It’s the next best thing to being there.
Constituents who want the ear of Sixth District U.S. Congressman Mike Pence do not have to travel to Washington, or try to catch him on his trips home, they can let his staff come to them.
The Congressman sends a field representative to De-catur County six times a year to check the pulse of the voters.
Thursday was one of them.
“Most of the people we talk to are having problems with a specific case,” said field representative Jeff Howe. “They want to talk about Social security, disability, Medicare and Veteran’s Administration benefits.
“I listen to their problems and get them connected with the Congressman’s specific staff member who handles those issues. If someone has a problem with a state issue I direct them to the appropriate state agency.”
Greensburg’s Ron Bauerle was one of those who visited the mobile unit Thursday as it was parked outside of the Greensburg/Decatur County Public Library.
“I wanted to encourage Mr. Pence to support House Bill 994,” Bauerle said. “It relates to paying for health insurance with pre-tax dollars. I think the passing of this bill would benefit me and my fellow federal retirees.”
Bauerle is a retired Purdue Extension educator on the civil servant’s retirement system. He was excited about the opportunity to talk about his situation in person.
“I’ve never been to the mobile office since Congress-man Pence took office,” Bauerle said. “I think this is real nice. It lets us know he’s interested in the community. It makes me feel like he didn’t forget us when we sent him away to Washington.”
In addition to individual concerns, Howe said there is always one hot topic each time he comes and he can usually get a heads up by reading the newspaper.
“Whatever is big in the press is what people want to comment on,” he said. “Lately, it’s been gas prices. I pass their comments along to the Congressman and try not to interject my thoughts. I’d rather let him respond and speak for himself.”
Howe said Greensburg and Decatur County are great places for these types of conversations to flourish.
“The nice thing about our district is it is filled with cities the size of Greensburg or smaller,” he said. “The people here are all so friendly and seem to know and care about each other. When they finish with me they gather amongst themselves and talk about the issues of the town. It’s good to see.”
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