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1 1 (June 11, 2021)

handle is hein.crs/govedqp0001 and id is 1 raw text is: $ h $ervi~ Th~ h Ieg~I v ~ UpdatedJune 11, 2021 Constituent Services: Overview and Resources Introduction 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 oftheirrepresentationalduties. This expectationbegan in the earliest Congresses. Following requests for as sistance with Revolutionary Warpensions 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 constituentservice. Each Member office chooses how to engage with constituents andhow 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 follo wing s ections provide a brief overview of many common constituent services provided by congressional offices. It is not intended to be anexhaustive or a prescriptive list. Informationon additionalresources is also provided, when available. wu fearn rn tice okta Itth e i ig cionstituent Is you Wh) ,3 do. It is a valuable larning experience, and t keeps you in touch with the people. -Anonymous former House Member, quoted in John R. Hibbing, Voluntary Retirement from the U.S. House, Legislative Studies Quarterly, vol. 7, no. I (February I 982), p. 62. Help with Government Federal Government Resources Sometimes constituents simply seek information about the federal government. Smallbus iness owners, for example, may want to know about federal contracting opportunities or the procurementprocess. Parents may have questions about federalfinancial aid for college. Member offices commonly refer constituents to the appropriate government agencies, and sometimes provide web site links or reference materials in their offices to as sist with these inquiries. Casework Caseworkrefers 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 mis sing record or payment froma https ://crs repo federal agency; or as sistance with immigration matters. Each Member office has considerable discretionin 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. Grants Work Federalgrants may be available for state orlocal governments, nonprofit community organizations, research entities, and smallbusinesses. Federalgrants are not provided directly to individuals; they often are awardedto state or local governments, which may sub-award themto 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 federalgrants, see CRS Report RL34035, Grants Work in a Congressional Office. Opportunities for Students Internships Most Member offices offer internship opportunities, which must, under House and Senate rules, be primarily educationalin 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, seeCRS Report 98-654, Internships, Fellowships, and Other Work Experience Opportunities in the Federal Government. U.S. Service Academy Nominations 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 beobtained froma Member office. The number ofnominations fromeach state, territory, or district is set by statute; thenumber 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 admis sions 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 notreturning for the next session of Congress. Offices can largely establish their own criteria rts.congress.gov

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