Dear John xxxxxx,
In this newsletter you’ll find...
Updates on our casework with
Some recent bipartisan good news in Washington
A constituent success story from someone who worked with our office
A question on what Congress should do about TikTok
An invitation to my next town hall!
Taxes & The IRS:
In 2022 alone, my office resolved more than 300 IRS cases for constituents and returned over $5.8 million from the IRS to our community members. IRS issues – refund delays, tax return disputes, etc – continue to be what we’re asked about the most and we’re always here to help!
Additionally, the tax filing deadline is approaching on Tuesday April 18th, so we want to continue to be a resource during this time. Below you will find some useful items to help you successfully file your tax return.
The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) programs are both very helpful, you can find the nearest locations here: IRS.treasury.gov/freetaxprep, or for the Chester County VITA program, you can go to chestercountyfreetaxes.org.
In case you missed it, you can listen to my most recent town hall – my 71st – which focused on taxes. I was joined by local experts who shared available resources in our community. You can listen to a full recording of the event here.
Passports:
The spring and summer travel seasons are here! And as a result, folks are traveling around the country and the globe. If you need help with your passport, you aren’t alone! Passports are another common issue that we can assist with — we helped over 300 members of our community obtain or update their passport last year. Below are some reminders to ensure you can travel internationally without any problems. We are here to help!
If you do not have a passport, make sure you apply several months in advance to your trip to allow for processing time. Apply here.
Not only should you check to make sure your passport doesn’t expire before you travel, but many countries require your passport to be valid for at least six months after you return. You can check the requirements for the country you are traveling to here.
If you need to renew your passport, that can be done here.
Sometimes travel isn’t planned in advance. If you have an emergency need for passport, please contact my office here so we can assist you.
The U.S. Postal Service:
Most of us rely on the USPS for something. Whether you’re receiving medication, paying a bill, shipping an item to a customer, or sending a birthday card – we use the United States Postal Service. If you’re having problems with shipping or deliver, we can help here, too. This past year, we resolved more than 80 specific cases that members of our community brought to our attention. If you’re having an issue, I hope you’ll give me and my team a call.
Please know that I heard you loud and clear: You expect the USPS to work and so do I. Last summer, I challenged low service levels during a Committee Hearing in Philadelphia. This led to an audit by the Inspector General of the USPS of the Philadelphia Processing and Distribution Center (P&DC) and three delivery units serviced by that P&DC, which processes the mail distribution for Chester County. The finding of that audit can be found here.
Bipartisan good news in Washington:
The House passed the Wounded Warrior Access Act, which directs the Department of Veterans Affairs to simplify the process of submitting claims by making an easily accessible and navigable website to do this. Too often, veterans and their families struggle to navigate administrative red tape to receive their full benefits. This was an easy, unanimous vote for Democrats and Republicans alike. And it wasn’t the only one. We’ll share more in our next enewsletter.
Constituent Success Story:
“I do not believe I would have received my deceased wife’s disability payment if Representative Houlahan’s office had not inquired on my behalf. I received payment within two weeks of them contacting the Social Security Administration.” - Phillip, Glenmoore
Other news from D.C.:
Yesterday, TikTok CEO Shou Chew testified before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. Some worry about TikTok’s connection to the Chinese government and the possibility of data from American TikTok users being misused. Others think these worries are exaggerated and point to the many small businesses across the country which are thriving because of their ability to reach new customers with the platform. Congress is considering banning TikTok. What do you think?
