Kansans Join Davids to Highlight Milestone: $11 Million Recovered for Taxpayers in Kansas’ Third District
OVERLAND PARK, KS – Today, Representative Sharice Davids joined Kansas business owners, veterans, and residents to highlight her office reaching the milestone of over $11 million recovered for local taxpayers in the Kansas Third District. In total, Davids' office has helped 4,150 hardworking Kansans with overdue tax returns, missing Social Security and veterans' benefits, and more. Of the $11 million, Davids' office recovered $7 million in missing IRS tax returns.
"I never want people to walk into our office and feel like they've come to the wrong place. Helping solve the issues that affect folks' everyday lives continues to be one of the most important parts of my job," said Davids. "I'm very proud of the work my office has done to reach this $11 million threshold, but more importantly, I want folks to know that no matter the party, I am here for them. Everyone deserves a government that works for them, and that's what we aim to provide."
"When Representative Davids says she's working on making a difference for Kansas, believe it," said Stacy Drake, Marketing Manager, Affinity Asset Management. "After waiting ten weeks, her team helped me in a very stressful, panicked state to receive my passport within one day of departure to Switzerland. No matter the situation, I believe she cares."
"COVID put my agency at risk of survival," said Rick Doolittle, Manager Partner, Doolittle & Harrington Healthcare LLC. "The SBA was overwhelmed with EIDL loan applications. They did the best job they could under the circumstances, but I went through a very uncertain period of months before I contacted Representative Davids for help. Representative Davids and her terrific outreach staff stepped in and my loan was funded in 10 days! I may not have been able to remain viable without this assistance and my staff and clients remain grateful for Representative Davids and her capable staff."
"It's a great feeling to be represented by your Representative," said Kyle Jorgenson, Shawnee resident.
"While Rep. Davids' team helped me receive my Purple Heart from a wound sustained nine years prior in Afghanistan, that was just the beginning," said Kyle Prellberg, local veteran. "Pinning the medal to my chest was the catalyst to many future successes. I would not be where I am today without their help, and I am confident they will dedicate just as much attention to all of those lucky enough to live in the district, no matter your allegiance"
Davids was joined by constituents for whom she has successfully closed cases in the past.
- Stacy Drake needed a renewed passport to attend an overseas work trip, but it was delayed. Davids' team helped expedite the passport and book an immediate appointment at the Denver passport office so she could attend her trip on time.
- Rick Doolittle was approved for a COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) loan, but never received his funding. Davids' team worked with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to fix an internal software issue and expedite the funds, helping his business stay open.
- After selling his home, Kyle Jorgensen received a letter stating he incorrectly owed around $150,000 to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). After Davids' team provided documents to the IRS, the amount owed was decreased to $0.
- Kyle Prellberg was injured while serving in Afghanistan, but due to an error, he did not receive a Purple Heart. Davids' team worked with Veteran's Affairs (VA) so he could finally receive the military medal and assisted him in finding veteran housing. Prellberg was Davids' guest to the 2020 State of the Union.
Davids' emphasis on effective constituent services stems from her dedication to office transparency. Earlier this month, her office received the Congressional Management Foundation's Democracy Award for her outstanding accomplishments in Transparency and Accountability. This award is given to one Democrat and one Republican every two years for demonstrating exceptional, meaningful, and robust communications to constituents.
Bringing federal funding home to Kansas has been a top priority for Davids. Most recently, she announced that the House Appropriations Committee approved all 15 of her Community Project Funding submissions, advancing more than $32 million for projects ranging from updates to a police mobile command center to the modernization of a traffic-heavy bridge. Each project was submitted in conjunction with local officials and selected for its potential to improve health and safety in the community, tackle climate change, and bring economic opportunity to the Third District.
If residents of Kansas' Third Congressional District are having trouble with a federal agency, they should visit Representative Davids' website at davids.house.gov/help.