Congressman Pete Olson

Representing the 22nd District of Texas

Agency Help

Sometimes it can be difficult to navigate the maze of the federal government. My office can serve as a liaison between you and a federal agency. Some federal agencies you may be familiar with are the Social Security Administration (SSA), Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and Veterans Administration (VA). Below you can find an expanded list of federal agencies my office can assist with, and some examples of the type of assistance provided.

The role of my office when assisting constituents with federal agencies is to make inquiries on your behalf with the respective agencies regarding your situation. This includes: finding out the status of a case, requesting additional information, and requesting an expedited response or decision.

While my office can make inquiries on your behalf, we cannot guarantee a positive outcome in all situations. It is important to note that my office does not have any decision making authority, and the respective agencies have complete discretion concerning decisions on individual cases.

In order for my office to assist you with a federal agency, federal law requires that you fill out a privacy act form so that we may act on your behalf. Click here for the privacy act form.

How to obtain assistance from my office:
Determine if you reside in Texas' 22nd Congressional District 
Congressional courtesy, ethics rules and propriety dictate that each Member of Congress has the honor and responsibility to serve his or her own constituents. If you aren't sure which Congressional district you live in, please visit the House of Representatives homepage here, enter your nine digit zip code to determine who your representative is. If you do not know the last four digits of your zip code, please visit the Postal Service ZIP Code Lookup page to find out.

Frequently Asked Questions 
How do I submit a FEMA claim?
Per FEMA website: http://www.fema.gov/apply-now
You can apply for FEMA disaster assistance on your computer, on your smartphone, or by phone.

  • APPLY BY PHONE: Call (800) 621-3362.  Disaster applicants who have a speech disability or hearing loss and use TTY can call 1-800-462-7585 directly.  Those who use 711 or Video Relay Service can call 1-800-621-3362.
  • Find a Disaster Recovery Center where you can speak with someone from FEMA in person for information about FEMA assistance and other disaster assistance programs.

​How do I get information concerning my case with the IRS?
My office can work with the Taxpayer Advocate Service to resolve your issue with the IRS. http://www.irs.gov/Advocate 

Can I expedite my immigration application? 
My office can submit a request to expedite processing of most immigration applications. USCIS will review these request on a case-by-case basis. In order to have the request accepted by USCIS, the application will have to meet one or more of the following criteria:

  • Severe financial loss to company or individual
  • Extreme emergent situation
  • Humanitarian situation
  • Nonprofit status of requesting organization in furtherance of the cultural and social interests of the United States
  • Department of Defense or National Interest Situation (Note: Request must come from official United States Government entity and state that delay will be detrimental to our Government)
  • USCIS error
  • Compelling interest of USCIS

For more information, please visit: http://www.uscis.gov/forms/expedite-criteria.

How do I get a passport?
If you are needing to traveling in less than 2 weeks, it's suggested that an appointment is made with the nearest passport agency. If you have more time available, any authorized passport acceptance facility will receive your application and additional documentation. See the links for the passport agency or authorized passport acceptance facility near you.

http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/passports/information/where-to-apply/agencies.html
http://iafdb.travel.state.gov/ 

How do I obtain my disability benefits?  
If your SSI or disability application is outside the normal processing time, we would be happy to send an inquiry to the Social Security Administration to check on the status of your claim. If you need to file a claim with the Social Security Administration, please see SSA.gov for instructions.