The Biden Administration continues to ignore the crisis that their open border policies have created, which has only incentivized more illegal immigration. Just last week, we saw tens of thousands of Haitians make their way to Del Rio, with reports on the ground describing horrific conditions in their make-shift camp as two women reportedly gave birth – including one who later tested positive for COVID-19. This is a humanitarian crisis and a national security crisis, as we don’t know who is coming in and officials are reporting that many of these migrants are also being released into the country.

It’s time we finish building the wall, end policies like catch and release, and secure our border.

Supporting Our Military

This week the House passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the annual defense bill that authorizes funding and sets priorities for our nation’s military. While the bill is not perfect, it authorizes a boost to overall defense spending, a pay raise for our troops, and vital funding for Georgia’s 12th District, including for Fort Gordon and the Savannah River Site.

Additionally, this bill authorizes $250 million to conduct critical counterterrorism operations in Afghanistan, including requiring the Department of Defense to submit a plan to Congress on how it will support the evacuation of American citizens, maintain air superiority, and run intelligence and surveillance missions. Further, the bill includes strong provisions to counter our adversaries like Russia, China and Iran.

The House and Senate will now go to a Conference Committee to resolve bicameral differences in the two versions of the bill, and a vote on the final Conference Report is expected later this year. I will keep you updated as the bill makes its way through the legislative process.

Protecting the Unborn

House Democrats advanced their pro-abortion agenda this week by passing HR 3755. The Abortion on Demand Until Birth Act removes nearly all pro-life protections and forces every state to make abortion available for any reason until birth, without any accountability or protections for women. I opposed this legislation and will continue to stand for the right to life. 

Fighting to Restore Fiscal Sanity

Just hours after releasing bill text, House Democrats rammed through their Continuing Resolution for short-term government funding with a provision to suspend the debt limit. Speaker Pelosi continues to make a mockery of the legislative process and play games with government funding. 

I opposed this bill after pledging not to raise the debt ceiling under any circumstance, as we must get back to regular order so that we can start to clean up our nation’s fiscal mess.

Meeting with SkillsUSA Students

It was a privilege to meet with SkillsUSA Georgia students to discuss Career and Technical Education. As a member of the House Education and Labor Committee, one of my priorities is ensuring our students are equipped with the tools needed to succeed in the workforce.

House Agriculture Committee Update

This week the House Agriculture Committee met on a range of issues, including a:

• Business meeting to consider a bill to name July 2021 National Blueberry Month, in recognition of the importance of the blueberry industry to the United States

• Committee hearing on Voluntary Carbon Markets in Agriculture and Forestry

• General Farm Commodities and Risk Management Roundtable to hear from producers about how existing Farm Bill support programs and crop insurance are functioning to inform the committee’s work on the next Farm Bill

Save Our Paychecks

Since day 1, the Biden Administration has worked to reverse the progress made under President Trump. I had the opportunity to share how the Biden tax and spending spree will further harm the pocketbooks of American workers, businesses and families at the Heritage Action Save Our Paychecks event.

This week, as President Biden spoke before the U.N., our adversaries like China and Russia were watching closely. Unfortunately, the Biden Administration’s terrible foreign policy decisions have harmed our reputation on the world stage, including Biden's failure to hold China accountable for their history of human rights abuses.

That’s why I’m proud to cosponsor H.R. 4821, the Combating the Persecution of Christians in China Act. This bill would hold senior officials of the Chinese Communist Party accountable for persecuting Christians in China. No one should fear being persecuted for practicing their faith, and I am proud to support religious liberty around the world.

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.