Email from Rep. Palmer Dear Friend, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and your family! As the year concludes, I write to express my appreciation for you and for your continued partnership, while I do my best to represent you in Washington. I hope this season provides you with much-needed rest and time with family and friends. Yet, once again, we will celebrate a Christmas time when there are wars in Europe and the Middle East and with clouds of war looming over the Indo-Pacific. And while we are not at war, we live in a divided nation with many challenges. Yet faith remains, here and abroad for a time of peace among the nations, a time of healing and unity for our own country. In times like this, I find myself thinking about the poem “Christmas Bells” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Longfellow wrote this poem in 1864, during the Civil War, just a year after his son had been seriously wounded in battle and two years after the tragic death of his wife. That Longfellow was in despair is reflected in the verses he wrote, yet he did not lose faith. The final two stanzas should inspire us that “all is never lost” and that hope always remains, especially at Christmas time: And in despair I bowed my head; "There is no peace on earth," I said; "For hate is strong, And mocks the song Of peace on earth, good-will to men!" Then pealed the bells more loud and deep: "God is not dead, nor doth He sleep; The Wrong shall fail, The Right prevail, With peace on earth, good-will to men." Longfellow is right. God is not dead, nor doth He sleep. I hope you have a Merry Christmas and a wonderful start to the new year. It is an honor to represent you in Congress, and I look forward to being in touch in January. Sincerely, Gary Palmer 2024 in Review My staff and I have been hard at work during 2024 to make sure you are represented well. Over the last year, we sent out 33,342 letters responding to your comments and concerns regarding issues and legislation. Additionally, my staff and I had 212 meetings with constituents, businesses, and advocacy groups to ensure that your concerns were heard. If you are ever in Washington, D.C., please come visit our office! This year, our office gave over 180 tours of the Capitol, with approximately 1000 constituents joining on those tours. In our district office, over 600 constituents were assisted with federal casework issues, including many IRS, passport, veterans, and social security cases. In addition, our incredible district staff assisted with hundreds of other requests for information, letters of support for municipal grants, status checks, and other inquiries with federal agencies. Our district office staff visited schools throughout the Sixth Congressional District and made presentations about the U.S Constitution to approximately 1900 students. Even though I was voting in Washington for a large part of the year, I was still able to be active in the Sixth District. In addition to hosting regular lunches for mayors representing communities within the district, I visited at least 24 different cities and towns within my jurisdiction to meet with mayors, county commissioners, and other elected officials. I was also able to tour 25 small businesses, manufacturing plans, and healthcare facilities. I always enjoy speaking with constituents, and this year I was able to do so by hosting and attending meetings including chamber of commerce events, rotary clubs, prayer breakfasts, and constituent gatherings. Finally, this year I nominated high school students to all four U.S. Service Academies and held both an academy night and academy nomination reception to celebrate the nominated students. One of my former nominees, Caroline Robinson, was named First Captain of the Cadet Corps at West Point. Caroline is the first woman from Alabama to earn that honor. The first captain is chosen for their outstanding leadership performance and is a role that exemplifies the values of duty, honor, and country. I am extremely proud of First Captain Robinson for representing these values and for her commitment to serving our nation. While it is the end of the year, it is also the end of the 118th Congress. I look forward to serving you over the next two years in the 119th Congress as we work with the Trump Administration to solve the most pressing problems facing our nation: Secure our borders, Help people make ends meet, Unleash our energy resources, Make our nation more secure and more prosperous for all Americans, Restore trust and confidence in our judicial and law enforcement, And to regain the respect and trust of other nations. If you ever want to express your thoughts or comments regarding legislative issues, please call our D.C. office at (202) 225-4921 or email me through my website. If you need help with a federal agency, please call our district office at (205) 968-1290 or fill out this form on my website. Office of Rep. Gary Palmer | 170 Cannon House Building | Washington, DC 20515 US Unsubscribe | Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice