A Team Approach to Service

Statement

By US Rep. Renee Ellmers

As I began my professional career as a surgical intensive care nurse, I quickly learned that success in the high pressure environment of intensive care was achieved as a team. The nurses, doctors, and other health care providers -- all pulled together to devise and execute a care plan for the patient. Three months into my first term as your representative in Congress we saw massive destruction from tornadoes and this same team approach to serving constituents became very clear. No member of Congress serves alone; we all have a team of hard working staff members that are committed to each of you as constituents.

Our office has made it a priority to keep constituents informed -- through interviews, press releases, and social media -- about the work we have done on their behalf. Unfortunately, the important work being done by the staff in your congressional office doesn't often make above-the-fold newspaper headlines or lead your local half-hour news report. It's unfortunate, but not surprising, that many people would have the impression that not much is getting done.

The fact, however, is that both in the work my office has done helping to deliver services to our constituents through casework, and in finding ways to make government work better for our citizens through legislation, my staff has many success stories that deserve to be told.

So far this year, our office has assisted more than 3,000 constituents through casework -- which can include assisting a veteran trying to get an appointment at the VA or helping a patient obtain medical services Medicare has previously denied.

Our office has expedited 171 passports and is now processing submissions from 56 students seeking nominations to serve their country at our nation's military academies.

Just this year alone, caseworkers in our office have already facilitated over $1.5 million in retro payments for our constituents. These are back payments that were owed to constituents by the VA, Social Security Administration, the Department of Justice, Medicare, the IRS, HealthNet and other government agencies. This money is now in the pockets of constituents -- where it belongs.

Each year, my Washington staff has led an average of more than 700 people on tours of the Capitol and responded to more than 24,000 pieces of constituent correspondence!

While the work we have done for individual constituents can often be measured in numbers, our work through the legislative process, which potentially impacts those far beyond North Carolina's 2nd District, is often more difficult to quantify.

My legislative staff and I listen to the concerns of our constituents and craft legislation to address the problems they identify. As a result of that process, and thousands of hours of hard work, the following are some of the bills I have introduced which have passed the House:

· H.R.786, Vaccine Access, Certainty, and Innovation Act of 2015, to streamline the vaccine approval process.

· H.R.2440 to increase the student loan repayment cap for health professionals engaging in research from $35,000 to $50,000.

· H.R. 2245, Energy Guide Label, to require the Federal Trade Commission to consider making note on any Energy Guide label for products that include Smart Grid capability.

· H.R. 2589 to require the Federal Communications Commission to publish on their website any provision they approve, repeal, or adopt within 24 hours

· H.R. 3134, Defund Planned Parenthood Act of 2015. My amendment which was included would redirect Title X, or "family planning," funding to Community Health Centers that don't provide abortions.

· H.R. 4444 EPS Improvement Act of 2016 to clarify DOE energy-efficiency standards provide certainty to manufacturers and consumers, and to keep energy prices low.

· An amendment to the FY16 NDAA requiring the Secretary of Defense to certify that the deactivation of the 440th Airlift Wing will not hinder readiness and an amendment to the FY17 NDAA requiring the Secretary of the Air Force and the Secretary of the Army to report on a quarterly basis for the next 5 years on the number of jumps undertaken at Fort Bragg and the level of air support provided to Fort Bragg paratroopers.

Since Republicans won the majority in the Senate two years ago, much more has been accomplished on a variety of issues, with significant legislation finally making it through the House and Senate to be signed into law by the president. Here are some of the bills I sponsored which became law:

· H.R. 3339, the PALS Act, to protect access to mammograms for approximately 22 million women under the age of 50.

· H.R.1018, Patient Access to Disposable Medical Technology Act of 2015, to broaden access to healthcare technologies to seniors.

· H.R.398, Trafficking Awareness Training for Health Care Act of 2015, which educates healthcare professionals to recognize signs of human trafficking so they can intercede on a patient's behalf.

· H.R. 2244, Strategic Transformer Reserve Program, to modernize and strengthen our electric grid and secure our energy infrastructure.

· H.R.4101, the TIME Act, to require the Secretary of Defense to provide covered beneficiaries and providers participating in the TRICARE program with timely written notice explaining any changes to program benefits.

In addition to the legislation listed above, I am proud to have played a role in crafting the 21st Century Cures Act, The Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act, and numerous other bills.

You can visit Ellmers.house.gov for more information about these and other pieces of legislation we've passed in the House to provide a better way to address poverty, tax reform, national security, healthcare, cutting regulations and restoring constitutional authority.

It has been an incredible honor and privilege to represent the constituents of NC's 2nd District in the U.S. House over the past six years. I appreciate this opportunity to share some of the great work my staff has done on behalf of our constituents and I encourage my colleagues to make the public aware of the work their staffs do daily to make a difference in the lives of their constituents.

Source