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We're now more than halfway through August, the traditional month when Congress is not in session in Washington D.C., and members of Congress catch up on important work in their districts. While the national media likes to portray this as a "vacation" for us, nothing could be further from the truth, at least for me. I will continue to be all over the 11 counties I represent for the rest of this month and well into September before Congress reconvenes in Washington.
My new district has almost 350,000 new constituents, most of them in the Mahoning Valley. And there's something I want all of you I serve to know. You see, I can't represent you sitting behind a desk. It's critically important that I get out and come to you, and hear directly from you about what's important to you...whether that is visiting a small business or a school, holding a discussion with seniors or veterans, or stopping by other community events. This feedback is invaluable to me, and it helps guide how I vote and the legislation I author and sponsor. I also share with my colleagues in Congress the information I receive when I am back home in Eastern Ohio so we can focus on the needs of those we all represent.
I've spent a lot of time in the Mahoning Valley already this month, with more visits yet to come. You've likely read about some of my stops, tours, and visits in this paper or seen coverage on social media or local television.
This August, like every month since February, I've been in East Palestine every chance my schedule permits -- to stay current on the activities surrounding the train derailment. The national media -- unlike the local media -- for the most part has packed up and left. That doesn't mean that everything is back to normal there -- far from it. I'll continue to be in the village and advocate for those affected by the derailment for as long as it takes. I'll also continue to take concerns and questions I get from the community directly to Norfolk Southern, the U.S. EPA, our state officials, and local authorities. The cleanup and air/water/soil testing and monitoring will not be over until the people of East Palestine say it's over...and we are still a long, long way from that.
This month, just like all others, my office and I are hard at work serving the hard-working men and women of Eastern Ohio by taking their challenges and problems with federal agencies directly to representatives of those agencies through casework. One of the most important things I do as a U.S. Representative is help people navigate the federal bureaucracy. Although I cannot override the final decisions made under the law by a federal agency, I can often intervene on a person's behalf to answer questions, find solutions, or just cut through the Washington bureaucratic red tape.
So, if you can't get an answer from a federal agency in a timely fashion, or if you feel you have been treated unfairly, my office may be able to help resolve a problem or get you the information you need; and we will do our best to help you receive a fair and timely response to your problem. And, it doesn't matter to me if you are a Republican or Democrat or whether you've voted for me or not. My staff and I don't ask your party affiliation when you call us for help. My job is to help each and every one of the nearly 800,000 people residing in the new 6th Congressional District fairly...and you can count on that.
Whether it's the VA, Social Security, Medicare, IRS, passports, or any other federal agency, please reach out to my Mahoning Valley District Office if you think I may be able to assist. My success in casework is one of the things I'm most proud of, and I enjoy highlighting a recent positive constituent services outcome each week in my eNewsletter.
It is an honor and privilege to represent you -- the hard-working men and women of Eastern Ohio in the U.S. House. If I can be of any service to you, please reach out to my office. And if you see me out and about, don't hesitate to come over and say hello. We're blessed to live in the greatest nation on earth, and I will continue fighting to ensure our government more effective, efficient, and transparent, and that it is working for you, the American people.