government. If you aren't sure, Congressman Pitts can help you.
State Road Issues
Small Business Issues
Small businesses are the backbone of the American economy, and employ more people than big businesses or the government do. If you own a small business, or would like to start one, the federal government's Small Business Administration can help you with advice, loans, and other things. Small businesses frequently have to deal with other federal agencies like the Department of Labor, the IRS, and the EPA. If you are starting or already own a small business and need help from Congressman Pitts, he'll be happy to work with you.
Department of Labor elaws (employment laws assistance for workers & small businesses)
Small Business Administration Web site
Ask Congressman Pitts for help
Social Security
Virtually every American contributes to Social Security throughout their life, and then relies on it to help them retire. If you are preparing to retire or have general questions, there is a Social Security office near you that is prepared to help you. If you are having trouble with Social Security and would like to ask Congressman Pitts to help you, he and his staff will be happy to do what they can.
Social Security Administration Web site
Find the nearest Social Security office
Ask Congressman Pitts for help
Student Financial Aid
The federal government has programs to help students afford college. The best source for advice and information is the financial aid office at the school you are applying to. All applicants for financial aid will need to complete a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) form. The U.S. Department of Education and FinAid.org have great online resources. If you have a problem pertaining to a federal student aid program, Congressman Pitts will be happy to try to help you.
Get help with your Student Loans!
FinAid.org Web site
Ask Congressman Pitts for help
Tax Problems
If you are having a problem with your taxes, Congressman Pitts can either help you or direct you to someone who can.
Problems with federal taxes (the IRS)
Problems with your Pennsylvania taxes
Problems with your School District Taxes
Problems with your County taxes
Problems with your City, Borough, or Township taxes
Tours
Washington, DC is one of America's best tourist destinations. If you are planning a trip to Washington, and would like to arrange a tour of the Capitol, the White House, the Pentagon, or another institution, please call Congressman Pitts' Washington office, and his staff will be happy to help you plan that part of your vacation. Due to high demand and limited space for White House tours, it is best to submit requests as early as possible (up to six months in advance).
Congressman Pitts' Welcome to Washington brochure
Contact Information for Congressman Pitts' Washington office
Transportation Issues
The federal government is involved in one way or another with highway, train, boat, and plane transportation. In some cases, as with highways, the federal government regulates some things and helps with funding, while primary responsibility for the roads lies with state and local government. In other cases, as with air travel, the federal government has more direct authority. If you would like help with a transportation issue, Congressman Pitts can either help you or direct you to someone who can.
Amtrak Web site
Department of Transportation Web site
Contact Congressman Pitts for general information
See Road Problems
Unemployment Compensation
If you are unemployed, you may qualify for temporary unemployment compensation. This program is administered by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Therefore, the best person to help you will be your state senator or state representative who represent you in Harrisburg.
Department of Labor elaws (employment laws assistance for workers & small businesses)
Find help with unemployment compensation
Veterans Benefits
As a Vietnam-era combat veteran himself, Congressman Pitts knows full well the debt America owes to those who served. The federal government has many programs to help veterans. If you need Congressman Pitts' help with a problem you are having with the Department of Veterans Affairs ("The VA") or another agency, he and his staff will do all they can to help.
Department of Veterans Affairs Web site
Ask Congressman Pitts for help
Welfare Benefits
If you are struggling to make ends meet, you may qualify for temporary help from the government. This program is run by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and not the federal government, so you'll need to contact the persons who represent you in Harrisburg.
Find help with welfare benefits
Workers' Compensation
If you have been injured on the job, you may be entitled to workers compensation. Unless you are a federal government employee, however, you will need to work with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and not the federal government. If, however, you are a federal employee, you will need to apply for benefits through a federal office. Information for federal employees is available from the Office of Workers Compensation Programs Web site. If you have applied for federal benefits and are encountering problems, Congressman Pitts will be happy to try to help you.
Department of Labor elaws (employment laws assistance for workers & small businesses)
I don't work for the federal government
Office of Workers Compensation Programs Web site
Ask Congressman Pitts for help
Youth Advisory Council
Contact information for Congressman Pitts' Washington office
