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TUCSON - During Representative Ron Barber's first 60 days in office, he has worked to represent his constituents on a variety of issues, both in Washington D.C. and in Southern Arizona.

Since taking over the Congressional District 8 seat formally held by Gabrielle Giffords, he has been assigned to several different committee assignments, including the Armed Services and Homeland Security committees, according to a news release from his office.

While he has been in Washington, Rep. Barber has sponsored two bipartisan bills: the Protecting Veteran's Pension Act would strengthen the Veteran's Affair pension program, and protect combat veterans against scams, and the United States-Mexico Cross-Border Security Act would create a cross-border strategy to fight Mexican criminal organizations from both sides of the border

Rep. Barber also voted on several acts, including the Veterans Skills to Jobs Act and the Department of Housing and Urban Development Appropriations, the release states.

Within 36-six hours of being elected in June, Barber's office worked to assist local constituents with the problems they found when dealing with the federal Government, Barber's office states. To date, he has opened 255 new constituent cases, and reopened 433 from Rep. Giffords' tenure. He has closed 145 cases.

Congressman Barber has held several public events, such as the two local "Congress on Your Corner" events - one in Tucson, and one in Sierra Vista.

Rep. Barber continues to meet with numerous individual officials and organizations about their responsibilities dealing with the federal government so that Ron Barber can effectively represent the people of Southern Arizona, the news release states.

Rep. Barber will face Democrat Matt Heinz in the August 28 primary election for the newly-redrawn Congressional District 2 seat. Heinz has previously served as a state representative for District 29 in the state House of Representatives.

Earlier this year during an interview with National Public Radio, Heinz criticized Barber, saying: ""He has flip-flopped on his support for the Affordable Care Act, President Obama, the environment and marriage equality- too often Southern Arizonans don't know how his stance until he votes, and then it is too late."

Barber's next appearance in Southern Arizona will be Wednesday, August 22, where he will host a forum on Social Security Disability Insurance, and Supplemental Security Income Programs.

For forum will be held from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. at the Cochise County Board of Supervisors Meeting Room, located at 1415 Melody Lane in Bisbee.