Congressman Larry Kissell’s Weekly Column for February 10th, 2012
This Week in Washington
by Congressman Larry Kissell
With all of the gridlock in Washington, it can take far too long to see the results we want to accomplish, but there is work my staff and I do day in and day out that shows real results and is my favorite part of my job. I am not only your representative when I cast a vote to balance the federal budget or when I submit a bill to stop unfair trade deals. I am also your representative when you have problems in dealing with the federal government, especially when bureaucratic red tape gets in the way of you getting the information or assistance you need from your federal government.
Unfortunately, the one thing in Washington that delivers on its reputation every time is the bureaucracy. Not a day goes by that I do not hear from someone who has encountered a problem in dealing with a federal agency. These issues range from problems getting a passport to struggling with the Veterans Administration or Social Security to get benefits that are rightfully due. My staff has taken on nearly 10,000 cases since I took office in 2009, and have brought nearly $6.7 million to the district in federal benefits owed to our citizens.
The overwhelming majority of these cases and these payments have come from the Veterans Administration and the Social Security Administration. The people waiting and fighting for these benefits have earned them, and this is part of my vow to fight to keep our nation’s promise to veterans and senior citizens.
I’d like to share with you some examples of what we do to help folks cut through the red tape. Some of these folks came to our offices, some met with a caseworker during our satellite office hours we conduct each month in counties where we don't have a full time office, and some just picked up the phone and gave us a call. I always remind my folks that work in our office that by the time people get to us they are usually at their wits’ end and we are their last hope, so we need to do everything we can to find a solution. Unfortunately, not every problem can be solved, but we do everything we can to find a positive outcome and more than 90% of the time, we do.
Seniors and Veterans
A combat veteran who had been trying to get the benefits he earned defending our country, had been fighting with the Veterans Administration for five years before I took office. He contacted me for help. Our office got involved, made sure that he received a thorough review, and after going back for a second appeal he was finally awarded the benefits he so clearly deserved. By the time we were done, the federal government owed him more than $190,000 in retroactive compensation. I'm proud to say that we made sure he got his check.
In another instance, a widow of a veteran had been denied Death and Indemnity Compensation after his death. She felt this was wrong and came to us for help. Our office researched the case and found that the denial had been in error. She received more than $170,000 in retroactive compensation.
And while it is important to bring money back to our district and to help people receive the financial benefits they have earned, sometimes successful constituency service has nothing to do with money. Sometimes it involves helping a veteran of a foreign war receive the combat medals earned in service to our nation, or ensuring that those who sacrificed so much for our country receive the respect and honor due to them at the time of their passing.
In one such case, the daughter of a terminally ill veteran contacted our office seeking documentation of her father’s military service so he could be buried with honors. We were able to track down and have sent to her the documents she needed in three days so the preparations for her father’s funeral service could be made.
Our veterans and their families deserve our respect and they shouldn't have to fight for what is due to them. It is an honor to help right these wrongs
Families in crisis
A gentleman who owns what had been a successful small business fell on hard times when the economy collapsed in late 2008. As big banks and brokerage houses were being bailed out by the government, this man stood on the verge of losing his home and his business. Prior to the recession, he had been making his regular monthly payment on his home, and then some. But when times got hard, the bank was not willing to help with even a readjustment, for someone who had been a good and faithful customer up to that point. We helped this man with a mortgage modification and helped him stay in his home and continue to make payments to the lender. Our office has handled scores of successful mortgage modification cases, helping people stay in their homes and continue to make payments on them, a preferred outcome to foreclosure for both homeowner and lender.
Sometimes the problems we help families overcome are tragic, but often they are uplifting. A family contacted our office in need of help as they tried to complete the adoption of their son. The child was disabled and had been born in China. This family was so dedicated to bringing this child home to North Carolina to give their son the love and care he needed, and were having a very difficult time with the Chinese government. We got on the case and helped clear the path for this family to be united. I'm pleased to report that they completed the adoption and the family and their now son is getting the care he needed.
Perhaps the most dramatic case we have been involved in helping to resolve was in the aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti. There was a group of folks from our district volunteering on a mission trip who were trapped and one of them became very ill. My staff worked around the clock to solve the problem and with the help of the 82nd Airborne and the Navy we were able to arrange for the sick volunteer to be airlifted to a Navy ship for surgery and get the rest of the group home safely. These folks kept working for the citizens of Haiti, though, and kept up their mission. They called us again for help soon after to assist in getting supplies into the country and safely to those who needed them. They are real heroes and we were happy to play a small part in their good work.
These are the successes that keep me going on the tough days when the bickering and fighting and gridlock in Washington can seem overwhelming. It is my job, and my privilege, to fight that system on your behalf. My job is to represent you and defend your interests in, and when necessary, against, Washington. And I am as committed to doing that through constituency service as I am through legislation. I hope you will call on us if you or your family needs assistance.
You have district offices in Concord at 325 McGill Ave, Suite 501, 704-786-1612; Rockingham at 230 East Franklin Street, 910-997-2070; and Fayetteville, 6257 Raeford Rd, 910-920-2070. Remember my staff also conducts satellite office hours in the counties without a permanent office. You may also visit our website at kissell.house.gov
