Cutting Red Tape Leads to Happy Resolutions

Cutting Red Tape Leads to Happy Resolutions

This month I've started my 25th year of visiting with Iowans in each of our state's 99 counties every year.

When Iowans hired me in 1980 to serve in the U.S. Senate, I promised to keep in close touch. Representative democracy is a two-way street. I count on Iowans' feedback to do a good job in Washington.

That's why I keep all lanes of communication wide open. Whether it is face-to-face meetings, phone, mail or e-mail, I strongly encourage Iowans to share their views and concerns. I'm glad to report that I haven't yet been short on input.

Our dialogue may include matters of public policy, such as how Congress ought to tax and spend your hard-earned money, from retirement and health care security to education, agriculture, veterans and defense dollars. And the good news is my seniority in the U.S. Senate gives Iowans a front row seat at the policymaking tables in Washington.

Sometimes constituents also ask for help navigating the federal government.

My door is wide open for those who get trapped in the sticky red tape seemingly wrapped around every agency in the federal bureaucracy. Dedicated, top-notch constituent service is a requirement for the job of your United States Senator.

That means no stone is left unturned when constituents come to my offices with problems involving the federal bureaucracy. I maintain six local offices across the state that include trained staff members who collectively have decades of experience in handling constituent casework.

Casework refers to a confidential inquiry my office makes with a federal agency on behalf of a constituent who contacts my office for assistance with a specific problem. Issues may range from disability or veterans benefits, immigration paperwork, military service or worker's compensation.

Grassley staff helps to facilitate communication between the parties involved and works to do everything possible to help resolve the issue. At the very least, we want to help get a straight answer to the constituent's question.

C-SPAN junkies know that lawmakers use rhetoric mixed with facts and figures to make the case in a public policy debate. Sometimes the goals may seem lofty and not as transparent to everyone's daily lives.

But constituent services can make a big difference in one's personal business. It hits so close to home and may involve urgent or emotional circumstances. It reflects two principles that guide my Senate work: good government and good public service.

As a public servant, it is rewarding to know my Senate office has earned a reputation for getting things done when constituents come to my door with a problem. For many people, it is intimidating and frustrating to navigate the federal bureaucracy. Good constituent casework takes patience, persistence and practice. Sometimes it's detective work to figure out what channels to go through in the federal bureaucracy.

Two recent examples come to mind. Last fall, I was able to assist an Iowan who is active in the Hispanic community in the Des Moines area. In an effort to launch the first Iowa Latino Historical Museum, she sought assistance to obtain her deceased brother's military medals for his service during World War II. Within a month, the Pentagon issued the awards owed to her brother who died of illness as a prisoner of war in 1944.

Perhaps the greatest testimonial for conscientious constituent service also occurred last fall. A young Iowa military couple named their infant son Charles in my honor. My office had helped to facilitate a visa for the wife's mother to visit from the Philippines. Her presence was needed to help during the wife's at-risk pregnancy while her husband served in Iraq.

Constituent services are rewarding, especially when cutting through the federal government's red tape helps lead to a happy resolution.

This year marks my 26th year of service in the U.S. Senate. I invite Iowans to keep up the good work and keep in touch. And if a problem with a federal agency crops up, don't hesitate to contact my Senate office for assistance.

http://grassley.senate.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=CapitolGains.Detail&CapitolGain_id=317&Year=2006