Expanding Access to Mental Health Services for Students

As a member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, I recently re-introduced H.R. 3669, the Expanding Student Access to Mental Health Services Act. H.R. 3669 would provide school districts with increased flexibility in how they can use funds from an existing grant program under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) to improve mental health services for students.

Schools know the needs of their students and should have the flexibility and freedom to use funding to meet those needs. Our nation’s youth are the future of America, and we must ensure school districts can provide the necessary resources and services to prepare students for success inside and outside the classroom.

Signing Day Ceremony for GA-12 Service Academy Students

Last week, I hosted a special signing day ceremony for students in Georgia's 12th District who have been accepted into one of the nation's military service academies.

During the event, I recognized three Georgia-12 students whose respective service academy nominations I sponsored, and also presented each student with a signed copy of the Congressional Record marking the occasion.

GA-12 students participating in the signing day event included:

• Alan Sairany from Greenbrier High School, U.S. Air Force Academy
• Katherine Merritt from Coffee County High School, U.S. Military Academy (West Point)
• Brandon Sweitzer from Grovetown High School, U.S. Air Force Academy

Students unable to attend:

• Mark Abell from Greenbrier High School, U.S. Military Academy (West Point)
• Elijah Ham from Arrow Academy, U.S. Military Academy (West Point)
• Seth MacGregor from Vidalia High School, United States Naval Academy

I have every confidence that Alan, Katherine, Brandon, Mark, Elijah, and Seth will go on to make the state of Georgia, and the United States of America, very proud!

2023 Fall Internship Program

My office is now accepting applications for the 2023 Fall Internship Program to be offered in my Washington, D.C. and Augusta offices.

This program is open to college students and young professionals interested in learning about the legislative process and assisting with the responsibilities of a congressional office. Interns will perform a range of tasks including constituent outreach, legislative writing, and more, with the possibility of earning school credit. All applications are due by Friday, June 30.

Submit your application by CLICKING HERE.

June Community Office Hours

REMINDER: June Community Office Hours are underway. If you need assistance with a federal agency such as Social Security, Veterans Affairs, Medicare, and others, our team of dedicated caseworkers is here to help you closer to home.

For the full list of dates, times, and locations, please CLICK HERE.

U.S. Capitol Tours

It was my pleasure to host a Capitol tour this week with the Startup Champions Network!

If you're visiting Washington D.C. and need help setting up tours of popular D.C. attractions, please visit my website HERE.

This Week's Committee Activity

Education and the Workforce

Full Committee Markup

The Education and Workforce Committee advanced four bills that would express Congress' disapproval of housing illegal immigrants in school facilities, ensure students have access to whole milk, and address healthcare affordability for American workers.

As a businessman, I know the challenges that our job creators face when it comes to being able to provide healthcare benefits, and I spoke about policy solutions we can implement to make it easier for small businesses to band together and make healthcare more affordable. Watch my remarks HERE.

Full Committee Hearing

"Examining the Policies and Priorities of the Department of Labor"

I pressed Acting Department of Labor (DOL) Secretary Julie Su about the DOL's harmful actions that would allow fiduciaries to weaponize retirement savings in pursuit of woke ideological goals—jeopardizing Americans' retirement returns.

Energy and Commerce

Communications and Technology Subcommittee Hearing

"Listen Here: Why Americans Value AM Radio"

AM Radio is a critical source of news information and entertainment for rural residents, including those in Georgia-12, who may have limited access to other communication technologies. Watch my remarks HERE.

Environment, Manufacturing, and Critical Materials Subcommittee Hearing

"Clean Power Plan: EPA's Latest Attack on America's Electric Reliability"

The EPA's proposed power plant rule is this administration's latest push in their rush-to-green climate agenda and is an attempt to end the use of natural gas in our nation. This harmful rule jeopardizes the reliability of our grid and would only increase costs for rural Georgians. Watch my remarks HERE.

Innovation, Data, and Commerce Subcommittee Hearing

"Building Blockchains: Exploring Web3 and Other Applications for Distributed Ledger Technologies"

Blockchain technology is set to play a critical role in strengthening our supply chains. My line of questioning was focused on how small businesses and the agriculture industry can benefit from using this technology to increase efficiency and transparency. Watch my remarks HERE.

This Week's Office Visitors

As always, it was great to meet with several groups this week to talk about the issues that matter most to them.

Those pictured include representatives from:

• University of Georgia
• Homebuilders Association of Georgia
• HCA Hospital Executives

###

My office is here to help. If you'd like to email me, please click here. 

To contact one of our district offices, please click here. 

To stay informed about what is happening in Washington D.C. and in our district, please follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Sincerely,

Rick Allen
Member of Congress