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Dear Neighbor,
As we begin the New Year, I want to thank the residents of the 11th District for the continued trust they have placed in me to represent our community. Serving Northern Virginia is one of the greatest privileges of my life, and I am grateful for the opportunity to assist our neighbors in any way I can.
One of the most important things I do as a Member of Congress is assist constituents with issues or problems they are experiencing with federal agencies. I understand that it can be difficult to navigate the maze of the federal government or to determine the correct person or agency to contact to help you with your issue. Since coming to Congress, my office has helped more than 12,000 constituents and we have secured nearly $30 million in benefits. From issues with the VA, SBA and IRS to delays in the immigration or security clearance processes, my door is always open to members of our community seeking assistance. Here are just a few brief stories of the help we have provided recently.
Fixing a Problem with a Prescription Bill
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Paulette Jones is a retired Virginia public school teacher living in Woodbridge. She needs to take insulin daily. Earlier this year, she went to pick up her monthly supply only to learn that her Medicare Part D out-of-pocket cost had jumped from $36 to $511. She suspected that this was an error and contacted our office to help sort it out. We discovered that there was indeed an error in Medicare program records that indicated that she was still covered by insurance from her previous employer. Our office was able to get the records corrected and Mrs. Jones received a refund for the cost of her prescription.
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| Assisting with Pension Benefits
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Mary Thompson retired after a career in the federal government. Under the rules of the Federal Employee Retirement System (FERS), she was to begin receiving benefits in January of 2016. However, a backlog at the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) delayed the calculation and processing of her payments. After months of trying to resolve the issue on her own, she came to our office for help. Our staff contacted OPM to inquire about the status of her application. They expedited the processing and Ms. Thompson began receiving the benefits she earned after years of service to the nation.
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| Helping a Military Retiree
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Captain Dan Colman retired from the Navy. When Defense Finance Accounting Services (DFAS) conducted an audit of his pay and benefits, they identified what they thought was a discrepancy indicating he’d been overpaid by more than $10,000. DFAS withheld his final pay and notified him that he owed the federal government. Captain Colman knew there had been an error in the record years earlier and that it had already been corrected. He came to our office to help clear up the matter. Over the next 10 months, our staff assisted with obtaining and submitting documentation showing that there was no debt owed. Captain Colman finally received all his pay and benefits, and DFAS removed the negative information from the credit bureaus.
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| Getting Approval for Security Clearance
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Matthew Jaquith is a federal employee who needed to renew his security clearance. He submitted the required paperwork to the Federal Office of Personnel Management (OPM). After waiting more than 500 days with no response, he contacted our office because he was concerned that the delay could jeopardize his career. We contacted OPM to urge them to expedite the processing of his application and issue their decision. Within a few weeks, they completed their investigation and granted Mr. Jaquith his security clearance.
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| Helping Unite a Family
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Eugene Sim is a U.S. citizen living in Herndon. He filed an application with Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to sponsor his wife, Maira, for immigration from El Salvador. She was interviewed at the U.S. Embassy in San Salvador, but months passed without any action taken on the case. Mr. Sim contacted our office last year for assistance. We reached out to our Embassy to inquire about the status of their application, and within a week they completed their evaluation and granted permission for Mrs. Sim to emigrate to the U.S. and join her husband.
These are just a few of the thousands of constituents we have been able to assist. If you or someone you know needs help, please don’t hesitate to contact my office at 703-256-3071. My door is always open.
Sincerely,
Gerald E. Connolly
Member of Congress |
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Washington, DC Office
2238 Rayburn HOB
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: (202) 225-1492
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Annandale Office
4115 Annandale Road, Ste. 103
Annandale, VA 22003
Phone: (703) 256-3071
Fax: (703) 354-1284
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Prince William Office
2241-D Tacketts Mill Drive
Woodbridge, VA 22192
Phone: (571) 408-4407
Fax: (571) 408-4708
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