WASHINGTON — Rep. Phil Roe, R-1st, announced he will send staff to hold office hours in Elizabethton 2-4 p.m. July 15 at the Carter County Courthouse.
Roe’s staff will be available to assist First District constituents.
When it comes to serving his constituents, Roe believes he first has to listen to their concerns.
For Roe, that means having his staff regularly meet with people on the home front while he is in Washington representing them.
“We really pride ourselves on trying to help our constituents,” Roe said. “That’s the part of the job I really do like ­— getting to help people.”
Each month, members of Roe’s staff travel to each of the counties in the district and meet with residents to help them on a variety of issues. For some, this means helping them apply for Social Security disability benefits; for others, it means helping them to get their veterans benefits.
Some of the ways that Roe’s district offices can be of assistance:
• Senior Citizens: Social Security and disability
• Students: financial aid, entrance to U.S. Service Academies
• Veterans: VA claims and military service problems
• Small Business: SBA loan applications, technical assistance and interpretation of federal regulations
• Home Buyers: FMHA, FHA, and VA home loan application problems
• Local Governments: disaster assistance, regulation compliance, and federal grant application problems
• Taxpayers: IRS tax problems
Staff members try to assist constituents with a variety of federal programs and services. Staffers can also direct constituents to other agencies, such as state or local programs, that might be able to assist them with their needs.