Chapter Advocacy Events

2025

Meeting with Staff of Senator Hawley

Members of Chapters 2071 (West St Louis County), 1240 (North St Louis County/Florissant, and 0112 (Greater St Louis) visited with Jeremy Lloyd, Director of Community Initiatives for Senator Hawley, for voting to keep proposed federal benefit cuts and Section F out of the “One Big Beautiful Bill” Act and for his adding funds for the radiation toxic exposure for victims of Cold Creek in which two of our participants live. We also thanked him for adding $50mill for maintaining rural hospital in which two of our participants live. We shared personal stories and asked for support for future attacks on the same benefits in the upcoming reconciliation discussions. We asked his support for other legislative priorities which we mentioned. Mr. Lloyd took notes and accepted NARFE Fact Sheets on the Federal community in general, in Missouri and with districts of Missouri. Mr. Lloyd thanked us. When asked how frequently we should come back, he suggested not more than twice a year.

Meeting with Congressman Wesley Bell and Town Hall Meeting

On Tuesday, August 26, 2025, five members of NARFE from Chapters 2071 (West St Louis County), 1240 (North St Louis County/Florissant, and 0112 (Greater St Louis) met with Congressman Wesley Bell and Staff Caseworker, Michael McCollum in the Congressman’s St. Louis office. NARFE members thanked Congressman Bell for his voting record that has been supportive of issues important to Federal Employees. NARFE fact sheets and advocacy information were given to him, then NARFE members individually introduced themselves and stated their years of Federal Service and where they had worked. Members told the Congressman the issues of most importance to them and the reasons they are important:

- Earned Retirement
- Cost of Living Adjustments (COLA)
- Federal Employee Health Benefit (FEHB) Health Insurance
- Fair and non-partisan hiring and maintaining the Federal workforce
- Acknowledgement of the important work Federal Employees do and treating them with the dignity and respect they deserve
- Keeping a strong Veterans Administration giving Veterans the high-quality care that they need
- Maintain the Postal Service to deliver the nation’s mail including rural service in sparsely populated areas
- Continue “Vote by Mail” which is especially important for homebound Americans in exercising their right to vote
- Threats to Healthcare including Medicare and Medicaid
- Cuts to the Student Loan repayment assistance
- Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the response to the 2025 Tornado devastation in St. Louis

Congressman Bell took notes as we spoke and afterwards addressed each issue individually stating his position.

On Tuesday, August 19, 2025, at least three NARFE members were present from Chapters 0112 and 1240 at Congressman Bell’s Town Hall Meeting. Questions were addressed concerning cuts to Medicaid, redistricting efforts, Veterans Administration (VA) Hospital shortage of personnel, threats to our Democracy, and assistance in job search for Federal employees displaced by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

Meetings with Staff of Senator Hawley and Senator Schmitt

On Friday, August 29, 2025, members from NARFE Chapter 0011 (Springfield) met with Erin Engelmeyer, District Director for Senator Hawley’s Springfield office, and Tucker Jobes, District Director for Senator Schmitt’s Springfield Office. In meeting with both Erin Engelmeyer and Tucker Jobes, we introduced ourselves. Both were very curious about our roles in the federal government and were impressed by the wide variety of positions held by each of us. They were also unfamiliar with NARFE. In our 30 minute discussion with each, we provided our NARFE magazine, NARFE Fact Sheets and Issues/Briefs that were of concern to NARFE. They were receptive to our concerns and assured us they would share this information with our Senators. Photos are available on the Albums page.

Meeting with Staff of Representative Wagner

On August 21, 2025, Linda Kurz (Chapter 2071 – CDL District 2), Craig Pettibone (Chapter 0112 – Federation National Legislative Officer) and Susan Erickson (Chapter 1240 – CDL District 1) paid a visit to Rep Ann Wagner’s office and met with her Director of District Relations Development, Jordan Fears. They thanked Rep. Ann Wagner for her support and asked for her support on several of the legislative priorities for 2025-2026. They provided NARFE Advocacy Fact Sheets. It was a friendly 45 minute meeting with open sharing of concerns. A photo is on the Albums page.