{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.kelly.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/kellys-office-helps-arizonans-resolve-issues-with-federal-agencies/", "Kelly\u2019s Office Helps Arizonans Resolve Issues with Federal Agencies", "2026-09-17", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "Senate", "AZ", "Mark Kelly", "K000377", "www.kelly.senate.gov", "markkelly", "https://www.kelly.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/", "scraper", "Recent casework helped Arizonans recover withheld benefits and military back pay, secure caregiver support, and receive long-awaited World War II medals\n\nEvery day, Arizona Senator Mark Kelly\u2019s office helps Arizonans across the state resolve issues with federal agencies and access the benefits they have earned. Recent cases include recovering Social Security benefits and $11,500 in military back pay, securing caregiver support for a disabled veteran, and helping a Flagstaff family receive World War II medals that had never been issued.\n\nThese are just a few examples of the work Kelly\u2019s office does year-round to help Arizonans navigate federal agencies and get the answers, benefits, and services they deserve:\n\nSocial Security\n\nLyubov from Phoenix contacted Senator Kelly\u2019s office after the Social Security Administration incorrectly included a Holocaust restitution payment when calculating her income and resources, even though federal law excludes these payments from determining federal benefits. The error resulted in the agency withholding $99.40 from her monthly benefit. After Kelly\u2019s office provided supporting documentation to the agency, Social Security corrected her record and returned the benefits that had been withheld.\n\nVeterans Affairs\n\nPam from Buckeye contacted Senator Kelly\u2019s office after spending two years trying to secure respite caregiver services through the Department of Veterans Affairs for her disabled veteran husband. After Kelly\u2019s office contacted the VA, the agency approved the services, allowing Pam to travel with her husband and receive caregiver support while tending to other family responsibilities.\n\n\u201cThank you from the bottom of my heart for the assistance. The burden that you relieved for us is incalculable. It\u2019s an honor to have you as my senator,\u201d said Pam.\n\nMilitary Records and Pay\n\nStaff Sergeant Baltazar from Tucson contacted Senator Kelly\u2019s office after a long-standing error in his military records incorrectly listed his time in service as beginning in 2019, despite serving continuously in the U.S. Army since 2011. The error affected his pay, benefits, and career progression and remained unresolved despite years of attempts to correct it. After Kelly\u2019s office contacted the Department of the Army and followed up on the case, Baltazar\u2019s service record was corrected, and he received $11,500 in back pay.\n\n\u201cAfter such a long and frustrating journey, having this finally settled is a massive relief for me and my family,\u201d said Baltazar. \u201cI truly believe I could not have gotten this resolved without your office\u2019s intervention and support. Thank you for having my back.\u201d\n\nWorld War II Medals\n\nStewart from Flagstaff met Kelly\u2019s staff during a visit to Meteor Crater and shared that his father\u2019s World War II medals had never been issued. After years of trying to obtain the medals, including contacting several congressional offices, Kelly\u2019s office contacted the Army on his behalf, and the Army issued and mailed the medals to Thomson.\n\n\u201cThank you so much for this quick and positive outcome. I can\u2019t wait to inform three generations of family members,\u201d said Stewart.", 1, "2026-09-18T09:27:43Z", "2026-09-18T09:29:09Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.kelly.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/kellys-office-helps-arizonans-resolve-issues-with-federal-agencies/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.9804411567747593, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}