Letter to the Editor: Rush Holt Outlines 2011 Accomplishments

It is an honor and privilege to represent the people of Central New Jersey and to work to improve your quality of life. As we begin 2012, I want to encourage you to keep in touch to share your thoughts on the issues that matter to you and your family.

Recently I mailed an annual newsletter to provide a brief update on the last year in Congress and to share a few examples of my work on behalf of our community in 2011, including:

• Responding to 14,148 letters, phone calls, and emails from Mercer County residents who had shared their ideas and concerns.  In all, I personally read and replied to 42,295 constituent communications last year.
• Helping secure $250,000 from the Department of Justice to provide temporary housing in Trenton for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking.
• Visiting the school gardens at Hopewell Elementary in Hopewell Borough to see how students are growing their own nutritious food, and writing a new law that will help create similar programs nationwide.
• Expediting, in less than 24 hours, a Princeton Borough resident’s passport and visa approvals, allowing her to make a scheduled flight to Africa.  She was among 1,825 New Jerseyans whom I helped cut through red tape in their dealings with federal agencies.
• Touring Homasote, a Ewing manufacturer engaged in innovative research to succeed in today’s economy. In Congress, I introduced bills to create new tax credits for research-intensive small businesses and the investors that fund them.
• Visiting with Lawrence students, teachers, and staff at Ben Franklin Elementary School and Lawrence Intermediate School – among 23 local school visits in 2011.
• Intervening after an IRS error delayed a Pennington resident’s receipt of a $3,500 tax refund. The money was promptly refunded with interest.
• Visiting with West Windsor students to find new ways to prevent school bullying. In Congress, I joined Sen. Lautenberg to introduce legislation that strengthens anti-harassment and anti-bullying programs at colleges.

These are just a few examples of the various things that a Congressional representative can do to serve you, and I hope they inspire your ideas for how I may better serve you in the year ahead.  Much more information on my recent work for Mercer County and the other four counties in the 12th Congressional District is available online.

Please keep in touch to share your thoughts, concerns, and specific problems, whether by phone (toll-free at 1-87-RUSH-HOLT), by email, or in person in your community.

Sincerely,

Rush Holt
Member of Congress