Serving Our Community: Sharing YOUR Stories

Dear John,

It’s an honor to represent Chester and Berks Counties in Congress and I’m here to help in any way possible. As I've said many times before, I could not serve the more than 700,000 members of our community alone - it takes a team! Since taking office in 2019, my dedicated caseworkers and I have learned a lot about how we can best serve our community. We are proud to have returned over $27 million in backlogged or disputed benefits to constituents, and we have resolved almost 5,000 constituent cases.

My office is happy to help members of our community navigate the often-complicated world of the federal government. Here are just a few of the many areas where our team of constituent advocates can assist:

Resolving issues with delayed tax returns with the IRS and locating delayed tax returns
Expediting passports
Obtaining benefits with the Department of Veterans Affairs, Medicare, or Social Security Administration
Securing immigration appointments, or assisting with visa and citizenship processes
Assisting with USPS delivery challenges

Additionally, we can honor or commemorate members of our community by flying a flag over the Capitol, assisting with scheduling a tour in Washington D.C., and identifying student leaders with nominations to our nation’s military academies.

When I first took office, I tasked my team with returning more federal funding to our community than it cost to run our office. I’m proud to say we’ve achieved this goal during both of my terms, and we could not have done it without your input. As an entrepreneur and engineer, it’s important to me that my office is customer service-oriented and data-driven. Our team regularly conducts customer service surveys to identify what we’re doing well and where we can improve by seeking input from constituents who have contacted our office for help. Take a look at some recent feedback from members of our community below or here:

I could not get a response from the IRS. I was tying up 2019 taxes for my deceased sister, as executor. Refund check never received. Needed IRS to release check to my address, so I could add it to the estate. [Houlahan's team] contacted the IRS, and kept me updated about progress. I had spent months not even being able to get anyone at the IRS to pick up the phone. I couldn't even leave a voicemail. So I am grateful to [Houlahan's team] for relieving me of this frustration. Eventually, the check came through!

I needed help with my wife's passport. My wife had to leave the country on an emergency trip, and she couldn't get an appointment anywhere, until I reached the office of Chrissy Houlahan. They responded very fast and in just two days got me an appointment. I really appreciate everything they did.

I was unable to retrieve my DD214 after several months, and in need of the document for services due to homelessness. My social worker at VMC reached out to your office seeking guidance to obtain my DD214, after several attempts failed using standard protocol. Rep. Houlahan’s staffer responded immediately to our request. He checked in and followed up, giving us the status, letting us know that he was actively working to assist us in retrieving the DD214. It was not long after that we received the needed documentation.

I was approved for the Emergency Rental Assistance program and was having an issue with getting the check released to my leasing office; they were ready to contact their lawyers for being in arrears with rent. I am very grateful for the assistance Rep. Houlahan’s staffer gave me in resolving this issue. He was very understanding and empathetic to my situation and stayed on top of the situation with me.

Working directly with constituents is some of the most rewarding work we do, and we love getting to know the people of Chester and Berks Counties on an individual basis. If you ever need help navigating a federal agency, or if there’s anything else my office can do for you, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We are here to help.

As always, please contact my office if you want to share your thoughts or concerns with us.

Be well and see you soon.

Sincerely,