Weekly Newsletter from the Office of Congressman Andrew Garbarino If you were forwarded this email, click here to subscribe An update from the office of Congressman Andrew Garbarino SPOTLIGHT Andrew Urges Veterans To Apply For PACT Act Benefits Following high demand and technical issues, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has extended the deadline to apply, or submit their intent to file, for backdated benefits under the PACT Act to 11:59PM ET on Monday, August 14th. Some Veterans who submitted their intent to file for PACT Act benefits have received error messages while doing so. Despite these messages, the VA has successfully logged every one of these intents to file, meaning that every Veteran or survivor who has received an error message while applying for PACT Act benefits can consider their intent to file complete. The VA is working to contact those individuals to confirm directly to them that their intent to file will be honored and their effective date protected. Most importantly, no Veteran or survivor will miss out on a single day of benefits due to this issue. Last Congress, Andrew voted to pass the PACT Act, which expands healthcare and benefits for veterans who were exposed to burn pits and other toxins during their time of service. While there is no deadline to apply for PACT Act benefits, if you submit your intent to file by the deadline, you may receive benefits backdated to August 10, 2022. Visit VA.gov/PACT or call the PACT Act hotline at 800-698-2411 for more information. WHAT'S NEW IN NY-02 Andrew Meets With Long Island Arm Of Humanitarian Organization Andrew recently met with St. Joseph's Babylon Catholic Relief Services, a local chapter of Catholic Relief Services (CRS). CSR is the international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States and works with organizations around the world to help poor and vulnerable people overcome emergencies, earn a living through agriculture, and access affordable health care. During the meeting, they discussed the work of their local chapter in our community and the importance of food security and hunger and nutrition programs. REMINDER: Vietnam Veterans Pinning This Week Don't forget to RSVP! Andrew is partnering with the United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration to honor our Vietnam veterans and present them with commemorative pins and certificates of recognition. The pinning ceremony will be held on Saturday, August 19th at 11:00 AM at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Victory Post 414 in Center Moriches. If you or someone in your life is a Vietnam Veteran, Click here to RSVP. CASEWORK HIGHLIGHT: Helping A Family Come Together Our office was contacted by the widow of a police officer from Long Island who was killed. She was seeking help expediting the processing of the visa application for her brother so that he could be with her during this difficult time and help care for her children as they grieve. Andrew's casework team was able to get her brother an expedited interview at the embassy so that he may come to the U.S. to support the family of one of our fallen local heroes in their time of need. Andrew knows how frustrating dealing with bureaucracy can be. That is why he has an entire team dedicated to helping constituents get what they need from the federal government. If you need help dealing with a federal agency, contact our office and our team will get to work on your case. KEEPING UP WITH CONGRESS Andrew Cosponsors Bill To Increase Veteran Access To Resources and Support This week, Andrew became a cosponsor of H.R. 934, the Commitment to Veteran Support and Outreach Act to expand the number of county veterans service officers (CVSOs), especially in areas with a critical shortage of CVSOs, areas with high rates of suicide among veterans, and areas with high rates of referrals to the Veterans Crisis Line. CVSOs are local county employees who assist veterans in understanding and obtaining the benefits they have earned. They are often the first point of contact in the community for veterans’ services. Concerns over the shortage of CVSOs on Long Island were raised by members of Andrew's Veterans Council. Andrew will always fight to ensure our veterans have access to the resources they need. Andrew Seeks To Combat Antisemitism on College Campuses Jewish students deserve to interact with others on college campuses without fear of harassment or discrimination. That's why this week, Andrew joined several bipartisan colleagues in urging the Department of Education (DOE) to address rising antisemitism on college campuses by ensuring DOE is using the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism as it investigates incidents of anti-Jewish discrimination and enforces federal civil rights law. Additionally, the letter calls for answers about the Department’s plans to address its backlog of discrimination complaints related to antisemitism and urges the Department to brief Congress on the Department’s plan to implement key actions outlined in the U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism. Thanks for reading! Do you know someone who might like to receive these updates? Forward this email to your friends and families and tell them to click below to subscribe! Click Here To Subscribe Rep. Andrew R. Garbarino Congressman representing New York's 2nd Congressional District Washington, D.C. 2344 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Phone: (202) 225-7896 Patchogue 31 Oak Street, Suite 20 Patchogue, NY 11772 Phone: (631) 541-4225 Rep. Garbarino | 2344 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515 Unsubscribe [email protected] Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice Sent by [email protected]