Casework FAQ

En Español

One of my most important duties as a member of Congress is to help constituents navigate federal agencies. While I cannot override decisions made by a federal agency, my team is sometimes able to inquire on a constituent’s behalf to check on status, expedite service, find solutions, and try to cut through red tape.

Below you will find frequently asked questions about congressional casework and services our constituent services team can help you with at federal agencies. Please read the FAQs first. Please only complete the “Help with a Federal Agency” form if your issue is something the FAQ indicates we may assist with.

After submitting the form to our office, you can expect to hear from a member of our casework team within 2-3 business days. If we are able to assist you with your case, you will need to complete a privacy authorization form to comply with provisions in the Privacy Act. Your privacy release form will be sent to the appropriate agency.

What is casework and what can/can’t it accomplish?

Casework, in a congressional office, refers to the response or services that Members of Congress provide to constituents who request assistance. Typically with casework, Members and their staffs help individual constituents deal with federal administrative agencies by acting as facilitators, ombudsmen, and, in some cases, advocates. Common congressional casework requests include:

tracking a misdirected benefits payment;
inquiring on the status for Social Security, veterans’, education, and other federal benefits applications;
explaining government activities or decisions;
nominations to a military service academy;
seeking relief from a federal administrative decision; and
immigrating to the United States or applying for U.S. citizenship.

Contrary to the widely held public perception that Members of Congress can initiate a broad array of actions resulting in a speedy, favorable outcome, there are significant limitations on the actions a Member office can undertake as well as limits on their ability to affect an outcome.

Federal statute prohibits Members of Congress, chamber officers, and congressional staff from representing anyone before the federal government, except in the performance of their official duties. House and Senate rules and federal law also prohibit ex parte, or off-the-record, communications with agency employees reasonably expected to be involved in case decisions.

Generally, a Member of Congress may do the following on behalf of eligible individuals seeking their assistance, under House and Senate guidelines:

request information or a status report;
urge prompt consideration;
arrange for interviews or appointments;
express judgments;
call for reconsideration of an administrative response that the Member believes is not reasonably supported by statutes, regulations, or considerations of equity or public policy; or
perform any other service of a similar nature consistent within the provisions of the rules of the House or Senate.

Can Congressman McGarvey help me with a case that involves a city or a state agency?

For assistance with a city or state agency or department, you should write to your representatives in the Kentucky State Senate or Kentucky State Assembly and/or the Louisville Metro Council. Staff in these offices have direct access to city and state agencies and can better assist you. Congressman McGarvey’s constituent services team is not able to take on casework without a clear federal nexus or federal agency involved.

Examples of issues that involve city agencies: voting, zoning, sanitation, sidewalks, noise, animal control, TARC etc.

Examples of issues that involve state agencies: unemployment, DMV, jury duty, child support, inheritances and estates, Kentucky state taxes, etc.

You can find your city/state representatives at this link

You can find your Louisville Metro Council member here.

Please see our Community Resources pages for more local resources.

Can you ask a federal agency to change their decision?

Our casework team can help obtain fair and timely resolutions to matters involving federal agencies and help get answers when an agency is unresponsive. Once an agency makes a final determination, however, we must defer to their judgment. At that point, you may want to seek legal advice or assistance. Our office is not able to provide references to attorneys or provide legal advice.

Can you help me with an issue that involves a pending court case?

Congressional Ethics Guidelines prevent my staff from providing legal advice or intervening in any judicial proceeding.

Sometimes federal agency issues require the assistance of counsel, but as congressional caseworkers, we are restricted from providing legal advice or referring you to any specific attorney or law firm. For help finding legal assistance, you can contact the Kentucky State Bar at (502) 564-3795 or visit their website HERE. You may also contact Legal Aid. For Veteran Legal Help please call 844-268-0838. For legal assistance with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), please visit their website HERE.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Passports, IRS, Small Business Administration, VA Claims:

What information do you need from me on the Privacy Release form to open my case?

Passports

Please provide us with the following information on the Privacy Release Form:

Full Name:

Date of birth;

Social Security Number:

Email:

Date of travel;

Planned destination;

Application locator number, if known;

Proof of travel;

And explanation of attempts to obtain an appointment, if you are requesting an appointment

If you are submitting a Privacy Release Form on behalf of your minor child, please fill out the form in their name and with their information. We also ask that you provide your name and state your relationship to the minor child in the description box to let us know that you are submitting the form on your child’s behalf.

Please also note that, due to the high volume of inquiries all passport agencies are receiving, they are currently processing inquiries by travel date and are prioritizing inquiries for travel within 72 hours. As such, we are unable to send inquiries until two weeks before a constituent’s travel date or if you are outside of processing times. Please click here for current processing times.

We cannot assist in obtaining in-person appointments. You may now book appointments online if you are traveling within 14 days or need an international visa within 4 weeks. If you are having difficulties in booking an appointment, you may reach out to our office and we may be able to assist.

Internal Revenue Service (IRS)

For help with a tax refund, please specify the tax year(s) you need help with, the filing date, and whether you filed electronically or by mail. Be sure to include your social security number &/or EIN number.

Small Business Administration (SBA)

For help with any loan or program administered through the Small Business Administration, please include your application # and the name of your business. For example, an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) or the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)

Before sending us an inquiry, please check the status of your USCIS case here. For more in depth and up to date status information, please check your USCIS account. If you have not already created a USCIS account, please create one here. USCIS may update your case on that account before they inform our office of any updates.

Please provide us with the following information:

Beneficiary and/or Applicant Full Name and biographical information

Form number

Application receipt number

Receipt date (please note that this is different from a priority date)

The service center or field office where your case is currently located

A copy of your original receipt, if possible

If you’re unsure where to find this information on your receipt, please see the USCIS guide here.

Please note that we cannot contact USCIS for a status update if your application is within processing time. To check on processing times for your case, please use this link. We may be able to assist if your case falls under one of USCIS’s expedite criteria. Please carefully review expedited criteria here. In that case, we will ask you to provide documents that support your need for expedited processing. We will always do our best to get your application considered as quickly as possible, but please note that USCIS decisions about whether a case qualifies for expedited processing are final. If you feel you have been treated unfairly, you may want to seek assistance from a representative authorized by USCIS and the Department of Justice.

For USCIS cases, the privacy release form must be signed by the Petitioner, not the Beneficiary. If your receipt number begins with IOE, please provide us with the service center where your case is currently located in the description box. This can be found on the bottom, left-hand corner of your latest receipt notice.

Veterans Administration (VA)

Please provide us with the following information:

Full Name:

Date of birth;

Social Security Number:

Claim Number (if applicable):

Brief Description of the issue you need help with:

Please note, we cannot change or advocate for a certain decision to be made in your case. We also cannot provide legal advice. Please contact a VSO , the Kentucky Department of Veterans, or Legal Aid for assistance in filing or appealing your VA claim.

Social Security Administration and all other agencies

Please provide us with the following information:

Full Name:

Date of birth;

Social Security Number:

Brief Description of the issue you need help with:

Please note, we cannot change or advocate for a certain decision to be made in your case. We also cannot provide legal advice. Please contact your local Social Security Administration branch, their website found here, Legal Aid, or follow the instructions on your letter for assistance in filing or appealing your claim.

Can you help me expedite my passport?

Before contacting my office, check the current processing time for passports. If your application receipt date is still within the average processing times posted, we are unable to expedite. If it is outside of the posted processing times, please submit casework to my office for assistance.

Can you help me expedite my Global Entry application?

No. Global Entry does not offer expedite assistance of any kind including through congressional inquiry. You can always check the status of your application as well as check the most updated processing times at the Global Entry website.

It should be noted that delayed or denial of entry into the Global Entry program does not prohibit anyone from being able to travel.

Alternatives to Global Entry:
- Please visit https://www.cbp.gov/travel/us-citizens/apc for information on CBP’s Automated Passport Control kiosks, and https://www.cbp.gov/travel/us-citizens/mobile-passport-control for more information on CBP’s Mobile Passport Control app, both of which are time-saving tools implemented by CBP to help passengers process Customs quicker and easier.
- Please note use of either or both of these measures may not automatically preclude any traveler from additional/secondary screening
Further Assistance:
- In the event that additional concerns exist, please contact the CBP Info Center at (877) 227-5511, who will be able to assist specifically with TTP account issues. In addition, the TTP help desk can be reached at (855) 873-4637 or reach out to the CBP Information Center at: https://help.cbp.gov.
- It should be noted that both of these lines experience high volumes of calls, so they may not get through on their first attempt.

Can you help me with Medicaid/Medicare?

We can help with:

Addressing how Medicare may be covering your prescription drugs.
Navigating long-term care options provided under Medicaid and other federal programs.
Following up on the status of a Medicare claim.
Accessing other federal services and programs available to seniors.

Click on the following links for further information:

Medicare.gov: Apply for coverage, change plans, file a complaint or appeal, and much more.
Medicare Frequently Asked Questions: Find answers and general information quickly from Medicare FAQ.
Medicare and You Handbook: Every year, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issues a Medicare handbook to help seniors navigate the program.
Your Medicare Rights: Learn more about your rights under the Medicare program.
Medicare cards: Learn more about Medicare’s new cards. Due to privacy concerns, Medicare is in the process of replacing their traditional cards, which list a senior’s social security number.
Medicare supplemental insurance: Some seniors also pay for supplemental coverage by a private insurer. You can learn more about how that works here.
Medicare Fraud: Learn more about how scammers often try to take advantage of seniors, see how you can protect yourself, and report potential fraud.

Can you help me with my Social Security?

My office can help you with determining Social Security benefits, as well as Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Medicare eligibility. We can make an inquiry to request the status of your pending claim or submit a request for a review on your behalf. However, the Office of Disability Adjudication and Review (ODAR) determines if a case is “critical” and requires special processing under specific situations and if you are still under ODAR’s purview, our office cannot intervene.

We can help you with:

Obtaining an update on a pending application
Requesting information on your program eligibility
Clarifying matters involving your benefits
Facilitating communication between a provider and CMS to resolve reimbursement and other matters

We cannot:

Force SSA or CMS to approve or reimburse an application or claim
Expedite appeals unless approved “dire need” as defined by the respective agency
File your application for you
Expedite the replacement of a social security card or track the status of a replacement card that has been applied for

Can you help me with my Social Security tax documents?

To get a copy of your tax documents, replacement 1099, or find contact information for your local Social Security office, please visit their website here.

I am facing eviction, can you help me?

We cannot intervene in individual eviction cases. We have compiled a list of resources that may be helpful for you. Please refer to our Community Resources page for housing resources.

Can you help me get my birth certificate?

Birth certificates, marriage certificates, and death certificates are available through the Kentucky office of vital statistics.

Veteran Benefits Questions:

Please refer to our Community Resources Page for help with Veteran Benefits