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the majority of individuals don’t know the role their senators play in the senate. True, we tend to assume that the congressman’s mandate is to foresee projects in the government. However, what the majority don’t know is that every one of them has employees whose work is to deliver constituent service. The service is specially designed to help people with concrete issues- usually involving a federal agency.
In most cases, the senate works on sorting out issues around Internal Revenue Service problems, mortgage issues, social security problems, immigration requests, and veterans’ benefits. We have prepared a rundown of some of the many roles played by congressmen and their caseworkers, to help you get an insight on how to make the congress work for you.
Stick along as we will also include surprising advice on how early you could contact them for problem-solving.
Below are 9 roles you didn’t know your senators can perform
Mediators
Although it might sound a bit unrealistic, congressmen can assume the role of a mediator.
The fact is, you can always contact them with issues that require the service of a mediator. However, as mentioned earlier, they are only mandated to solve those thorny problems that might, sometimes, prove to be daunting or hard to solve in the courtroom. Among some of these issues is a mortgage.
According to the World Bank Group, the US subprime mortgage crisis ranks among the most serious economic events. This is after the great depression in the 1930s. Many mortgage issues go unsolved. For this reason, senators work hand-in-hand with the government to ensure that they get to help as many people as they can.
Connector to the right people
The best thing about being in power is that you get to familiarize yourself with all the right people. For instance, your congressman has contacts with almost anyone in government. Having that in mind, why not contact a member of congress whenever you have an issue and don’t know who to call?
Indeed, if they will not help you, they will definitely redirect you to the right people. Notably, it also imperative for individuals to note that you can always contact them as early as possible to avoid issues that might arise in the future in case you fail to act quickly.
Note that although contacting them might prove to be a daunting task, you can find insight on some of the best ways to successfully contact congress in this article.
You can find the contact of all US senators here.
Life Saver
What would you do when your social security suddenly stops paying out? And, what would you do if you realize your Medicare drug plan keeps changing every now and then?
Of course, you might end up being stranded and probably live in agony, if you don’t know who to contact. Although you can contact your state legislators for help, the best thing to do is contact a member of congress. All it takes are a few calls to the Internal Revenue Service or Medicare and your issue will be solved in the shortest time possible.
You can find the contact of all US senators here.
Expeditor
Every so often, people tend to think that the elected officials misuse their power by twisting the arms of the law. The truth is, they are empowered with the ability to make the rules work quickly- as they ought to be.
After all, what is the point of being in power if you cannot help your people get the required services in the shortest time possible? Makes sense, right? When things are truly dire or even life-threatening, you can rely on your congressman for help. You can contact senators here.
Flag Handler
If you are an American resident, you will agree with me that getting the official flag is not a walk in the park. You need to pass through the congressional offices to make a purchase. Congressional offices have a link on their websites where an individual can fill in a form to either purchase or have their flag flown over the capital for a small fee.
Note that if you want to fly your flag on a specific date, you will have to communicate with your congressman in advance.
You can contact senators here.
White House Tour Approver
Who wouldn’t like a visit to the white house? Of course, we would all love to see and have a taste of the white house. However, this is not one of your regular visits to the museums or monuments around the city. You will need to request a tour visit 6 months before. Besides, you are also required to confirm your visit 21 days before the requested date.
Military Academy Nominator
West Point. Image Credit: Britannica To be enrolled in a U.S military academy such as the Air Force, U.S Naval, or West Point, you will require a nomination.
Although there are other types of nominations, the congressional nomination is the only type that is available to anyone.
You will be required to apply for a nomination from both senators of your state and your U.S representative. Note that each member of the state is allowed to nominate 5 cadets at a time from each academy and have a total of up to 10 nominees. Click here to find out more.
You can contact senators here.
Tour Guide of the U.S Capitol Tours (Kind of)
If you are just visiting the U.S or need a tour around the city, you will require the services of a tour guide.
The U.S government provides the senate with tour guides to ensure that anyone requiring the services of a tour guide around the constituents or the capitol gets the necessary help at their offices. Besides, there are no conditions or requirements. You are only required to pay a small fee and a tour guide will be assigned to you.
Recognizer of Honor for Companies
Have you ever been pleased by a certain company’s services and would like to honor them with a congratulatory letter but you don’t know how to go about it?
Well, besides the fact that you can do so via their website, you can also ask your congressman to help you out. Members of congress send letters to numerous offices for several occasions such as military academy appointments, retirements, graduations, and many more. All you need to do is ask your congressman to recognize an achievement or honor and a letter will be sent to your desired offices .
Conclusion
Now the question is: how will you make your congress work for you.
From the insight above, there is no doubt that there are a ton of things they could do for you. Although the majority might think that they tend to twist arms in favor of the people, this is not the case. They ensure the complainant communicates with the right person quicker, which also helps them provide this service to as many people as possible.