Representative Rick Allen

congressman allen's e-newsletter

Laken Riley Act on its way to President Trump's Desk

This week, the House of Representatives passed S.5, the Senate-amended version of the Laken Riley Act. S.5 requires U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement (ICE) to arrest illegal aliens who commit theft offenses and mandates that these illegal aliens are detained until they are removed from the country.

House Republicans are committed to working in lockstep with the Trump Administration to make our communities safer and ensure no family has to endure what Laken Riley's family has this past year. This bill is now headed to President Trump's desk for signature!

Introducing the Spectrum Pipeline Act of 2025

Wireless communications technology is a cornerstone of our strategic competition with China. If we hope to maintain our leadership and innovative edge on the world stage, we must continue to adapt and advance policies that expand commercial access to mid-band spectrum.

On Thursday, I introduced the Spectrum Pipeline Act of 2025, which seeks to ensure the efficient allocation of mid-band spectrum, a resource critical for the advancement of 5G and next-generation technologies. As spectrum becomes more and more vital for the wireless services and devices we use today, this legislation is a tremendous return on investment for American taxpayers. I am proud to lead this much-needed effort to advance economic growth, promote wireless innovation, and protect our national security interests.

I also participated in my first Communications and Technology Subcommittee hearing as Vice Chair. I highlighted the Spectrum Pipeline Act and asked our witnesses how greater access to spectrum helps maintain American leadership.

Read more about the Spectrum Pipeline Act HERE.

Watch my opening statement HERE.

Watch my line of questioning HERE.

Huge Win for Life

The House also passed H.R. 21, the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, of which I am a proud cosponsor. This legislation ensures that infants born alive after an attempted abortion receive the same protection of law and degree of care as any newborn. This bill is a huge win for the fundamental right to life.

Addressing the Wildfire Crisis

Over 117 million acres of our nation's forests are overgrown, fire-prone, and need active management. I proudly supported passage of H.R. 471, the Fix Our Forests Act, on the House floor.

H.R. 471 is a comprehensive, bipartisan bill that restores forest health, protects our communities, and increases resiliency to catastrophic wildfires like the ones currently burning in Southern California. More specifically, the Fix Our Forests Act:

Prioritizes hazardous fuels reduction activities in high-risk firesheds where catastrophic wildfires pose an imminent threat to life and property
Protects communities in the wildland-urban interface by actively managing our forests and fostering greater collaboration between Federal, State, Tribal, and private land managers
Creates an interagency Community Wildfire Risk Reduction Program and streamlines federal wildfire defense grants to communities
Deploys new technology, such as AI and 5G, to respond to wildfires quicker and more efficiently and support wildland firefighters
Encourages re-seeding of native and fire-resistant vegetation and the clearing of hazard trees in utility rights-of-way

February Community Office Hours

Problems with a federal agency? I recently announced that my staff will host Community Office Hours in February!

Throughout the month of February, members of my staff will be available to assist constituents closer to home with a variety of federal issues, including help navigating various federal agencies such as FEMA, Social Security, Veterans Affairs, Medicare, and others.

Community Office Hours are not held in counties in which I have a permanent office. For the full list of dates, times, and locations, CLICK HERE.

This Week's White House Highlight

NEW FEATURE: With President Trump back in the White House and wrapping up his first week in office, we are excited to add a new feature to the newsletter! Each week, I will highlight an executive action, announcement, rulemaking, bill signing, or any other activity from the Trump Administration to keep you well-informed on what's happening in Washington.

As you may already know, on President Trump's first day in office, he signed a number of executive orders to undo the mess caused by President Biden at our nation's borders. To be clear, this is not a crackdown, it is a correction. As President Trump promised, he signed executive orders to: reinstate Remain-in-Mexico, end catch & release, halt all illegal entry, designate cartels as terrorist organizations, resume wall construction, and deploy troops to the border.

He also ordered Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to begin removing criminal illegal aliens from our communities. In just a 33-hour period, ICE made more than 460 arrests of illegal immigrants, including those with criminal histories that include sexual assault, domestic violence, and drug and weapons crimes.

This is the strong leadership Americans voted for!

This Week's Office Visitor

I had a wonderful meeting with Georgia College and State University President Cathy Cox this week. President Cox updated me on their strong nursing and teaching programs, as well as their impressive 4-year graduation rate. Thanks for stopping by.

Follow me on Social Media!

Social media is a great way to stay connected and I encourage you to keep up with my work in Congress by ‘liking’ my Facebook page and following me on X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.

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As always, my office is here to help. If you'd like to email me, please click here.

To contact one of our district offices, please click here.

To stay informed about what is happening in Washington D.C. and in our district, please follow me on Facebook, X, and Instagram.

Sincerely,

Rick Allen
Member of Congress