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Dear John,
It has been a busy week as we await the final results of Tuesday’s election around the country. I am honored to be returning to the House next year and to have the privilege of continuing to represent Rhode Island’s First Congressional District.
As you know, tomorrow is Veterans Day, a day to honor all those who have served in our nation’s military and express our gratitude for the incredible sacrifices they and their families have made. As we thank our veterans for their service to our state and country, we must recommit ourselves to upholding one of our most important moral obligations as nation: ensuring that every single veteran has the support they need, especially as they transition to civilian life – including education and workforce training opportunities that lead to good-paying jobs, ensuring access to high-quality health care when and wherever they need it, and so much more.
This year, I was proud to support the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our PACT Act, the most comprehensive legislation to date to treat toxic exposure as a toll of war and ensure toxic-exposed veterans get the health care and benefits they need and deserve. And, I am working my hardest to ensure that every veteran has access to high-quality mental health services, a safe place to call home, and the ability to attain financial security and access to education and employment opportunities with a living wage.
I’m committed to ensuring our veterans and servicemembers have access to the best resources and services available at the federal, state, and local levels. My office and I are always available to help veterans, family members, and dependents with claims for VA pensions and benefits, access to VA health care, and military honors and records. If you need help navigating or accessing these resources for veterans or servicemembers, or have questions about other help that may be available, my staff and I are here to help. You can call us at (401) 729-5600 or email me at [email protected].
Updates from Rhode Island
RIBBA’s New Headquarters and Equity Business Hub
On Monday, I was thrilled to join with Senators Reed and Whitehouse; Lisa Ranglin, Founder, President & CEO of the Rhode Island Black Business Association (RIBBA); Providence Mayor Elorza; and Neil Steinberg, President and CEO of the Rhode Island Foundation to announce an infusion of $1.7 million in investments and the acquisition of 220 Smith Street to serve as RIBBA’s new headquarters and a co-work space for budding entrepreneurs.
The new Equity Business Hub will be an invaluable resource for small businesses and entrepreneurs, and I can’t wait to see this space once renovations are complete. Thank you to RIBBA for all the work you have already done to help build Rhode Island’s minority-owned business community. I look forward to years of your continued success.
Honoring Our Veterans with WaterFire Providence
Thank you to WaterFire Providence for a beautiful and meaningful tribute to Rhode Island’s veterans last week. A wonderful event to say thank you to these heroes for their service and sacrifice.
Pawtucket Hall of Fame
I was thrilled to join with the Pawtucket Hall of Fame to celebrate its new inductees last Friday evening. Thank you to these Rhode Islanders for your dedication to our city and community.
Newport County Branch NAACP’s 100th Annual Awards Dinner
Thank you to the NAACP Newport County Branch for your decades of work in pursuit of racial justice in Rhode Island and all across the country. It was honor to join with you to celebrate the 100th Annual Awards Dinner and recognize all of the evening’s awardees.
Updates from Washington, D.C.
$63.8 Million in Inflation Reduction Act Funds for Energy Efficiency
The Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources is set to receive $63.8 million to implement rebate programs established by the historic Inflation Reduction Act.
As we look to build a more energy efficient country, I remain focused on how we can use new technologies to help Rhode Islanders lower everyday costs. These home energy rebate programs are a forward-thinking, long-term solution to help Rhode Islanders bring their energy costs down and keep them down. This $63.8 million from the Inflation Reduction Act is an investment in our families, our economy, and our green future.
The new rebate program funding could allow up to 1.6 million households nationwide to upgrade homes and apartments to lower energy bills. The rebate programs will incentivize the installation of up to 500,000 heat pumps and improve insulation and ventilation systems, among other upgrades.
The home energy performance-based, whole house rebate program will support energy efficiency retrofits in single-family and multi-family homes. That includes rebates of up to $2,000 for retrofits that reduce energy use by 20 percent or more, and up to $4,000 for retrofits saving 35 percent or more. The maximum rebate doubles for home retrofits for low- and moderate-income families.
The high-efficiency electric home rebate program will provide Rhode Island families rebates to upgrade from fossil fuel-powered appliances to cleaner, more efficient electric appliances. The program includes a $14,000 cap per household, with an $8,000 cap for heat pump costs, $1,750 for a heat pump water heater, and $4,000 for panel or service upgrades. Other eligible appliances and services include electric stoves, ovens, and clothes dryers, and insulation and air sealing measures.
Health Insurance Open Enrollment
Are you uninsured or hoping to pay less or change your health insurance plan?
Rhode Islanders can shop for your 2023 plan NOW, through January 1, 2023 at healthsourceri.com.
Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, 13 million Americans will save an average of $800 individually or $2,400 per family per year on their health insurance premiums.
Key Dates:
- Sign up by December 23, 2022 for coverage beginning on January 1, 2023
- Sign up by December 31, 2022 for coverage that will be active starting in January 2023
- The last day for Open Enrollment is January 31, 2023 for coverage that will become active in February 2023
Student Loan Relief
The Biden Administration’s Student Loan Relief application is now available online and open through December 31, 2023.
The application is available in English here, in Spanish here. FAQs are available in English here and Spanish here.
To ensure receipt of relief before the COVID-19 loan repayment pause ends at the end of the year, the Department of Education is advising all borrowers to apply for this relief before November 15, 2022.
The Department of Education estimates that completed applications will be processed within 4-6 weeks. Approximately 8 million borrowers who are eligible for the program will receive this relief automatically since the Department already has the necessary and relevant income data. If you are unsure if the Department of Education has this information, you can fill out the application to be sure.
If you need help with the application process, my office is here to help. You can call us at 401-729-5600 or email me at [email protected].
Please also be aware of scams.
The student loan forgiveness program is free.
As the FTC has stated, “[a]nyone claiming to be able to sign people up for the program, get them in early, or guarantee eligibility is a scammer. Never pay someone who promises early or special access, or guaranteed eligibility for the program. Those are scams and should be reported at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.”
More information is available here.
Help with Winter Heating and Utility Costs
As winter approaches, it’s predicted that we are going to see a higher-than-usual increase in home heating costs. To help keep these and other utility costs down, I want to share with you some resources and programs that are available through our federal, local, and state government.
- The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) helps eligible low-income households pay their heating bills through federal grants to the household. There are two components to this program: Heating Assistance and Crisis Assistance.
- The Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) helps income-eligible households reduce heating bills by providing whole house energy efficiency services to households that qualify for LIHEAP. Some services available include installing insulation and providing health and safety measures including: installing smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, reducing drafts, and providing proper ventilation.
- The Low Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP), funded by the American Rescue Plan Act and the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, is available for eligible low-income households through September 30, 2023, or until funds are exhausted. LIHWAP helps eligible low-income households afford and maintain access to drinking water and wastewater services through federal grants. One-time payments are made directly to the household’s utility company.
- The Heating System Repair and Replacement Program (HSRRP) provides a one-time service to eligible homeowners to increase the efficiency of their heating system, or replace it if necessary. Households that qualify for LIHEAP may be eligible.
As always, if you need help navigating or accesses these resources, or have questions about other resources that may be available to you, my staff and I are here to help. You can call us at (401) 729-5600 or email me at [email protected].
Missing Your Tax Refund?
If you are owed a tax refund, filed on paper more than six months ago, and the Where’s My Refund? tool does not have any information about the status of the return, the IRS is now advising that you resubmit your tax return for 2021, electronically if possible. They have advised that this submission must include an original signature and all the documents submitted with your original return. More information is available here and of course, my office is always available to help. You can call us at (401) 729-5600 or email me at [email protected].
Uniting for Ukraine: Welcoming Refugees
On April 21, as part of fulfilling President Biden’s commitment to welcome up to 100,000 Ukrainians fleeing Russia’s invasion, US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced the United for Ukraine program.
This program will enable Ukrainian citizens and their immediate family members who are outside the United States to come to the United States and stay temporarily in a two-year period of parole. To qualify for the program, Ukrainians must have a supporter in the United States. These supporters are responsible for providing their Ukrainian sponsors with financial support throughout their time in the United States.
You can learn more about the program, and becoming a sponsor, here.
Important Passport & Travel Reminder
As more Rhode Islanders and people around the world get vaccinated and boosted, we are seeing an increase in both domestic and international travel. With travel resuming, many folks are looking to renew passports and this uptick in requests has led to a backlog at the State Department. Turnaround time for expedited processing is now at 4-6 weeks and regular processing is taking 7-10 weeks from submission to receipt.
Before booking international travel, please remember to check the expiration date on your passport and plan accordingly. Passports last for 5 or 10 years, depending on your age when the passport was issued. Some countries require that your passport be valid at least six months beyond the dates of your trip. Some airlines will not allow you to board if this requirement is not met.
You can learn more from the State Department here.
As always, I am here to serve you. If there is anything I can do, please call my office at 729-5600 or send me an email at [email protected].
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