On May 21, 1919 – 100 years ago – the House of Representatives passed the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, guaranteeing women the right to vote in all of the United States.

After also passing in the Senate, the race to ratification began and I was proud to celebrate the brave, bold women who worked to make us a more perfect union!

One question I always ask every business owner I meet in the district is: “What is your biggest challenge?” The answer almost every time – workers! With over seven million available jobs throughout our country and more job openings than job seekers, it is imperative that we develop and maintain a skilled workforce to fill the jobs of today and tomorrow; and I thank our panel for their input.

I was also pleased to see the House pass H.R. 1994, the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act, with bipartisan support.

Far too many Americans face financial difficulties when transitioning out of the workforce and this legislation would afford individuals more flexibility to save for retirement.

I had great meetings with the Family Medicine Association, YouthBuild, and the Emergency Nurses Association.

Thanks for stopping by to discuss your legislative priorities!

Last week, I announced the Community Office Hours schedule for the month of June, which kicks off on June 4th in Coffee and Jeff Davis counties.

If you are having issues with a federal agency such as Social Security, Medicare, Veterans Affairs, or others, I encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity to receive personal assistance from my staff closer to home! For the full list of dates, times, and locations, please visit my website at allen.house.gov.

As we look towards Memorial Day, I hope you will all take some time this weekend to thank a veteran and honor those who have given their lives in defense of this great country and the freedoms we are so blessed to have.

We are truly the land of the free because of the brave. Enjoy a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend!

This week, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 2480, the Stronger Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act, with overwhelming, bipartisan support. As a proud cosponsor, it was my honor to speak on the House floor in support of this legislation.

As many of you know, the opioid epidemic has devastated families and communities across our country, which has been a major factor in the recent uptick in child abuse or neglect cases.

H.R. 2480 assists states in addressing this recent increase in child neglect by improving data collaboration between states, strengthening accountability, supporting evidence-based services, and developing best practices for reducing child neglect linked to parental substance abuse. Most importantly, it provides parents with parental education and leadership skills development to help keep families safe and together.

We have a duty to ensure that America’s children are protected from maltreatment and abuse, and the Stronger Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act sets us on the right path to do so.

Do you have a bill that you would like to see highlighted or that you would like me to support? Share your thoughts with me! You can email me ⇒  HERE, contact any of our offices or join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.