U.S. Rep. Emilia Sykes recounts first year in Congress

One year ago, I had the privilege of being sworn in to represent the people of Ohio’s 13th Congressional District in Congress.

The opportunity to serve the people and communities who raised me has been the honor of a lifetime and a responsibility I do not take lightly. From day one, I have prioritized bringing your voices with me to D.C. and reconnecting our communities to Congress.

I’m proud to say my team and I have done just that by assisting 573 constituents with casework, returning more than $2.2 million to constituents owed money by federal agencies, and holding more than 580 constituent and community stakeholder meetings. We’ve also hosted 13 town halls and mobile office hours, including in Canton and North Canton, and brought back over $100 million in federal funding for local governments and organizations across the district.

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But that’s not all. In honor of serving OH-13, the Birthplace of Champions, here are the 13 highlights I’m most proud of from 2023:

1. Introduced the Lower Your Taxes Act to lower costs and put more money back into your pockets by expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit.

2. Led the bipartisan RAIL Act with members of the Ohio congressional delegation to improve rail safety and prevent tragic train derailments like the one that occurred in East Palestine just 47 miles from our district.

3. Fought against cuts to your hard-earned Social Security and Medicare benefits and co-sponsored the Social Security 2100 Act to strengthen this critical program, increase cost-of-living adjustments to account for inflation, and ensure every senior gets paid the full amount of benefits they have earned.

4. Introduced bipartisan legislation to allow law enforcement agencies to use federal grants for recruitment and retention bonuses so local police departments struggling to fill vacant positions can hire the best and brightest professionals to keep our streets safe.

5. Hosted a roundtable discussion at the American Legion Post 44 in Canton to connect veterans who were exposed to toxins during their service to new healthcare and disability benefits available under the Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act.

6. Recognized National Domestic Violence Awareness Month by introducing the Safer Homes and Families Act to ensure all families in our communities are safe from violence, and attended the grand opening of the Domestic Violence Project Inc.’s newly renovated Founding Mothers’ Room and Community Space in Canton.

7. Toured several hospitals throughout Stark County, including Aultman Hospital and Cleveland Clinic Mercy Hospital, and met with providers to discuss improving access to health care for all residents and investing in our health care workforce.

8. Held multiple roundtables with Stark County elected officials to discuss how we can work together to best serve our constituents.

9. Hosted an event to help seniors lower their health care costs by taking advantage of the Inflation Reduction Act, which lowers prescription drug prices, caps the cost of insulin at $35 per month for seniors.

10. Visited the Stark State and Kent State-Stark campuses and met with students, faculty and leadership to discuss ways to make college more affordable for all.

11. Brought together labor leaders for a discussion about creating good-paying jobs and advancing the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act to increase wages, provide better benefits, and create safer working conditions.

12. Co-sponsored the TRANQ Act, which became law in December, and the Stop Fentanyl Now Act to secure our border and combat the spread of dangerous opioids in our communities to save lives.

13. Met with Stark Area Regional Transit Authority (SARTA) leadership and transit workers to tour their buses and facilities and discuss investing in sustainable vehicles and improving access to public transit for all. Following the visit, SARTA received a $4.41 million Bipartisan Infrastructure Law grant to purchase electric buses.

I’m proud of the work we’ve accomplished in our first year, and in 2024, I am confident we will continue to deliver results and expand opportunities for everyone. I’ll keep putting people before politics and working across the aisle to secure meaningful results for our district and country.

Please remember, I work for you. If I can ever be of assistance, do not hesitate to contact my office at 330-400-5350 or sykes.house.gov.

Congresswoman Emilia Sykes represents Ohio’s 13th Congressional District, which includes all of Summit County, northwest Stark County, and portions of southwest Portage County.

This article originally appeared on The Repository: U.S. Rep. Emilia Sykes recounts first year in Congress