Higgins’ staff remains at work – but in D.C., his absence makes a difference

WASHINGTON – Buffalo area residents can still get help from what once was the office of Rep. Brian Higgins, who resigned Feb. 2 after 19 years in Congress.

But Higgins’ absence in Washington has already been felt.

While several former Higgins employees remain employed by the House of Representatives and can still help constituents with troublesome Social Security claims and the like, House Democrats sorely missed Higgins on Feb. 13 when Republicans voted to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alexander Mayorkas in a party-line 214-213 vote. In other words, had Higgins – a Buffalo Democrat – still been a member of Congress, the GOP attempt to impeach Mayorkas likely would have failed.

Such are the oddities that result from a congressional resignation at a time when Republicans hold the House by a razor-thin margin. In some ways, with no congressman representing Buffalo until after an April 30 special election to fill Higgins’ seat, it’s business as usual. But on the House floor, Higgins’ resignation temporarily makes things easier for the Republican majority.

Things are the same but different at Higgins’ offices in Washington, Buffalo and Niagara Falls. Higgins recently told The Buffalo News t

hat several of his former employees remain at work in those offices, helping constituents with whatever struggles they face regarding federal agencies.

“We had an office built for constituent service,” Higgins said. “You know, a call coming from (a) congressional office is helpful sometimes in trying to break through the federal bureaucracy.”

Constituent service is one of the few duties congressional staffers are permitted to perform. Employees no longer work for the former lawmaker; instead, they work for the Clerk of the House.