By Rep. Mike Levin
I’m proud to raise my family in South Orange County. I was raised here, went to public schools here, and grew up going to the beaches and businesses that make our region so special.
I ran for Congress in 2018, because I wanted to give back to this community. I felt like we needed a representative in Congress who would be more accessible, listen to the people they serve, and focus on our local priorities, rather than national politics and partisan pandering.
Since I took office in January of 2019, that’s exactly what I have tried to do. I’ve said many times that while my name may be on the door, this office really belongs to you, the people I serve. That’s why I work hard to be responsive and focus on constituent services.
I’ve held dozens of town halls to answer your questions and keep you informed about the latest updates on COVID-19, my work in Congress, and other timely issues. To do my job well, I need to hear directly from you about your priorities and the challenges you face, and that’s what this column is all about. I encourage everyone I represent to contact my office. I take time to read your messages, and I try to get back to each of you as quickly as possible. You can email me and find other contact information by visiting MikeLevin.House.Gov.
Each month, I plan to share some of your stories and report back on what I’m doing in Congress to help. That might mean introducing a new bill or fighting for more federal resources. I also want to share updates about the constituent services my office provides to help people with federal agencies.
For example, Damond in San Juan Capistrano was having a problem with his passport and couldn’t get assistance in fixing it until he contacted my office. We got to work, and Damond had this to say once we were able to resolve his issue: “I truthfully did not think that this would be given attention based on the exhausting experience I had before I reached out to you. I cannot say enough about your responsiveness and how it made me feel that you actually cared about the situation. This makes me feel so much better, that there are people like yourself in high places that will actually take the time to help the little people, like myself, and the somewhat insignificant problems we might have.”
I hope to share more stories like that here, so you know what kind of issues I can help with. And while we’re not always able to get every constituent the outcome they’re hoping for, we’ll always do our best to come to a positive resolution.
So, whether you’re having trouble with a federal agency or simply wish to share your priorities, please reach out. I’m here to help, and I look forward to sharing more updates about our progress along the way.
U.S. Representative Mike Levin represents the 49th Congressional District, which includes the South Orange County cities of Dana Point, San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano. He was reelected for a second term in 2020 and resides in San Juan Capistrano with his wife and two children.
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