Constituent Concerns Lead to Legislation Passed in the U.S. House

Complaints from constituents about the failure to receive documents from the government for which they had paid led 7th District Congressman Rob Woodall to introduce and the House of Representatives to pass a bill that resolves the issue at no cost to taxpayers.

H.R. 4712, The Secure Mail Initiative Act, came about after several of Woodall’s constituents complained that documents issued by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) got lost in the mail, and were never received. As a result, the constituents had to pay USCIS a second time in order to have the paperwork reissued and sent again. Woodall’s bill, which is cosponsored by Democratic Rep. Jackie Speier of California, allows the individual to choose signature required delivery, guaranteeing that the documents they requested will reach them. In a press release, Woodall stated,

As well as being a solution to a problem facing members of our communities, this is also a national security bill. Ensuring these documents reach the men and women to whom they belong is certainly the goal, and by achieving it we can be certain they aren’t falling into the hands of those with ill intent. When I received calls from constituents who never received the documents for which they paid – not to mention rightfully earned – I went to work on a common-sense solution. I’ll always work to sort things out on a case by case basis, but this bill aims to keep it from happening in the first place, and I’m proud to partner with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to get it done.

Congressman Woodall frequently mentions instances where a constituent’s concerns have led to legislation that solves the problem for the constituent and others is similar situations. The Secure Mail Initiative Act is a good example of this.