03/29/2024
Spread the love

Senator_Thom_Tillis_Official_PortraitOver the last two years, I’ve had the honor of representing the state of North Carolina in the United States Senate. I’ve worked to help advance commonsense, bipartisan initiatives, including reforming the VA, supporting military families, confronting the growing opioid and heroin epidemic in our communities, and pursuing legislation that makes it easier for North Carolina’s small businesses to create good-paying jobs and grow our economy.

With that said, the most important work I do as your Senator is done back home in North Carolina. Since the day I was elected, my number one priority has been establishing a dedicated and experienced constituent services team that is always ready and willing to serve the needs of North Carolinians. The constituent advocates in my five field offices across the state have more than 100 years of combined prior experience serving North Carolina constituents.

In the span of less than two years, my office has closed thousands of cases for North Carolinians, and we have processed and responded to hundreds of thousands of emails and letters from constituents about important policy issues. When it comes to assisting constituents, we’ve helped resolve a wide range of federal issues, from helping seniors get timely responses from the Social Security Administration to expediting last-minute passport renewals to ensuring veterans get appointments at VA providers and receive the VA benefits they need and deserve.

The one regret I’ve repeatedly heard from North Carolinians who have reached out to my office is that they simply wish they knew about the constituent services we offer sooner. All too often, people make endless phone calls to a federal agency that go nowhere, sometimes for months or even years. Navigating through layers upon layers of government bureaucracy can be daunting and stressful, especially when someone’s health or financial livelihood is at stake.

That is where my office comes in. We want to hear your story and help in any way we can. In many cases, my office can serve as your personal advocate by making the phones calls for you, cutting through the red tape and directly corresponding with the federal government on your behalf.

Some of the specific examples of North Carolinians my office has assisted include:

*A veteran from Randolph County who contacted my office because he was having a difficult time receiving an oxygen concentrator from the VA so that he could continue to be mobile. The VA would not provide him with the equipment he needed, stating they did not have any available. After the veteran contacted my High Point office, my staff then reached out to the VA and were able to locate one available concentrator pump that the veteran needed.

*A constituent from Jackson County who reached out to my Hendersonville office seeking help in obtaining her deceased grandfather’s World War II military medals. My office worked directly with the National Personnel Records Center to assist with the request, and she was soon presented with her grandfather’s five military medals.

*A constituent from Rocky Mount who recently suffered a heart attack and was in drastic need of a hip replacement, all while battling the federal government to receive his Social Security benefits. The constituent had been fighting for their benefits for over a year before contacting my Greenville office. My staff worked directly with the Social Security Administration and succeeded in expediting his benefits.

If you or a family member is having difficulty with any federal agency and you’re not receiving the answers you need, make sure the next call you make is to one of my five regional field offices across North Carolina or visit my website at tillis.senate.gov.

About Author