Help with a federal agency.
If you’re an Oklahoman who has hit a wall with a federal agency, our office may be able to help. We can make inquiries, push for status updates, and advocate for fair consideration — but we cannot dictate outcomes, override court decisions, or provide legal advice.
How Casework Works
Constituent services is the work behind the work.
Every Senate office has a casework team whose job is to step in when an Oklahoman is stuck with a federal agency — a VA claim that has gone silent, a Social Security file that won’t move, a passport that hasn’t arrived in time, an immigration case that has been pending for years. The work is unglamorous, but it is one of the most direct ways a senator’s office can help the people of the state.
Here’s how it typically goes. You submit an intake form describing your issue. Our caseworker reviews it, asks for any additional information, and — with your signed Privacy Act release on file — contacts the agency on your behalf to request a status update, flag the case for review, or push for fair consideration. We then follow the case through to resolution and keep you posted along the way.
Time-Sensitive Case?
If you have an urgent matter — an immediate medical or financial hardship, an emergency abroad, an imminent deadline — please call our Oklahoma City office at (405) 246-0025 rather than submitting an intake form. Our staff will route urgent cases directly to a caseworker.
Common Areas
Federal agencies we frequently work with.
Below are the agencies and topics our casework team handles most often for Oklahomans. If your issue isn’t on the list, submit a request anyway — we can usually point you in the right direction even when we can’t directly intervene.
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Affairs
VA disability claims, appeals, healthcare access, GI Bill education benefits, home loan guarantees, burial benefits, and military and medical records requests for the more than 280,000 veterans who call Oklahoma home.
Social Security & Medicare
Social Security & Medicare
Retirement and survivor benefits, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Medicare enrollment, and reconsideration requests when an SSA decision doesn’t add up.
Internal Revenue Service
Internal Revenue Service
Delayed refunds, identity-theft holds, transcript and prior-year return requests, Taxpayer Advocate referrals for hardship cases, and audits and notices that have stalled or gone unanswered.
U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services
USCIS & Immigration
Visa petitions, green card status, naturalization, employment authorization, and family-based immigration cases. Immigration casework requires a separate USCIS Privacy Act release — see below.
U.S. Department of State
Passports & Travel Abroad
Routine and expedited passport applications, lost or stolen passports while abroad, visa appointments and waivers, and emergencies overseas involving an Oklahoma resident or their family.
Department of Defense
Military & Active-Duty Issues
Casework for service members and their families at Tinker, Fort Sill, Altus, Vance, and McAlester Army Ammunition Plant. Records corrections, awards and decorations, transfers, and family-hardship requests.
HUD & Housing
HUD & Housing
FHA-backed mortgages and foreclosure prevention, Section 8 housing concerns, fair-housing complaints, and HUD-program disputes that have stalled. We also coordinate with USDA Rural Development for rural Oklahoma housing programs.
USDA
USDA & Rural Programs
Farm Service Agency (FSA) loans and disaster assistance, NRCS conservation programs, Rural Development housing and infrastructure grants, and any case where Oklahoma’s farmers and ranchers need a federal program to move.
U.S. Department of Education
Department of Education
Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) questions, student loan servicing disputes, Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) issues, IDR plan recertification problems, and federal grant questions for Oklahoma students.
What We Cannot Do
The honest limits of constituent services.
We will fight hard for fair treatment, but there are firm lines that no senator’s office can cross. Knowing what we can’t do up front saves everyone time and keeps expectations grounded.
Cannot Dictate Agency Decisions
We can’t order a federal agency to expedite or rule in your favor.
Our staff can request status updates, ask for reconsideration, and ensure your case gets a careful second look. We cannot force a decision or jump the queue ahead of other Oklahomans with similar cases.
Cannot Influence the Courts
We can’t overturn or influence a judge’s decision.
Separation of powers means a senator’s office stays out of judicial matters. If your issue is pending in federal court, you’ll need to work through your attorney, not through our office.
Cannot Provide Legal Advice
We can’t act as your attorney.
Our staff are caseworkers, not lawyers. We can explain how a process works, share where to find legal aid, and refer you to Oklahoma Bar Association resources — but we cannot give legal advice or represent you.
Cannot Help Non-Oklahomans
We can only assist Oklahoma residents.
Senate offices are limited to constituents of the state they represent. If you live outside Oklahoma, please contact your own U.S. senator’s office — you can find them at senate.gov.
Privacy Act Release
Before we can contact an agency on your behalf.
Under the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. § 552a), federal agencies cannot share information about an individual’s case with a third party — including a U.S. senator’s office — without that person’s written consent. The Privacy Act Release Form authorizes our staff to make inquiries on your behalf and to discuss the details of your case with the relevant agency.
Two forms may be needed: the general Privacy Act Release Form for most casework, and a USCIS-specific release if your case involves immigration. Both forms can be completed digitally, printed and signed, then returned with your intake.
If you need help downloading, printing, or completing either form, our staff can walk you through it over the phone. Call our Oklahoma City office at (405) 246-0025.
Required for All Casework
Privacy Act Release Form
Authorizes our office to inquire with any federal agency on your behalf about the matter you’ve described.
Required for Immigration Cases Only
USCIS Privacy Release (G-28I/Equivalent)
A separate release is required for any case involving U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services or related immigration matters.
Casework Intake
Tell us about your case.
Casework requests are submitted through our office’s secure intake process. A caseworker will review your submission, confirm next steps, and follow up — typically within five to seven business days.
Constituent Portal
Start your casework request.
You’ll be asked for your contact information, a brief description of your issue, and whether you already have a signed Privacy Act Release Form ready to attach. Immigration cases will also need the USCIS-specific release.
Approximate time: about 10 minutes · You’ll need: contact information, a brief description of your issue, and your signed Privacy Act Release Form (if ready)
This request will route directly to our casework team.
Questions?
Questions before you submit? Call our Oklahoma City office at (405) 246-0025.
Other Constituent Services
More ways our office can help.
Service Academy Nominations
Information and application materials for Oklahoma students seeking a congressional nomination to West Point, Annapolis, the Air Force Academy, or Merchant Marine.
Flag Requests
Order a U.S. flag flown over the Capitol with a certificate of authenticity from the Architect of the Capitol.
Contact the Office
Office locations, phone numbers, and the constituent message form for general questions and policy comments.