During his first term in office, Congressman Bill Owens’ office says he worked to secure $1,097,531.54 for those seeking help from his offices in New York’s 23rd Congressional District.

“Helping my constituents navigate the federal bureaucracy is one of the most important things I can do,” said Owens. “I am very pleased with the level of success we have seen in our ongoing fight to help Upstate New Yorkers receive money and benefits they are owed by the federal government.”

Among the highlights:

· Veterans Affairs: One North Country veteran worked for almost six years to collect VA benefits with no success. After working with Owens’ office, the man was awarded all back-benefits he was due, totaling $72,824.

· Tax Credits: When a resident of Morrisonville experienced difficulty receiving his 2010 tax refund, he contacted Congressman Owens’ office and received tax credits for which he qualified - totaling more than $10,000 – within two weeks. This case is typical of many the office sees in that all it took was a simple inquiry from Owens to clear up confusion with the IRS, allowing them to release the refund that was due to the North Country taxpayer.

· Social Security: Recently, Congressman Owens was able to assist a constituent from Bouckville who asked for help in obtaining Social Security benefits. After an inquiry was sent, the Social Security Administration (SSA) found in favor of the man and awarded him $59,468 in retroactive benefits.

· Internal Revenue Service: Last year, a resident of Gouverneur was due a tax refund from the IRS, but had not received payment despite numerous attempts to work with the agency over several months. Through Owens’ office, the man was able to collect more than $14,000 in tax returns, including interest, that he was due from the federal government.

· Additional agencies: Owens offices in Watertown, Oneida and Plattsburgh stand ready to assist residents of New York’s 23rd Congressional District with their problems beyond trying to collect back-benefits. A full list of casework services offered by Owens and his staff can be found in the constituent service section of his website, http://owens.house.gov/ConstituentServices/casework/default.aspx.

In 2010, Owens and his staff held multiple town halls, handled tens of thousands of pieces of constituent correspondence, and engaged in countless meetings with area residents to hear concerns and correct problems Upstate New Yorkers had with the federal government. Through this outreach campaign, Owens secured more than $1 million the government owed seniors, veterans, families, and small business owners. The $1 million figure does not include various projects Owens has worked toward to create local jobs and put Upstate New Yorkers back to work.

Early this year, Owens expanded his outreach campaign by opening a full-time office in the City of Oneida. As New York’s 23rd Congressional District encompasses 14,000 square miles over 11 different counties, Congressman Owens has worked to offer easy ways for constituents to stay engaged and keep in contact:

· Town Halls: Since his 2009 election to Congress, Owens has held multiple traditional in-person town halls, held live Q&A events at area colleges and universities, and organized five “telephone town halls” when his duties in Washington kept him in the nation’s capital. These efforts have led to direct contact with tens of thousands of Upstate New Yorkers.

· Mobile Office Hours: Members of Owens staff hold regular events at libraries and public offices throughout the region. These “mobile office hours” offer Upstate New Yorkers who may not have time to travel to their local office the opportunity to meet directly with a representative of Owens’ staff.

· Website: Owens’ website, found at http://owens.house.gov, offers news updates, information on various issues, and a way for NY-23 constituents to email their representative in the U.S. House directly. Owens corresponded with more than 25,000 constituents through email in 2010 alone.

· E-Newsletter: Congressman Owens offers regular updates from his office for subscribers of his e-newsletter. Those interested in signing up for these updates can do so on the main page of Owens’ website.

· Social Media: Congressman Owens can also be reached through his accounts on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/repbillowens) and Twitter (@BillOwensNY.

· New York Offices: For personal meetings and help with federal agencies, Owens and his staff are available at four offices in Watertown, Plattsburgh, Oneida and Washington, D.C.