
Like many of you, news of last month’s election filled me with real concern for the future of this country. A second Trump presidency puts many at risk, from women facing threats to their bodily autonomy to immigrants worried about the collapse of their American dream. Given these potential consequences, it can be easy to fall into a pit of negativity and fear.
Instead, I suggest we follow a different path.
This election was a flashing neon sign for Democrats. That sign told us that the majority of Americans feel neglected by the ivory towers of Washington, and by the politicians who currently sit atop them. It was a clear referendum to support some kind of change.
Instead of social media campaigns and celebrity endorsements, we need to connect with these people in a way that leaves lasting personal impressions. For elected officials, the best way to do this is to reach out via phone lines to congressional offices around the country: Meaningful foundational services.
Muhammad Abdullah is one of my team members from Lincoln Park. His wife is currently undergoing treatment for multiple sclerosis in Michigan, and his two children have obtained short-term visas to leave Yemen and visit their sick father and mother. However, due to a combination of the ongoing pandemic and violent conflicts in the Middle East, his children have been unable to flee farther than Egypt.
With no way forward and very little heard from the US State Department, Abdullah reached out to my office as a last resort. With some hard work, a lot of email correspondence, and some late nights, the incorporation lawyers in my office were able to connect Abdullah’s sons with the Djibouti Embassy in Egypt. There, they can prove their relationship to Abdullah and obtain approval to travel to the United States
“I would like to express my sincere gratitude and appreciation for your efforts and continued support in reuniting my family,” Abdullah told us. “Thanks to your help, my children arrived safely and are now in the arms of their parents, a moment that means a lot to us.”
I have lost count of the number of times constituents have spoken to me about an issue our office helped them solve. At a recent event I attended, Dr. Rojanandham Samudrala recounted how our office helped his wife with a life-saving bone marrow transplant. Her brother was a match but was out of the country and needed an emergency visa to participate in the procedure.
“After your office intervened, he got his appointment and was able to get here to donate his bone marrow and saved her life,” Samudrala said.
Our work has an immeasurable impact on the lives of our community, and it’s something we cherish and appreciate as a moment to point to and say, “Yes, the government did something that made my life better.” Cases like that of Abdullah and Dr. Samudrala are undoubtedly poignant, but our offices have much more to offer in the world of public service. Most cases in congressional offices are mundane but often just as impactful.
For the past few months, Joel Howell, a senior Army veteran, has been receiving physical therapy at the Department of Veterans Affairs. Antonio Diggs received more than $5,000 in additional tax refunds. Alondra Rodriguez has received her permanent resident status. These are just a few examples of lives changed for the better through an institution in which many lose hope.
It goes without saying that Democrats in Washington and across the country are already doing everything they can to protect the people most at risk during a Trump presidency.
Unfortunately, comprehensive progressive changes will be nearly impossible with Republicans in control of all three branches of government.
We must focus on making big changes for our voters. It’s time to remind those who feel left behind that we are still there for them. In my second term, I will continue to provide world-class constituent service, and I hope all of my Democratic colleagues will join me. Together, we can rebuild trust at the local level, organize community support to implement progressive policies, and truly represent the needs of our constituents.
Shri Tanedhar represents Michigan’s 13th District in the United States House of Representatives. Send a letter to the editor at freep.com/letters We may publish it online and in print.