Dear John,

On Monday night, the evening before we marked five years since the massacre at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, our nation was once again rocked by a school shooting.

Students at Michigan State University were told to run. If they couldn’t run, hide. And, if they couldn’t hide, fight for their lives.

We cannot allow ourselves to become desensitized to these atrocities. Our students, our families, and our communities deserve so much better.

We need to take real action to end gun violence. As Vice Chair of the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, I am working every day to build support and fight for policy changes that will save lives. I am the sponsor of the Assault Weapons Ban, the Untraceable Firearms Act, the Disarm Hate Act, the Unlawful Gun Buyer Alert Act, and the Fire Sale Loophole Closing Act.

I will not stop fighting until we fully address this nation’s gun violence epidemic. 

Every life lost is too many.

Updates from Rhode Island

$4.5 Million to Enhance Public Safety

Three fire departments in Rhode Island have been awarded $4.5 million in new federal grants to hire additional firefighters, acquire updated communications equipment, and increase public safety in the latest round of funding made available through the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) and Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) programs.

Rhode Island’s firefighters put their lives on the line every day for our communities and it’s on to us to provide the tools and resources they need to stay safe. This is just the latest round of federal funding made available through key programs that keep our departments operating at their best, including through state-of-the-art equipment. These programs save lives, and I will continue to fight to ensure that they are fully funded.

The fire departments receiving these grants are:

• Cumberland: $547,000+ through the AFG program to purchase new mobile radios, mobile repeaters, and portable radios that help firefighters clearly understand each other when responding to emergencies.
• Cranston: $3.6+ million in SAFER funding for the hiring of 12 firefighters, which will bring the department back to full staffing levels, enhance its ability to respond to fires and emergencies within the community, and free up additional capital and resources for the department and city.
• Narragansett: $350,000+ through the AFG program to help Narragansett first responders upgrade their communication systems, enhancing reliability during emergency response operations.

VFW’s Veterans Empowerment Day

Last weekend, I joined VFW Rhode Island and Commander Tiger Patrick for Veterans Empowerment Day. Thank you for your service to Rhode Island’s veterans and their families. And a huge congratulations to this year’s VFW youth scholarship essay winners!

Swearing in the New Leadership of the Providence Fire Department

On Tuesday, I had the honor of joining the swearing-in ceremony for Providence's new Fire Chief, Derek M. Silva; Assistant Chief of Department, Stephen T. Houle; and Chief of Administration, Joseph L. Molis.

Thank you, all, for your selfless work serving our community.

Delivering Valentines to our Veterans

I spent Valentine’s Day afternoon with some truly exceptional Rhode Islanders at the Rhode Island Veterans Home, delivering 600 valentines made by students at Lincoln Central and Claiborne Pell Elementary Schools. Thank you to all the students who participated in this project and to our veterans for their service.

Updates from Washington, D.C.

DISCLOSE Act

This week, in partnership with Senator Whitehouse, I introduced the DISCLOSE Act, legislation to end the scourge of dark money, shine a bright light of transparency on political spending, and make government more accountable to the will of voters. 

Dark money is rotting our political system from the inside out. Great economic power should not translate into outsized political power, but thanks to the decision in Citizens United and ensuing regulations, that is now the case. We cannot combat the power of corporate special interests in our political system until we get secret corporate spending out of our elections.

More than 150 of our colleagues in the House and Senate agree that it’s time to pass the DISCLOSE Act and end the corrupting influence of dark money in our politics. I’m proud to once again join Senator Whitehouse in introducing this legislation.

Filing Your 2022 Taxes

As of January 23, 2023, the IRS has started accepting and processing 2022 tax returns. You have until the April 18, 2023 deadline to either submit your 2022 tax return or request an extension.

Free File options through IRS.gov

Through IRS Free File, taxpayers can select and use commercial software to prepare and file their federal income taxes online if they earned $73,000 or less in 2022. For taxpayers who are comfortable completing their own tax forms, Free File Fillable Forms may be a good option. The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance and Tax Counseling for the Elderly Locator tool is available to help find organizations that provide free tax assistance for taxpayers with low incomes, the elderly and disabled, or people whose preferred language isn’t English. MilTax is a free tax resource from the Department of Defense available to the military community.

IRS tools and resources for the filing season

The IRS encourages taxpayers to use and bookmark tools and resources on IRS.gov, where tax information, support and account management tools are available 24/7.

• Online account — An online account lets taxpayers securely access their personal tax information, including return transcripts, payment history, certain notices, prior-year adjusted gross income and power of attorney information. They can also pay their balance online or apply for a payment plan.
• Interactive Tax Assistant — Based on the taxpayer’s input, this tool provides answers to tax law questions specific to the taxpayer’s circumstances and doesn’t require a login. The system keeps provided information anonymous and discards all information when a taxpayer is done. 
• Let Us Help You — This page provides support for common concerns, like how to understand and respond to a letter from the IRS, or how to amend a return. Taxpayers also can get help with identify theft or tax scam concerns, payment options, penalty issues and more. 
• Directory of Federal Tax Return Preparers — This tool allows individuals and businesses to search for tax preparers in their area who hold professional credentials recognized by the IRS.
• Where’s My Refund? — Using this tool, taxpayers can check the status of their refund within 24 hours after the IRS receives their e-filed return or four weeks after mailing a paper return.
• Forms, Instructions and Publications — This is a library of IRS forms, instructions and publications on virtually any tax topic, many available in multiple languages and accessible formats.
• Frequently Asked Questions and Answers — Here, taxpayers can get plain language answers to the most frequently asked questions on a variety of topics.

Medicare Enrollment

There are two main ways to get your Medicare coverage – Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage.

If you did not sign up for Original Medicare when you were first eligible, and you don’t qualify for a Special Enrollment Period, the next time you can enroll is during the Medicare General Enrollment Period from January 1 to March 31 each year. You can only sign up for Part A and/or Part B during this period. You may have to pay a late enrollment period for Part A and/or Part B.

Click here for additional information about Medicare General Enrollment Period.

If you have a Medicare Advantage plan, January 1 to March 31 is the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period during which you can switch to a different Medicare Advantage Plan or switch to Original Medicare (and join a separate Medicare drug plan).

Click here for additional information about Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period.

In Rhode Island, you can access the federally funded State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) by contacting the Point at (401) 462-4444 or visiting their website at oha.ri.gov/Medicare. There you can receive free, unbiased Medicare counseling year-round and during Medicare Open Enrollment.

Free COVID Tests Via the Postal Service

The Biden Administration announced yesterday that households can once again order free at-home COVID-19 tests though the Postal Service this winter. You can order your tests at CovidTests.gov or by calling 1-800-232-0233 (TTY 1-888-720-7489).

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]. 

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, according to the State Department, for expedited processing is now at 5-7 weeks and regular processing is taking 8-11 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].

Warm regards, 

David N. Cicilline
Member of Congress