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Congresswoman—s district director briefs COG on constituent services, passport days and community grants
Summary
Janine, the district director for the Fifth District congresswoman, briefed the Northwest Hills County COG on federal constituent services, passport days and opportunities for community project funding.
Janine, who identified herself as district director for the U.S. representative from Connecticut—s Fifth District, attended the March 13 meeting to outline services the congressional district office provides to towns and residents.
Why it matters: Federal casework and community project funding can affect municipalities seeking project dollars or help resolving constituent issues with federal agencies.
Services offered: Janine said the district office has a four-person casework team that helps residents with federal agency problems (IRS, Social Security Administration, Department of Education and similar issues), including password resets and assistance with benefit inquiries. She invited municipalities to refer constituents to the district office and said the staff will be distributing updated constituent-service brochures to all 41 towns in the district.
Planned events and programs: Janine announced two upcoming full-service passport days in Waterbury on April 26 and Sept. 20, where passport agency staff will process applications and take photos onsite. She also promoted a congressional art competition for high school students to be displayed at the Naugatuck (Natasuk) Museum in downtown Waterbury and encouraged submissions from the Northwest Corner. The district office also offers seasonal internships for students, including DC placements for which students must arrange housing.
Federal funding note: Janine said the congresswoman voted against a recently passed continuing resolution because it could delay congressional community project funding (CPF) and could reduce IIJA (Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act) disbursements that many local projects rely on. She said the office will follow up with applicants if the resolution affects funding timelines and will stay in touch with the Connecticut Department of Transportation about infrastructure obligations that have been awarded but not dispersed.
What was not decided or promised: Janine offered outreach and referral support; no specific funding commitments were made on the record at the meeting.
