WEST CHESTER, PA – This week, Representative Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA) held a virtual town hall to cover constituent services, broadly including the ways in which federal, state, and local government offices can serve their community members. She was joined by PA State Representative Melissa Shusterman and Bobby Kagel, Chester County Administrator. Each official highlighted the most popular services they help provide and then took questions from online participants.

“Since joining Congress in January 2019, our office has closed more than 5,000 cases and returned over $28 million to Pennsylvanians in Chester and Berks Counties through constituent services,” said Houlahan. “As our federal representative, I’m proud to advocate for community members who have an issue with a federal agency, but community resources don’t stop there. Our state and county officials handle related but often separate concerns, so I’m thankful to Rep. Shusterman and Bobby Kagel for their participation. The bottom line is this: we stand ready to help.”

Houlahan’s office helps with:

• Delayed tax returns through the IRS
• Providing updates on veterans’ benefits and obtaining military records from the National Archives
• Social Security retirement and disability benefits
• Military Service Academy nominations
• Small Business Administration casework
• Passport appointments and application updates
• Letters of support for grant funding
• White House and Capitol tours
• Flying American flags over the U.S. Capitol

If you do not see your specific issue with a federal agency listed above, Houlahan’s office may still be able to help. Fill out her form here.

"As a State Legislator, I bring the concerns of my residents to the House of Representatives in Harrisburg, but far more important is the role I play as an elected official by assisting my constituents with state-related services,” said Shusterman. “We make the state government work for them. Many state resources have been strained due to the pandemic, so my office is able to leverage our working relationships to help constituents cut through the red tape when dealing with the Commonwealth."

Shusterman’s office, and other state offices, can provide many useful services by helping PA residents with:

• Senior SEPTA travel passes
• Property Tax/Rent Rebate forms and application assistance
• Unemployment Claim issues
• Department of Motor Vehicles needs
• PA Department of Revenue issues
• Reporting road hazards to PennDOT
• Resolving Utility outages and requesting maintenance

“I’ve been with the county for 20 years, most of that time has been spent in the Department of Emergency Services,” said Bobby Kagel. “Beyond emergency services, the county provides a host of other services spanning 53 departments. Those services include mental health resources, the library system, a 911 call center, voter services, veterans’ affairs, and more. I would be remiss if I didn’t also acknowledge all of our employees here at the county level—they do an incredible job for the people of Chester County.”

County services include but are not limited to:

• Emergency rental assistance
• Early childhood intervention
• Mental health services
• Parks programs
• Licenses for marriage, fishing, or hunting
• Voter services
• Fraud hotline
• Flu and Covid vaccines

For more information on county services, visit the Chester County website here.

Visit the Berks County website here.

Houlahan is an Air Force veteran, an engineer, a serial entrepreneur, an educator and a nonprofit leader. She represents Pennsylvania’s 6th Congressional District, which encompasses Chester County and southern Berks County. She serves on the House Armed Services Committee, the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the House Small Business Committee. She is the recipient of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Abraham Lincoln Leadership for America Award which “recognizes members who demonstrate the bipartisan leadership and constructive governing necessary to move our country forward.”

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