House Democrats Advance partisan, Progressive Priorities

This week, House Democrats advanced not one, but two, partisan bills that are stuffed to the brim with progressive priorities. Here’s the breakdown:

H.R. 5, the so-called “Equality” Act
This politically motivated bill violates the First Amendment rights of Americans to freely practice and exercise ones’ religion. I opposed this legislation that:

Forces schools (both public and private), churches, hospitals, businesses, and other institutions to recognize an individual’s “chosen gender” instead of their “biological sex”
Allows biological males who identify as female to compete in women’s sports competitions and use female public facilities, such as locker rooms
Forces employers to cover abortions and medical professionals to conduct or assist in performing abortions and gender transition procedures
Lays the groundwork for taxpayer-funded abortions

Congressman Allen speaks on the House floor in opposition to H.R. 1319

H.R. 1319, Pelosi’s Payoff to Progressives Act
Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Democrats passed their $1.9 trillion stimulus bill out of the House. It will now go to the Senate under a “budget reconciliation” process, which means it only needs a simple majority to pass in the Senate. This is not a relief bill -- only 9% of this $1.9 trillion goes toward pandemic-related expenses. It’s riddled with progressive priorities that are unrelated to the pandemic, including:

A $15 federal minimum wage requirement that will destroy 1.4 million jobs
$350 billion in blue state bailouts while leaving behind states like Georgia
Funding for a Silicon Valley underground tunnel

Throughout this whole process, my Democrat colleagues have rejected commonsense amendments prioritizing reopening our schools – despite the CDC stating that schools can safely reopen with proper precautions. I offered an amendment that would require schools to at least offer parents the option of sending their children for in-person instruction in order to be eligible for additional stimulus funds, but Democrats blocked it.

This isn’t “COVID relief,” this package is clearly just a payoff to progressive priorities.

Introducing Legislation to Encourage School Reopenings

This week I reintroduced the Educational Flexibility for Families Act. This legislation is similar to the amendment I introduced to Democrats’ budget scheme and would require K-12 schools to provide an option for students to safely attend in-person classes during the 2021 and 2022 school years in order to be eligible for additional federal assistance.

Congressman Allen reintroduces the Educational Flexibility for Families Act

Earlier this month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued additional school reopening guidance and the science is clear: Schools can safely reopen with proper precautions in place. Too many students throughout the nation have not even seen the inside of a classroom in a year and families should have the option to return their children to in-person learning. My bill prioritizes students and parents throughout the nation who are eager to return to school, not teachers’ unions who are forcing them to remain closed until their radical demands completely unrelated to the pandemic are met.

Meeting with Georgia Wing of Civil Air Patrol

I’m incredibly grateful for the men and women who serve in the Georgia Wing. This week I had the opportunity to meet with members and receive an update on their activities over the past year.

House Agriculture Committee Hearing

This week, Democrats on the House Agriculture Committee held a climate hearing. Unfortunately, the extreme climate scare tactics being pushed by the left have created an epidemic of fear within our nation. But conservatives have climate solutions, including provisions in the 2018 Farm Bill that I was proud to help champion. Our farmers and ranchers are not the problem, they are the original stewards of the land and are working toward climate solutions every day. I will continue to listen to our agriculture leaders on this important topic.

COVID-19 Vaccine Update

Governor Brian Kemp announced this week that starting March 8th, Pre-K-12 educators and staff, adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their caregivers, and parents of children with complex medical conditions will be eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. This is great news as we continue to ramp up efforts to ensure that every Georgian who wants a vaccine is able to get one.

ICYMI: I held a telephone town hall to answer questions from GA-12 constituents

I held a telephone town hall Tuesday night to update residents of #GA12 about President Biden’s executive orders, COVID-19 relief, legislation to reopen schools, and more. For those who were unable to participate, here are some of the highlights.

You can sign up to participate in future telephone town halls here.

No American should be forced to pay union dues as a condition of employment. Forced unionism goes against every aspect of our Constitution and the beliefs of our Founding Fathers.

That is why I am a proud original cosponsor of H.R. 1275, the National Right to Work Act. This legislation repeals the provision in federal law that allows unions to take dues from an employee’s paycheck.

As always, my office is here to help. You can email me ⇒ HERE, contact any of our offices or join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

Sincerely,

Rick Allen
Member of Congress