Rep. Kilmer and Nick Sund on Repatriation During COVID-19

Okay. Okay, Okay, everybody everybody. everybody. Derek Kilmer here here and and and listen listen listen I I I I. work work work for for for you you. you. That's kinda how this this works works and and and one one one of of of the the the things things things things. that. that that that that that my office works on on is is when when folks folks have have have an an an issue. issue issue with with with the the the federal federal. federal federal agency, we try to help help and and a a a lot lot lot of of of folks. folks folks folks don't don't don't know know know this this this half half half. half of of of my my my team here in in the the district. district. That's That's That's what what what we we we call call call casework. casework Casework, Casework, where where where if if if someone someone someone someone has has. has has an an an issue issue issue with with with the the the federal agency, whether whether it it be be the the VA VA VA or or. or or social social social security security security security. or Medicare Medicare or or IRS IRS IRS or or or you you you you. name name name it, it it, we we. we we go go go to to to work work work on on. on their. their behalf and. they've been doing a lot of work over the few months we work to address the Covid- 19 a pandemic and that's created a lot of unique challenges. A lot of the work we've been doing is trying to help our local small businesses. We've been doing some other work that's been kinda unique and that includes helping out my guest today. Mixon from Tacoma. Nick Thanks for being with me, Thanks for having me Derek maybe start off by just telling folks a little bit about where where you you you were were were when when when all all all all of of of the the the the covid- covid-. 19 pandemic, I came down Work it's way over to the Western hemisphere and what circumstances you found yourself in well, I was one of the many thousand Americans are in Peru at the time and we arrived in a Peru and just at the beginning of March, just when you know things were starting to go down and shortly after of the Peruvian government close down their borders and issued quarantines for people to stay inside and things progress. Quickly from there. So you're in thousands of commercial flights are being cancelled. The borders are being closed visa process and being limited and you've got to be thinking I'm host so what happens next? Yeah First thing we try to do is get in contact with the embassy to figure out you know what their guidance was this kind of situation and you're right. a lot of the commercial flights were cancelled, so there was no way out of the country really and things. At first because we weren't getting much communication from the embassy and of course because they've never had to deal with this, many people stuck in the country all at once all around the world so it's really confusing time for the first week there and so you know my travel partner and I were just making do and trying to find information where we can get it but for a while there, we didn't know what was happening and then then my my team team got got got the the the call call call from. from from from your your your family family family and and and my my my. my incredible incredible incredible director of constituent constituent services. services. Sherrie Sherrie Sherrie William William. William William stepped stepped stepped in in. in. so So so what what what what. happened happened happened next next next and and and how how do did you? you end up getting? Yeah, that's right. so you know I in with my family and you know they they decided to matters into their own hands and reach out to you guys and when I got in contact with Sherrie, then we just kind of coordinated through what's up cuz that's the best way to communicate across borders and she kind of gave me the inside scoop on what was going on in the United States government and how they're trying to manage the situation because obviously it's not. Repatriations you guys are dealing with. it's everything else related to this crisis. so that was really helpful getting some information there before we were able to get a line of communication open with the embassy, I provided my information into my travel partners information so that way we could be considered for an outbound flight. I was being arranged by the United States government. And to eventually you got a repatriation flight and we're able to make it back to the US. That's right so eventually the embassy started communicating a little more constantly and giving us the information that we needed whatever information that she had provided to them got us on you know one of the first flights out of there in the first week. so I was able to you know, make it back home and be back with my family and so it was my travel partner. Well, incredible stuff Nick. I'm glad made it home. I know this has been a challenging time, but I I I appreciate you're taking the time to share your story just because I actually think it's important for folks to get an understanding of often unheralded work that my case work team does and how important they can be to solving problems for people and in this case and in particular in the work they've been doing during Covid- 19 is I think been really impactful, but you know they do an All year round, they've literally worked with thousands of throughout our region. you know helping folks get VA benefits when they've haven't gotten the benefits that they've earned or you know I was in my office and I was talking to share. I said. What are you working on And she said, Well, I just brought somebody back from the dead and I said, How's that And she said, well someone showed up at the hospital and Medicare and accidentally qualified them or classified them as deceased and it turns out. It's really hard to get your health care when they think you're dead and you know these are. Types of unhealed the things that office does just to try to solve problems for people and sometimes it's just trying to get the State Department and the embassies to work with folks who might be stuck in a foreign country. So Nick anything else that I should ask you or anything else you wanna share well. It was just it's pleasure speaking with you today and I just thanks again for you and your team Courting to get me safely back to the United States. I'm glad to be here You bet Nick. Thanks for sharing your story. I'm glad you made it home, safe and sound. I wanna mention to folks who are watching you have an issue and you think our office can help you can reach out to my team on your website. It's on on on our website, which is just kilmer dot House dot Gov slash contact and there's a tab there that says help with the federal agency that that will put you in touch with our casework team and we're happy to go to work for you too. So thanks everybody for watching. we'll see you soon.