E-Newsletter

Casework

One role I have as a Member of Congress is to serve as a liaison for constituents with the federal government, including providing help with problems related to the federal government.

To help me serve you, I have a team of people in the district who specialize in assisting constituents, overlapping with my D.C. staff who coordinate on a variety of requests.

My casework team can intercede on a constituent’s behalf to answer questions and find solutions.

The district staff is based in my one of my two Ninth District offices, located in Abingdon and Christiansburg and are at multiple locations around the district.

Given the district is larger than the land mass of nine separate states, and to make it easier for you, we have traveling staff office hours, where someone from the Griffith office team is in every county and city at least once a month.

You can conveniently find the location and timing of our traveling staff office hours on my website. I encourage constituents to reach out to my staff via email, phone, through our website, or by scheduling appointments.

My team and I can assist on a variety of issues, whether it be claims with the Department of Veterans Affairs, problems receiving Social Security benefits, or tax related issues with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

We were recently contacted by a constituent regarding the IRS’ refusal to waive penalties and interest fees for her mom who had missed the filing deadline due to dementia. My team worked with the Taxpayer Advocate Service, who asked the IRS to drop the penalties due to the mom’s dementia. The IRS agreed to do so.

We also help constituents request or renew passports, asking for the expedited processing of these documents, or deal with issues involving travel visas.

A women and her son were about to board a plane to Italy when she realized her son’s passport expired in four months (six months is needed to travel). The airline changed her flight and sent her to get help from the passport agency office, but the agency wouldn’t help because they didn’t have an appointment. After our team made a few phone calls, we were able to get them into the agency and the son was able to get an extension on his passport.

We are still seeing delays with passport processing, which first arose during the pandemic, so please reach out as early as you can for help.

Additionally, my staff can help navigate the process of applying for grants from the federal government or with requests pending with the Department of Education, the Department of Labor, the U.S. Postal Service, etc.

We also help students seeking a nomination from me to the U.S. Service Academies. Each year, I host an in-person Service Academy Day where students and parents can learn more about their options.

Please know that Members of Congress and our staff are generally not permitted to get involved in legal matters, override decisions made by a federal agency, or force an agency to expedite a case. We will do what we can to encourage an agency to consider a case and to advocate for a decision for the constituent.

When you reach out to my office for assistance, we will need your written authorization so we may comply with privacy requirements. Our privacy consent form can be found on my website, or you may contact us by phone or mail to obtain the form. 

When returning this form to my team, do not forget to include any pertinent information and claim numbers that might be needed. 

If you come to Washington, D.C., my office is available to answer questions or inquiries regarding your trip. We are able to set up tours at the U.S. Capitol, the Supreme Court, Bureau of Printing & Engraving, Library of Congress, and so on.

While White House tours are very limited, we can try to assist with getting you White House tour tickets. We encourage you to submit your request as early as possible.

Constituents can also reach out to our office to purchase American flags—including ones flown over the Capitol. In addition, an American flag for burial purposes may be obtained from my office for a veteran’s casket at no charge if you have a completed VA27-2008 form.

No matter the federal issue, please reach out to my office. It is my honor and privilege to serve you and assist in your interactions with the federal government. My team and I will do whatever we can to help.

If you have questions, concerns, or comments, feel free to contact my office.  You can call my Abingdon office at 276-525-1405 or my Christiansburg office at 540-381-5671. To reach my office via email, please visit my website at www.morgangriffith.house.gov.