Howdy Texan –

It was a very busy week in Washington, so I wanted to take a moment to update you on my work in Congress.

ON THE DOCKET:

House Passes Carter's Historic Border Legislation
Commitment to America’s Heroes
Celebrating Military Academy Nominees

THE BRIEF:

Border Patrol Agents seized enough fentanyl in a single weekend to kill the entire population of Chicago.
Biden and Democrats are avoiding their responsibility to negotiate the debt ceiling.
The FBI has refused to give Congress an informant file alleging that President Biden took bribes while he was Vice President.

HOUSE PASSES CARTER’S HISTORIC BORDER LEGISLATION

Yesterday, the House PASSED the Secure the Border Act that I co-authored. I’m proud to have written a portion of the strongest border security package this country has ever seen and even more proud to stand with my House Republican colleagues to vote YES to restore safety and security at our borders.

House Republicans made a promise to restore law and order at the border and this week, we fulfilled that promise to the American people.

The Secure the Border Act:

Forces the Biden administration to restart construction of the border wall.
Deploys technology to the southern and northern border.
Increases the number of Border Patrol agents and provides bonus pay.
Requires transparency regarding illegal crossings from the Department of Homeland Security.
Strengthens current law to protect unaccompanied children from human trafficking.
Ends catch and release.
Ends abuse of executive immigration authority.
Strengthens and streamlines the asylum process.

The legislation is now on the Senate's doorsteps!

MY COMMITMENT TO AMERICA’S HEROES

As Chairman of the Veterans Affairs Appropriations Subcommittee, I’ve repeatedly said that we will fulfill our commitment to America’s heroes, but the VA released an arbitrary report claiming massive cuts to veterans benefits, and it caused unnecessary anxiety for veterans. I called on VA Secretary Denis McDonough to remove the report immediately. Let me make one thing clear, this administration is playing politics with our heroes – I am committed to adequately funding veterans benefits.

Read the full letter here.

CELEBRATING MILITARY ACADEMY APPOINTEES

I hosted the annual Salute to Academy Appointees to celebrate the 2023 TX-31 U.S. Service Academy Appointees. These outstanding young people have gone through a rigorous process to earn a nomination from me and an appointment to a United States Service Academy. The men and women that graduate from these institutions become the leaders of America's Armed Forces. Join me in congratulating these incredible young people for their hard work, grit, and perseverance!

Learn more about the nominee process here.

As always, thank you for taking the time to stay updated on what's happening in Texas' 31st congressional district. Follow my Facebook and Twitter accounts for more updates.

It is an honor and privilege to represent you and Texas in the United States House.

Sincerely,