After seven long and busy weeks of work in Washington, I was able to spend a whole week back in Georgia. I spent my days traveling around the 12^th district and visiting with many folks. I stopped by Fort Gordon for an update on Army Cyber and our military readiness, toured Georgia Southern University's Army ROTC Military Science Building, visited the American College of Cardiology Clinic during American Heart Month and hosted a Veterans Town Hall, just to name a few.

Starting off the week, I joined folks in Jenkins County for their Eggs and Issues event. We talked a good bit about agriculture policy and I got some good feedback that I will bring to Washington as we begin preparing for the next Farm Bill. As a member of the House Agriculture Committee, it is my job to ensure the needs of our farmers, those who feed and fuel our nation, are met.

Wednesday, I stopped by Fort Gordon, which is one of the fastest growing military installations in the country! Not only that, but Fort Gordon is an essential component in building a 21^st Century military. Cyber is the new frontier. Fielding those threats is the mission of Fort Gordon and increased defense spending will help to facilitate improved training and capabilities in cyber warfare. As your Congressman, it is my job to ensure the mission of Fort Gordon is never compromised. I recently joined my colleagues in a letter to House Leadership requesting that we repeal sequestration and bolster defense spending.

With Governor Deal's recent $50 million investment in the Georgia Cyber Innovation and Training Center, the U.S. Army Cyber Command's transition to Fort Gordon and the Cyber Institute at Augusta University, our area will soon be producing our nation’s newest cyber workforce. This is a tremendous opportunity for the CSRA. Click HERE to read more.

I was delighted to swing by Christ Community Health Services in Augusta. For those of you who are not familiar, Christ Community provides quality health and dental care for the uninsured, under-insured and under-served in our community. I am in awe of their progress as they put the finishing touches on the second and third stories and near completion of the physical therapy unit. They are truly doing Jesus' work in our neighborhood. 

I traveled to Statesboro Friday morning to inform folks about the IRS and Georgia Free File Services. These programs provide free tax preparation and e-filing services to lower and moderate-income taxpayers. Tax season is upon us—and we all know it’s stressful. I encourage you to check out the Free File program in hopes it can help make your life a little easier. Click HERE if you’re interested in learning more.

As I stated earlier, I had the opportunity to walk around Georgia Southern University's Army ROTC Military Science Building. I must say it is an incredible facility and investment in our young people. The ROTC program was just recognized with the MacArthur Award as one of the top eight programs in the U.S. Army’s Reserve Officer Training Corps for college students (check out their other credentials in the picture below). For anyone interested in learning more about ROTC at Georgia Southern, click HERE.

Friday afternoon, I hosted a Veterans Town Hall in Swainsboro at the Emanuel County Veterans Center. Along with Paul, my Military Liaison, Constituent Services Representative and Army Veteran, we listened to the concerns of our community’s veterans. A lot of what we heard had to do with time--- for too long veterans have waited for care at their own expense.  With the new, unanimously confirmed VA Secretary, Dr. David Shulkin, I look forward to a fresh start in restoring accountability and efficiency and getting rid of bad actors at the VA. The VA has a long way to go and a long list of issues to improve upon, which is why your feedback is helpful moving forward.  For anyone experiencing problems with the VA, please let my office be a resource for you. Contact Paul, who works out of both my Augusta and Statesboro offices.

Saturday morning I caught up with local and state legislators at the Laurens-Dublin Legislative Update, discussing the implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act, ensuring the federal government is not micromanaging our schools and the fact that we must bridge the gap between the business community and education. In my role on the House Education and Workforce Committee, I look forward to creating initiatives which encourage students to find their passions early on, setting them up for their chosen occupation. Additionally, we discussed the House’s recent work in repealing burdensome regulations. We are chipping away at the ice around our frozen economy by scaling back rules and regulations so that we can create jobs for Americans and America's future workforce.

ICYMI: Did you read the op-ed by members of the Georgia Delegation, myself included, sharing stories of folks throughout the state who have been hurt and left behind by Obamacare? Patients across the country deserve better than the Affordable Care Act. Click HERE to read the story and our plans to fix this mess.

Congress is back in session tomorrow. In the meantime, let me know what’s on your mind. You can email me ⇒ HERE, contact any of our offices or join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. Don’t forget to sign up for my Telephone Town Halls. Click HERE to register your name and number to ensure that you’re contacted for all future calls from me. I appreciate your feedback and hope you have a great Sunday and good week.