House Speaker Dennis Hastert’s Mobile Office will roll in to DeKalb from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. today as part of its annual tour of the 14th District.

The tour started July 14 and will visit locations spanning DuPage, Kane, Kendall and Lee counties, attempting to reach as many people as possible, said Brad Hahn, a spokesman for Hastert.

“It may not be convenient for someone to drive into Batavia or Dixon to get to one of our offices, but by having people travel, we can inform them of the services our offices offer and also hopefully help them,” he said.

Although Hastert himself will not man the Mobile Office, staff members like Hahn and Field Representative Lulu Blacksmith will be on hand.

“We definitely want to reach out to people and let them know what this office can do for them,” Blacksmith said. “There are many services that people aren’t aware of that we would like to let them know about so that we can help them.”

Last year, Medicare and prescription drug coverage were two popular issues, Blacksmith said, and she expects there to be more talk about Medicare this year.

“The Medicare changes have been a big topic lately,” she said. “The prescription discount card is something many people might ask about. We’re ready to give information pertaining to that.”

Many other topics also will be covered by the Mobile Office, including education, immigration, social security, the IRS and veteran’s benefits.

“We give people the opportunity to ask anything they want,” Blacksmith said. “It’s very informal.”

To address the concerns of constituents, the Mobile Office works as a facilitator for the federal government, she said.

“We have a lot of services that people don’t know about,” she said. “We can help someone facilitate a tour of the White House or the Capitol.”

In some cases, the Mobile Office uses case workers specializing in different areas, Hahn said.

“We can track down information if they’re looking for information on specific legislation or government programs or anything like that, and if they have any specific situations, our office has case workers that help people with all different things, such as immigration issues,” he said.

Hahn said that the tour will address many questions and concerns people have about government issues.

“The idea is to let people know this office is accessible, and we’re here and ready to help with whatever people need,” he said. “Sometimes people just want to come and share a thought on a particular issue. Other times people are looking for very specific help with something that they’re working on. We can get them in touch with the right people to try to help them through whatever problem they’re experiencing.”