Friends,

Spring is almost here, which means we're coming up on tax season. So before I dive into this week's update, I wanted to take a moment to remind everyone about the services my office offers.

My team is here to help navigate any troubles you might have dealing with the IRS… this past year we helped 89 people with IRS challenges they had, ranging from tax returns to economic impact payments to child tax credit payments. If you are having trouble filing your taxes or getting an answer from the IRS, my office stands ready to do everything we can to help! Click here or call (757) 364-7650.

We all know how easy it can be to get caught off-guard by Tax Day! This year, don’t wait until the last minute to prepare your taxes…Click here for some useful filing tips so you can get started now!

Now time to recap a busy week in the district and in Washington...!

Securing Our Border and Standing with Our Allies

We are living in a dangerous world, from the threats at our own borders to those in the South China Sea, Putin's brutal invasion of Ukraine, and Hamas' renewed reign of terror in the Middle East. We need to make sure that we are displaying our strength on the world stage. It's not enough to simply acknowledge these threats...we have to take immediate action to deter them alongside our allies.

That's why I am proud to cosponsor the Defending Borders, Defending Democracies Act, a bill introduced by Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01), that will secure the U.S. southern border and provide critical defense-only funding for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. Our friends should trust us, and our enemies should fear us, and this bill will help us do just that.

The Defending Borders, Defending Democracies Act would suspend the entry of inadmissible aliens and implement a "Remain in Mexico" policy by requiring an alien seeking admission into the United States be detained and expelled to their nation of origin. Additionally, the bill would provide $66.32 billion in defense-funding for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan.

It is beyond time we pass legislation to protect our southern border and our allies. We have been talking about this, but not acting, and I am not going to sit by anymore and allow more inaction. I am committed to ensuring the Defending Borders, Defending Democracies Act sees a vote on the House floor...!

Holding Secretary of Defense Austin Accountable

Last week in Washington, Secretary of Defense Austin testified before the House Armed Services Committee to answer our questions about how his absence in January broke the chain of command at the highest level. Our military is the strongest in the world, but if there is a national security emergency, the President needs to know who to call to protect our country and those who serve it.

I am glad Secretary Austin is getting the treatment he needs and am wishing him well during his recovery. I also appreciate that he apologized for what happened, however, apologies do not preserve our national defense. To ensure America remains capable of combating threats wherever and whenever they occur, we not only need an unparalleled military force, but also a strong military leadership that cannot be compromised.

That's why I introduced the Securing the Chain of Command Continuity Act in January to make sure that errors like this never happen again. It would require National Security Council members to provide notification within 24 hours of any planned or emergent medical incapacitation to the Executive Office of the President, the Comptroller General of the United States, and both Chambers of Congress. If this notification does not occur, the respective agency would be required to submit a comprehensive report providing transparency to the American people surrounding the incapacitation and notification failure within three days.

I'm pleased to report that last month, the House Oversight Committee passed my bill by a unanimous, bipartisan vote of 41-0...! I look forward to seeing this critical legislation on the House floor for a vote as soon as possible in order to protect the integrity of our national security.

Fighting for Family Caregivers

Did you know that more than 48 million Americans serve as caregivers for their parents, spouses, and loved ones? On average, these Americans spend $7,200 a year on extra care and services for their loved ones.

I want to make sure that these caregivers are able to continue taking care of the people they love, which is why I recently cosponsored the Credit for Caring Act! The legislation would provide a federal tax credit of up to $5,000 for these eligible and working family caregivers.

As a geriatric nurse practitioner, I have seen how much time, effort, and money family caregivers dedicate to supporting their loved ones and prioritizing their health. This bill is a great solution for those who pay out of their own pockets for long-term support for family members, and I'm proud to support it...!

Arcadia High School and Civil Air Patrol Visit D.C.!

It is always exciting when we have visitors from back home join us in our nation's capital...! Last week, I got the chance to visit with juniors and seniors from Arcadia High School in Oak Hall. I loved taking questions from them on the steps of the Capitol and hearing about what most interests them about their government. They even got to watch the House vote from the gallery!

I also had the chance to meet with members of the Virginia Wing of the Civil Air Patrol. We talked about how Congress can support the important work they do on behalf of Virginians. It's always a great day when fellow aviators stop by our office...!

One of my favorite parts about being your member of Congress is showing visitors from back home around their capitol! If you are interested in coming up to visit Washington, you can request a tour from my office here. We can help arrange tours for the U.S. Capitol, White House, Library of Congress, Supreme Court, and the FBI Headquarters. Hope to see you soon!!

A Busy Day on the Eastern Shore!

Last Monday, I had the pleasure of spending the day visiting with lots of people on the Eastern Shore! Thank you to everyone who joined us at our first Coffee with the Congresswoman of 2024 at the Eastern Shore Public Library...! It is so important to me to have these one-on-one conversations to make sure that I am fighting for you and your families. Stay tuned for more Coffee with the Congresswoman events in the future!

I also paid a visit to the Riverside Shore Memorial Hospital for the announcement of their new partnership with DroneUp! DroneUp is a leading autonomous drone delivery provider headquartered right here in Virginia Beach. Their new Drone Deliver of Medical Packages program will set a new standard for patient care and expand access to critical medication for individuals who live in hard-to-reach areas. As a geriatric nurse practitioner, I am thankful for DroneUp's creativity and dedication to providing these critical services...!

I always enjoy getting to spend time in the district, hearing from you directly, and seeing all of the amazing projects, programs, and initiatives put on by Virginia businesses, organizations, and our military! Do you have an event coming up that you think I should know about? Contact my team here...!

Weekly Poll

With over 650 votes last week, an overwhelming 70% of you said that the House should pass a compromise deal with the Senate to avoid a government shutdown. I agree, which is why I voted for another short term government funding bill to give the House and Senate more time to come to an agreement and finally pass our Fiscal Year 2024 funding bills. I am hopeful that this will be the last temporary funding bill we will pass and that over the next several weeks we finally pass our full year funding bills and avoid a government shutdown!

And now on to this week's poll question! Please click one of the buttons below to share your opinion!

Medal of Honor Recipient of the Week

This week I want to honor the Medal of Honor recipient, First Lieutenant Brian Miles Thacker of the United States Army. (Medal of Honor action date: March 31,1971) 

Brian Thacker was born on April 25, 1945 in Columbus, Ohio. The son of a Korean War soldier, Thacker and his family moved around a lot, and he eventually graduated from high school and college in Utah. Thacker was commissioned into the United States Army in June of 1969 in Salt Lake City, Utah, and deployed to fight in Vietnam. Within the first two years of his service, he was promoted to the rank of First Lieutenant. 

On March 31, 1971, Thacker was stationed at Firebase 6, located in the Central Highlands of Vietnam, serving as the team leader of an Integrated Observation System which consisted of both US Army and Army of the Vietnam Republic forces. In the early morning, Thacker and his men were attacked by a large North Vietnamese contingent.

The enemy forces used rockets, grenades, flamethrowers, and automatic weapons to break though the perimeter and proceeded to engage in hand to hand combat with the defending soldiers. As the fighting continued into the afternoon, First Lieutenant Thacker did everything he could to rally the forces under his control and encourage them to repel the enemy. 

For a period of four hours, First Lieutenant Thacker occupied an area that left him dangerously exposed to the enemy, as he directed airstrikes and artillery fire against the adversaries. His brave actions enabled the soldiers under him to inflict a mass amount of casualties against the much larger invading force and prevent the base from being overrun. 

As the fighting continued into the afternoon, it became untenable for the American and South Vietnamese soldiers to continue to hold their position. Making a difficult decision in the heat of battle, First Lieutenant Thacker directed the withdrawal of the remaining soldiers under his command. To ensure these troops could safely withdraw, Thacker single-handedly provided backup from within the perimeter for the fleeing soldiers. 

Although wounded and unable to escape from the area himself, he successfully eluded the enemy forces for eight days until friendly forces regained control of the fire base. The extraordinary courage and selflessness displayed by Brian Thacker were an inspiration to his comrades and are in the highest traditions of the military service.

For his conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty, Brian Miles Thacker was awarded with the Medal of Honor by President Richard Nixon in a ceremony at the White House on October 15, 1973. Upon leaving the Army, Thacker went on to work for the Veterans Administration for 32 years, retiring in 2004. 

Five Fast Facts!

1. Our Founding Documents are stored at the National Archives (right down the street from the Capitol!) and available for public viewing.
2. President John Adams was the first President to live in the White House; he moved in in 1800.
3. Representative Jeannette Rankin of Montana was the first woman to serve in Congress, she began her term in 1917.
4. Originally, each House member represented 30,000 citizens – that number now averages 700,000 people!
5. All roads in DC lead to the Capitol building because it’s the dividing center for all the quadrants of the city.

I'm headed back to Washington tomorrow to work on passing our full year funding bills and preventing a partial government shutdown before the March 8th deadline.

As always, please don't hesitate to contact my DC Office at (202) 225-4215 or my Virginia Beach District Office at (757) 364-7650 with questions, concerns, or if you require assistance with a federal agency. And don't forget - if you’d like to stay up to date with what I’m working on, check out my website and follow my Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages (linked below) to stay up to date!

Take care,

Jen A. Kiggans

Congresswoman, Virginia's Second District