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U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown
I’m Here to Help
During his presidency, Abraham Lincoln would meet regularly in the
White House with ordinary Americans, even during the darkest days of
the war. He called these meetings his “public opinion baths.”
That’s why I travel to each of Ohio’s 88 counties and meet with people
from different backgrounds, and why I believe it’s so important to hear
from you. I want you to share your stories and suggest ways that we can
work together to strengthen our state.
I also want to hear how my office can help you. My door is always open,
and one of my most important duties as your senator is to serve you.
That means everything from assisting with passport and visa problems,
to nominating students for our military’s service academies, to making
sure Ohio veterans are receiving the benefits they’ve earned.
I know that navigating the federal bureaucracy can be challenging.
That’s why my office employs a staff of trained professionals who are
here to help you. At any given time, we are usually working on more
than one thousand constituent cases, and each week we typically
successfully close out more than one hundred cases.
For example, last month we heard from a constituent who was the victim
of identity theft, and as a result, hadn’t received his tax refund. My
staff contacted the IRS’s Taxpayer Advocate Service, and the agency was
able to resolve his case and issue him a tax refund for the money
earned.
In another recent case, a Navy veteran had been trying to locate his
military records for several years. He’d been told over and over that
the records were lost, and therefore couldn’t get his disability
compensation. My office reached out to the Navy and the National
Personnel Records Center on his behalf, and with some cajoling, they
were able to locate the supposedly-lost records.
And my office stands prepared to help with more than problems. We can
send congratulatory letters to your loved ones for accomplishments,
awards, and occasions like birthdays and graduations. We can even have
an American flag flown over the U.S. Capitol Building to commemorate
special occasions, and will send the flag and certificate to the person
being honored.
I also want to help young Ohioans who want to serve in our military
academies. My office is co-hosting U.S. Service Academy Seminars
throughout the state this month for students interested in learning
about the service application process. Anyone interested should contact
my office for details on the nearest seminar.
To find out how my office can help you, or to submit a request for
casework, flags, or other services, you can visit my website or call us
toll free at 1-888-896-OHIO (6446)
And if you are in Washington, D.C., please be sure to pay my Washington
office a visit. We want to make sure Ohioans get the most out of their
trips to our nation’s capital, and can arrange special tours of the
Capitol Building, and sometimes the Library of Congress and the Supreme
Court, for constituents.
Each Thursday morning that the Senate is in session, my staff and I
host coffee at 8:30 a.m. for Ohio constituents in Washington. I hope
that if you find yourself in our capital city you will join us and
share your stories, thoughts, and ideas. I want to hear from you.
Sincerely,
Sherrod Brown
U.S. Senator
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