Helping you cut government red tape

Much work remains to reduce spending, shrink the size of government, and get our economy moving again. It is an honor to partner with you to craft and support legislative initiatives, such as expanding international trade, eliminating burdensome regulations, and working to pass comprehensive tax reform, which will strengthen the Third District of Nebraska and restore opportunity for future generations. In addition to representing you in Congress, there are many other ways you can receive assistance with issues related to the federal government.

Nominating students to the U.S. Service Academies, flying American flags over the Capitol building, and helping you schedule tours to Washington, D.C. are some of the services available to you. In addition, one of my responsibilities as your Representative is to assist you with navigating the red tape of with federal government agencies.

Today's world of automated answering machines and confusing procedures make the federal government frustrating. Veterans' support, taxes, Social Security, Medicare, passports, and small business assistance are some of the examples of agencies and services with which you may need help. Many of these items may be requested through my website at http://adriansmith.house.gov.

To ensure you are aware of how my office can help you cut government red tape, I will host a Constituent Services Seminar for residents in the Third District on Wednesday, September 28. The free event will take place at York College in York, Nebraska from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. (C.D.T.) with registration beginning at 12:30 p.m. (C.D.T.). For more information about the seminar or to R.S.V.P., please call my Grand Island office at (308) 384-3900 or email RSVPtoAdrian@mail.house.gov.

This event will provide important details to Nebraskans about the assistance you can receive in navigating the bureaucratic layers of the federal government. The Constituent Services Seminar will host select speakers from federal agencies as well as a team of trained constituent services representatives from my office. In order to best address specific questions or needs, the event will feature breakout sessions highlighting a variety of topics such as veterans' health care services, Social Security eligibility, and assistance with tax related matters.

Dr. Ernie Goss, Professor of Economics at Creighton University, will deliver a keynote speech at the event. Dr. Goss was a visiting scholar with the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office for 2003-2004 and has published more than 100 research studies about economic forecasting and the statistical analysis of business and economic data.

Each year thousands of Third District residents who have questions or need help cutting red tape at federal agencies contact my office. If you are not getting an answer from a federal agency in a timely fashion, feel you have been treated unfairly, or have questions about how an agency works, I encourage you to attend the 2011 Constituent Services Seminar.

For more information about constituent services available through my office, the latest developments in Congress, or to sign up for my e-mail newsletter, please visit my website at http://adriansmith.house.gov.