Help with a Federal Agency

Note: During a federal government shutdown, many federal departments and agencies furlough workers, so their help desks may have little or no staffing. During a shutdown, my office will continue to submit inquiries to federal agencies including requesting updates on constituents’ behalf, submitting paperwork, and opening new cases. We will continue providing you with any updates as soon as it is available.

If you can't get an answer from a federal agency in a timely fashion, or if you feel you have been treated unfairly, our office may be able to help resolve a problem or get you the information you need. While we cannot guarantee you a favorable outcome, we will do our best to help you receive a fair and timely response to your problem.

Residents of the 3rd Congressional District of PA can contact us for assistance in dealing with Federal agencies. In order to better serve you, you must first submit a Privacy Release Form including a detailed explanation of the nature of your concerns.

Please include all pertinent information and claim numbers in your correspondence—such as:

Your Social Security number for a case involving Social Security;
VA claim number for a case with the Department of Veterans Affairs;
Taxpayer identification number (Social Security number, if an individual) for an Internal Revenue Service problem, etc.;
Your address, home phone number, and daytime phone number (if different than home) so that we can obtain any additional information from you that might be necessary;
Copies of any related documents or correspondence that you may have from the agency involved;

Please Note: The Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. § 552a) requires that Members of Congress or their staff have written authorization before they can obtain information about an individual's case. We must have your signature to proceed with this type of request.

Click here to complete the Authorization Form and open a case.

If you'd rather use a paper form, a printable PDF can be found here.