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1 1 (December 15, 2020)

handle is hein.crs/govdcxe0001 and id is 1 raw text is: * Updated December 15, 2020 Constituent Services: Overview and Resources The priorities and activities of Member offices are varied. In addition to working on legislation and oversight, offices are commonly expected to provide constituent services as part of their representational duties. This expectation began in the earliest Congresses. Following requests for assistance with Revolutionary War pensions and other matters, the House, in 1794, and the Senate, in 1816, established select committees to address private claims. Today, many similar matters would be considered constituent service. Each Member office chooses how to engage with constituents and how to allocate resources in support of these activities. Constituents often contact Member offices and initiate requests. Sometimes a Member office is one of several places a constituent can turn. Other programs, opportunities, or services may require a Member office to serve as an intermediary. Offices can also engage in outreach activities to promote available assistance. The following sections provide a brief overview of many common constituent services provided by congressional offices. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or a prescriptive list. Information on additional resources is also provided, when available. -Anonymous former House Member, quoted in John R. Hibbing, Voluntary Retirement from the U.S. House, Legislative Studies Quarterly, vol. 7, no. I (February 1982), p. 62. Sometimes constituents simply seek information about the federal government. Small business owners, for example, may want to know about federal contracting opportunities or the procurement process. Parents may have questions about federal financial aid for college. Member offices commonly refer constituents to the appropriate government agencies, and sometimes provide website links or reference materials in their offices to assist with these inquiries. Casework refers to the response or services that Members of Congress provide constituents seeking assistance, often with a federal agency. Common requests involve applications for Social Security, veterans', or other federal benefits; obtaining a missing record or payment from a federal agency; or assistance with immigration matters. Each Member office has considerable discretion in how it defines and approaches casework, subject to House or Senate rules and statute. An office's casework definition may include other constituent services, including those that are listed separately here. For additional information, see CRS Report RL33209, Casework in a Congressional Office: Background, Rules, Laws, and Resources. Federal grants may be available for state or local governments, nonprofit community organizations, research entities, and small businesses. Federal grants are not provided directly to individuals; they often are awarded to state or local governments, which may sub-award them to other community organizations. Given the competition for, and limitations of, federal grants, Member offices sometimes provide constituents with information about developing grant proposals or identifying alternative funding options. For more on federal grants, see CRS Report RL34035, Grants Work in a Congressional Office. Most Member offices offer internship opportunities, which must, under House and Senate rules, be primarily educational in nature. As with all personnel decisions, each office has considerable discretion to determine, among other things, how many (if any) interns it has, length of internships, office location in which interns will work, qualifications, and compensation. For more information on internships in Congress, see CRS Report R44491, Internships in Congressional Offices: Frequently Asked Questions; for information on other federal government internships, see CRS Report 98-654, Internships, Fellowships, and Other Work Experience Opportunities in the Federal Government. k..5, S r-vic Acadsmy Nominains College-age students who want to apply to the U.S. Military Academy, U.S. Naval Academy, U.S. Air Force Academy, or the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy must receive an official nomination, which can be obtained from a Member office. The number of nominations from each state, territory, or district is set by statute; the number of nominations available to a Member office can be further affected by the number of currently enrolled students from an area or nominations made by a preceding Member for the current admissions cycle. Nominations typically must be submitted to the service academies by January 31 for the academic year that begins the following July; an earlier deadline usually applies for Members who are not returning for the next session of

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