John,

Good afternoon and welcome to our Weekend Update. This weekend, we honor our nation's history. 

As we pause to remember the brave men and women who died valiantly for our nation’s freedom, I am reminded of a quote from President John F. Kennedy, “Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty.”

Although I am missing Memorial Day events in the district, I am visiting and honoring our overseas military personnel and those we honor this weekend who gave their lives to defeat Fascism and liberate Europe in World War II. Yesterday, I met with the European and African naval command, and attended an annual Memorial Day ceremony at the Sicily/Rome American cemetery, where over 7,800 Americans made the ultimate sacrifice liberating Italy from Hitler... and saving the world from tyranny. As the Ambassador stated in his speech, these brave soldiers landed in Sicily and “fought every inch of the way" to Rome. The military service men and women appreciated our attendance, and I met a young sailor stationed here from Somerset, Derrick Lyons (pictured below with Shelley and me) 

Additionally, a local college choir sang beautifully a song literally thanking the U.S. and emphasizing how they would never forget the sacrifices of Americans. It was an incredibly touching tribute. As General George Marshall said, “After victory the only land requested was enough to bury our dead." God bless our troops; God bless America. Time will not dim the glory of their deeds.

This week, we continued negotiations on the debt ceiling between the Biden administration and the GOP House caucus. In the past two and a half years, the Biden Administration has spent $5 trillion in excess. We cannot afford to give Biden a blank check. We need to have some limits, some savings, and some growth. I joined “Last Call” on CNBC to discuss the debt ceiling. Click here or below to watch.

A new CNN poll shows that 60% of Americans believe the debt ceiling should only be raised if Congress reins in spending at the same time. I joined the “Wake Up America” on Newsmax TV to discuss the issue. It's unimaginable how out of touch the Biden Administration is and where they want to tax — they want to spend more, a lot more, than in 2022, and they want a blank check from the American people. The deal struck prohibits all of that. Click here or below to watch.

Additionally, I joined Tom Russell on WHP 580 about the House Republicans' plan to address the crisis at our southern border and the state of negotiations surrounding the debt ceiling. It was a great conversation. Click here or below to listen.

Late on Saturday night, a deal in principle was struck on the debt ceiling. I am reviewing the plan. We will likely be voting on the bill this week and will have more information to offer as we review the full agreement. 

The Biden administration and the Democrats wanted a blank check, and thanks to us having a Republican majority in the U.S. House, we put a halt to highly irresponsible policies. It lawfully ends high-spending executive actions, greatly limits spending growth and saves tens of billions (but we have MUCH MORE work to do ), and includes some growth initiatives, particularly regarding American energy. Nevertheless, this legislation is far from perfect. However, I believe the best we can get with the Biden administration in the White House and a Democrat Majority in the U.S. Senate. It remains imperative Republicans win the White House and Senate and retain the People's House in 2024. Then we can truly set policy that makes our national security, economy, Constitutional law and our position in the world as strong as it should be. 

Supply chain issues, inflation, and rising interest rates have made buying a home increasingly unaffordable. Earlier this week, I questioned the Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency to ensure the Biden Administration doesn’t plan to make the situation worse with new regulations and unnecessary government meddling. Click here or below to watch my remarks.

Veterans must often navigate the onerous red tape and capital access challenges when starting small businesses. The Small Business Committee heard from veteran entrepreneurs about their struggles when opening their businesses. Click here or below to watch my comments.

The Supreme Court’s ruling on Waters of the United States (WOTUS) this week was a win for rural America, farmers, and all private property owners. While the extreme left mocked this as a “MAGA” court decision, I would note it was a unanimous court decision.

Thousands of farmers and small businesses in my district are breathing a sigh of relief thanks to the Supreme Court’s ruling that delivers long overdue clarity to the EPA’s authority to regulate ‘waters of the United States’ under the Clean Water Act. Both the Obama and Biden Administrations sought to weaponize the Clean Water Act, particularly through their WOTUS rules, to implement burdensome regulations on landowners stretching far beyond their legal authority. In particular, the Biden Administration’s proposed WOTUS rule would lead to every ditch, stream, and puddle on farmers’ and other private citizens’ properties being regulated under the Clean Water Act, even miles away from the nearest navigable water. I continue to urge the Biden administration to withdraw their disastrous WOTUS rule, especially following the Supreme Court’s decision.

This week, I attended the Firefighter's Association State of Pennsylvania - FASP's 10th Annual “Breakfast on the Hill.” During the event, I expressed my gratitude for our Commonwealth’s firefighters. In addition, I had a great discussion with those in attendance about their departments’ needs and how Congress can continue to support them.

Congratulations to Kasie Troch from Blue Mountain High School for winning this year’s Congressional Art Competition. I was impressed with the incredible detail of Kasie’s painting, Majestic, and am happy that her artwork will be displayed in the U.S. Capitol the next year. I applaud the efforts of all the young artists who entered this year’s contest. Everyone should be very proud of their submissions.

IN NEWS YOU WON’T HEAR IN THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA: 80% say Biden’s economic agenda does them no good. Clearly, Americans are suffering from record inflation and stagnant wages in the Biden economy.

According to a new Fox News poll, 83% say the economic situation of the nation is negative.

And how do Americans judge Biden? Not well. Almost 80% of Americans say Biden’s policies have not helped them, with almost half saying that Biden’s policies are actively hurting their family.

This poll comes as a key inflation measure prioritized by the Fed – the Personal Consumption Expenditures price index – showed inflation unacceptably high and accelerating last month.

I hope everyone has a safe, happy, and helpful Memorial Day weekend. Please take time to remember our fallen heroes. 

We look forward to catching up with you next week. God Bless, and see you soon,

Dan Meuser
http://www.meuserforcongress.com/