Fighting for Energy Independence

President Joe Biden and the Democrats’ constant assault on American energy has destroyed jobs and raised costs for consumers. Unfortunately, their $3.5 trillion tax and spending proposal that they are pushing will only make matters worse while benefiting our foreign adversaries like China and Russia. That’s why I joined members of the House Energy Action Team urging Democrats to end their war on fossil fuels and work with Republicans on policies that get our nation back on the road toward energy independence.

Opposing Biden’s Overreaching IRS Reporting Proposal

Biden's new "comprehensive financial account information reporting regime," which is included in his Fiscal Year 2022 $6 trillion Budget Request would require the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to collect more data from financial institutions, such as transfers to and from another account with the same owner. Originally, the proposal would apply to all personal and business accounts above $600, likely applying to a vast majority of Americans -- not just those who are believed to be out of tax compliance. Democrats have considered raising the threshold for which accounts would be under the new reporting requirements, but extensive reporting is still an invasion of privacy.

I joined 140 of my colleagues in sending a letter to Speaker Pelosi, House Ways and Means Chairman Richard Neal (D-MA-01), Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, and IRS Commissioner Rettig to express our serious concerns with this overreach. While tax evasion is serious, allowing the IRS to have more information about the accounts of millions of Americans is a step too far.

Urging Suspension of Biden’s Workplace Vaccine Mandate

The Biden Administration's workplace vaccine mandate comes during a time when inflation is running rampant, job creators are facing workforce shortages, and over 8.4 million Americans are out of work. Last week, every Republican on the House Education and Labor Committee sent a letter to Department of Labor Secretary Marty Walsh requesting he immediately suspend work on the inappropriate, unprecedented, and likely unlawful, national mandate.

Biden Administration Blocking Drones at the Border

As border numbers continue to increase month after month, the Biden Administration doesn’t want the American People to see how bad this crisis has become. Following horrific images of conditions in a make-shift camp in Del Rio, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered the grounding of private drones from flying over our Southern Border.

I sent a letter to Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg and Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas urging them to rescind this request, because the public deserves to see the humanitarian and national security crisis unfolding at our border. You can read the letter here.

Meeting with Veterans of Foreign Wars

Thanks to members of Veterans of Foreign Wars for meeting to discuss how Congress can deliver on promises to our veterans, service members and their families. I am forever grateful for your service!

Meeting with the Beer Institute

It was a pleasure to meet with members of the Beer Institute, including from Eagle Creek Brewery from Statesboro, to discuss the U.S. supply chain and COVID-19 recovery.

I had the opportunity to meet with representatives of the Paper Recycling Coalition with facilities in Georgia, including WestRock, to discuss issues impacting the workforce.

Committee Updates

House Education and Labor Committee:

• The Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Subcommittee, of which I am Lead Republican, held a joint hearing focusing on COVID-19-related issues where I highlighted how we can protect communities without inflicting economic harm.
• The K-12 Subcommittee held a hearing about safely opening schools, where I highlighted how decision-makers can manage COVID-19 risks without closing schools, as science shows that school closures severely impact our most vulnerable students.

House Agriculture Committee:

• The Conservation and Forestry Subcommittee held a hearing on mitigating wildfires, where I highlighted how we need active management, not more restrictions.

Military Academy Nomination Application Deadline

Any student who may be interested in attending one of our nation’s service academies must submit their completed application packet to my office no later than Friday, October 15, 2021 at 5PM to be considered for the class of 2026. For more information on the application process, please visit my website.

Georgia Named “Top State to Do Business” for 8^th Year

As a result of our strong pro-workforce and pro-business environment, the Peach State has been named the “Top State for Doing Business” by Area Development for the 8^th consecutive year!

Last week, U.S. military leaders testified before the House and Senate Armed Services Committees about the failure in Afghanistan. This chaotic and tragic withdrawal could’ve been avoided.  

That’s why I’m proud to cosponsor H.Res. 607, which condemns Joe Biden for his failure to listen to military and intelligence advisors about the speed and offensive of the Taliban’s takeover that led to leaving Americans and our allies in grave danger.

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.