 |
Without their support, I would never have the opportunity to fight on behalf of the Idaho values we cherish.
This was one of my most successful years in Congress, both on the legislative front and with the constituent service that I consider a top priority.
One constituent case involved a Marine from Meridian. The Veterans Administration lowered this Gulf War Era veteran’s disability pay for service-connected injuries that affected her ability to work. We helped her navigate the appeals process.
After four years of advocacy, she received a reclassification and $107,000 in retroactive disability pay.
Another involved a family in Emmett due a $2,763 tax return. After seven months of being told the return was being processed, the family contacted my office. We soon learned that the IRS had accidentally deleted the return. The family quickly got their check.
In total, we helped nearly 1,000 Idahoans and recovered $1.6 million. I am proud to say that no matter the size of the problem, my caseworkers are determined to ensure constituents get a fair deal.
On the legislative side, I played a key role in one of the most significant laws of 2016, the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act, or PROMESA.
A debt crisis in the U.S. territory threatened to destabilize bond markets across the country, raising borrowing costs for the state of Idaho and hundreds of local governments. Those costs would have been passed on to Idaho taxpayers.
I secured important conservative changes in the bill, preventing a taxpayer bailout and forcing Puerto Rico to spend responsibly. The law now requires fiscal reforms without spending a single U.S. taxpayer dollar.
This year my office held 1,800 face-to-face meetings with Idahoans and others about the many issues before Congress. I authored seven bills in the 114th Congress and cosponsored another 125 pieces of legislation.
We made significant progress on several bills this Congress. Among these are my bills on criminal justice reform, religious freedom, forest management and a measure to ensure refugees entering the U.S. are not a threat to our national security.
We got the ball rolling, conducting hearings and winning committee approval on several bills.
I’m excited to hit the ground running in partnership with President-elect Trump in 2017. I believe we will accomplish great things.
As I reflect on a remarkable year, I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to serve and look forward to changing America for the better.