Enewsletters

An Update on Gun Control Legislation

This week, House Democrats chose to use the Uvalde school shooting to pass unconstitutional gun restrictions on law-abiding citizens rather than come to the table and work in a bipartisan way.  We need solutions to improve school security and address the root causes of this type of heinous and senseless act.  Only when we remedy underlying societal and mental health issues will substantial progress be made.  In the meantime, solutions I support to address gun violence and school safety include:

H.R. 7966 – the STOP II, Secure Every School and Protect our Nation’s Children Act.  This legislation uses already approved, yet unused COVID-19 funds to pay for $1 billion for school resource officers, $1 billion for mental health guidance counselors, and $5 billion for hardening schools, active shooter training, and training for law enforcement, school officials, and students so that intervention can occur before a student reaches a breaking point.

H.R. 6712 – the School Resource Officer Act of 2022.  This legislation authorizes the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program housed at the Department of Justice $500,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2023 through 2026.  Not less than 30 percent of funding for hiring programs within the COPS program will be used to pay the salaries and benefits of school resource officers. 

H.R. 6132 – the Public Safety Enhancement Act of 2021.  This legislation would provide grant funding to hire an additional 100,000 police officers within the next five years.

H.R. 2717 – the Safer Schools Act of 2021.  This legislation would establish two new grant programs that fund vulnerability assessments and physical security improvements to improve the safety of students and teachers in the classroom.

U.S. House Passes Water Resources Legislation with North Carolina Priorities Included 

Passage of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2022 is a critical win for the U.S. economy and our communities throughout North Carolina.  This year's WRDA bill brings focus and priority to important projects in our state and throughout the country that will help to better protect families from flooding and includes initiatives to improve the strength and durability of our ports and inland waterways.  As the Ranking Member of the Water & Environment Subcommittee, I’m honored to have had the opportunity to help craft this important bill with critical input from my colleagues on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

An Update on the Baby Formula Shortage

My colleagues on the House Energy and Commerce Committee recently held an eye-opening hearing on the Biden’s Administration’s failure to act quickly on the baby formula crisis.  There are several reasons for the shortage; however, we now know the FDA and the Biden Administration wasted time and resources when it knew about problems at Abbott's Sturgis, Michigan facility.  In simple terms, they failed to plan with any urgency for formula supply shortages.

In short, the White House knew about the supply shortages as early as February and there should have been a plan in place to prevent this crisis before the Abbott plant closed.  Click here or on the link below to read the key takeaways from the hearing. 

What we Know About the Baby Formula Shortage

For many years, PFAS contaminants have been discharged into the Cape Fear River from industrial facilities far upstream.  The state as well as local governments have spent millions of dollars and countless hours working to address this.  While I have continued to support legislative efforts to make PFAS a priority for the EPA, I’m proud to introduce additional bipartisan legislation to help families and small businesses in our rural communities receive better support on addressing the dangers of PFAS contamination of well water. 

Introducing Legislation to Address PFAS Contamination

The Healthy H2O Act would help identify health-based contaminants in drinking water from wells that may pose risks to health and the environment.  By identifying these contaminants, our rural and underserved communities can then remove them by accessing grant funding to purchase and install cost effective water filtration systems.  We need a comprehensive and thoughtful approach to solutions that address the risks of PFAS at the lowest cost possible to individuals and families.  I will continue to work with my colleagues in Congress to ensure families in Southeastern North Carolina have access to safe drinking water.

Brief Economic Digest

Gas Prices are Breaking Records

Gas prices have doubled since President Biden took office, and North Carolinians are edging ever closer to paying $5/gallon.  President Biden must call off his war on American fossil fuel production.  We can make it far more environmentally friendly here than any other country.

Cost of Living Continues to Skyrocket

On Friday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported inflation rose 8.6% in May, a new four-decade high.  President Biden is now blaming high inflation on the Federal Reserve and saying the Administration can do little to lower prices in the short term. 

Meanwhile, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen admitted she was wrong to downplay inflation. 

President Biden campaigned on ending fossil fuels (coal, natural gas, and petroleum) and converting America to all electric.  But you need fossil fuels to generate electricity, otherwise you are relying solely on nuclear and renewables largely.   

Liberals declared war on nuclear long ago too, essentially ending any expansion of nuclear energy.  Their favorites, solar panels and windmills, can’t generate anywhere close to enough and aren’t consistent sources of generation.  Because of this, we are likely to start seeing rolling blackouts around the country this summer in many more places than just California.

Closing Thoughts...

“The Constitution is the bedrock of all our freedoms; guard and cherish it; keep honor and order in your own house; and the republic will endure” - Gerald Ford