U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.) today released the following information about his congressional office’s work to help everyday Americans get the government service they deserve. The office set a new record of 2,115 completed cases and achieved a 99% satisfaction rate. That averages to 40 constituent red-tape problems solved on a weekly basis alone. These numbers cover the 2021 calendar year.
“Everyday my team and I go to work for our constituents to make sure they get the government service they deserve,” said Davis. “The government serves the taxpayers – not the other way around. That should mean when they go to access services they are met with respect and served in an efficient manner. When that doesn’t happen we’re here to help and hold agencies accountable. My staff and I consider it a blessing to serve and will continue to go to bat each and every day for the people of Illinois.”
2,115 Completed Cases
That is a slightly higher amount compared to 2020 as demand for assistance ballooned amidst the Coronavirus pandemic and double the previous high set in 2014 fueled by veterans needing help during the scandal at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The top three issues addressed were related to taxes, international travel/immigration, and Illinois state agency performance. There were also a significant number of veterans, seniors, and individuals with disabilities assisted with benefit and healthcare programs.
510 Travel and Immigration Cases
International travel remained an obstacle for constituents this year as COVID-19 restrictions remained in place around the globe. Our office closely monitored travel restrictions, provided guidance, and assisted further as necessary. Many of these cases also related to the humanitarian evacuation out of Afghanistan for U.S. citizens and our allies which we worked closely on for many weeks.
460 Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Tax Cases
The majority of these cases were related to delayed tax returns caused by Internal Revenue Service (IRS) facility closures resulting in millions of unprocessed tax returns. Congressman Davis recently demanded answers for his constituents on this topic which you can read more about here. Economic Impact Payments (EIPs) were the other major area constituents had issues with – mostly not receiving what they believed they should have. We worked on a case by case basis to resolve these situations so people got what they were promised.
315 IDES (Unemployment) and ISP (FOID/CCL) Cases
These cases all had to do with untimely and unresponsive state agencies. The most common issue was complaints about the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) and its implementation of expanded unemployment benefits as well as being inaccessible in-person or by phone. The other common issue with the state was constituents facing major delays and processing issues in trying to obtain or renew their Firearm Owners Identification (FOID) card or Concealed Carry License (CCL) with the Illinois State Police (ISP). Our office gave constituents the best available information, guidance, and assistance in the face of unfortunate state agency performance.
We Also Helped…
187 seniors or individuals with disabilities with benefits and healthcare
97 veterans with healthcare and service-connected disabilities
55 mail customers who had delivery or service issues
54 small business owners with loans and grants
99% Satisfaction Rate
Constituents who open up a case with our office receive a feedback survey after their case is closed. The feedback we receive allows us to continually improve the services we provide. For the year 2021 our satisfaction rate indicated very good or excellent service exceeded 99%.
Constituent Service Spotlights Our office regularly highlights ways in which the Congressman and his staff can serve constituents by sharing feedback we have received from those already helped. You can view all of these on our Facebook and Twitter or view our most recent #ConstituentServiceSpotlights.