As a way of keeping touch with his constituents at home while he is serving them in Washington D.C., U.S. Rep. Phil Roe, M.D., has his staff visit each county once a month to meet with and assist local residents.
“I understand that not everyone who needs assistance can easily make it to one of my district offices, so I’ve made it a point to take constituent services out into each county in the district,” Roe said. “One of my most important jobs as Congressman is to assist East Tennesseans with federal agencies, and I’m always looking for ways to bring services to constituents who need them most.”
On the third Wednesday of each month from 2-4 p.m., a representative from Roe’s district office sets up shop at the Carter County Courthouse to meet with constituents on a variety of topics.
“We want to make sure we take the Congressman to the people,” said John Abe Teague, director of Roe’s District Office. “My job is to listen and close the gap between the constituent and the federal agency.”
Many of the residents Teague meets with when he visits to the county are in need of assistance with federal programs and services.
“Our job is to use common sense and try to make a complex issue as simple as we can for the constituent,” Teague said.
On Tuesday, Teague said he handled questions regarding the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Cherokee National Forest, Veterans Affairs medical care and services, and economic development. He said he also frequently assists residents with issues related to social security, disability and health insurance.
In addition to meeting with individual residents, Teague said he also frequently assists officials with local governments or area businesses during his visits to the county.
Sometimes, Teague said, the constituent comes in with an issue that is not related to a federal program or service. In those cases, he said he tries to assist them as best he can.
“We try to be attentive, listen and give them a direction to go in to find assistance,” he said.
Teague is quick to credit all of the staff members of Roe’s district offices for their work to serve constituents. Roe has district offices in Kingsport and Morristown with a total of eight staff members spread between them. Many of those staff members have a wealth of experience dealing with federal program and assisting residents with navigating the proper processes.
“We’ve got staff that have worked for three different congressmen,” Teague said. “They take the work we do out here and they make it happen.”
The next time Roe staff will hold office hours in Carter County will be on Wednesday, Oct. 19. “We’re supposed to be here from 2-4 p.m., but I never worry about that,” Teague said. “I stay here until we’re done.”
Roe’s Kingsport office is located in the Higher Education Building at 205 Revere Street, Kingsport. The phone number there is 423-247-8161.