April 12, 2012

Schedule of Events Click here for a list of my upcoming events in the 7th District of Colorado.

White House Tax Receipt
In President Obama's 2011 State of the Union address, he promised an online resource to show taxpayers how their tax dollars are spent. After entering minor information, this online resource will give you a breakdown of how your tax dollars are used to fund national priorities like education, veterans' benefits, and health care.

Click here to access the White House's online resource.

Remember, tax filings are due on Monday April 16, 2012. If you have any questions about your tax preparations this year, IRS help lines are available for individuals (1-800-829-1040) as well as businesses (1-800-829-4933). After you file your federal tax return, you can track the progress of your pending refund on the IRS website using the "Track My Refund" feature. As always, please contact my Lakewood office if we can assist you during the 2012 tax season.

Protecting Online Privacy
As more and more Americans use the Internet, personal security and privacy concerns need to be addressed, and we should be able to use the Internet without compromising personal information.

You've probably seen recent news reports about a troubling trend of employers demanding employees and job applicants turn over their personal Facebook and other social media passwords as a condition of employment. I think this is wrong and is a violation of employees' and potential employees' expectation of privacy in using these types of personal social media.

This is why I recently proposed an amendment to prevent this sort of employer abuse. Click here to read more about how I'm trying to protect your online privacy. Also, click here to watch my floor speech proposing the FCC's authority to disallow employers from asking for social media logins and passwords.

Constituent Success Story: Ismael
My office is here to help the hard working people of the 7th Congressional District cut through some of the red tape when dealing with a government agency. If you are having an issue with a federal agency, please call my office. My staff and I will always do our best to help. I'm proud my office was able to help Ismael with his petition for his mother's permanent legal immigration status.

Quote: Thank you for all the assistance you have provided me during my mother's immigration case. I appreciate the information and advice you have given, as well as the connections you have shared with me. Your expertise and help have been invaluable during this process. Again, thank you so much. I sincerely appreciate your generosity.