We know all too well that when the federal government gorges itself on radical socialist ideologies and agendas, it grows too big for its britches and bursts at the seams. As a result, the American people are faced with a tyrannical, intrusive federal government that prides itself on handing down mandates as if it were a king. That’s precisely the reality that we will face if the so-called “Green New Deal” were to materialize - and we saw this week one facet of this outrageous agenda that would decimate American families across the entire country: the banning of gas cooking appliances. No, your eyes do not deceive you, this is a real thing.

The banning of gas cooking appliances, and the rest of the dangerous provisions squirreled away in the so-called “Green New Deal”, all ladder up to more government control over our lives. Make no mistake, the banning of gas cooking appliances is about the federal government exercising control over what we do, and ultimately, how we think. Consumer choice will no longer be respected - it will become extinct. So, what will be the next domino to fall?

Nearly 40% of American households prefer using natural gas stoves, and 187 million Americans use natural gas because it is both affordable and reliable. Mandating that Americans switch to more expensive alternatives will only burn a hole in everyone’s wallet. In fact, homes with natural gas appliances save up to $1,068 per year compared to all-electric homes. What’s more, think about the 4.1 million hardworking Americans who have jobs that are directly tied to the natural gas industry, and the prospect of those jobs being potentially wiped clean off the map. The consequences, as I am sure you can already tell, will be disastrous.

To combat this madness, House Republicans passed the Save Our Gas Stoves Act and the Gas Stove Protection and Freedom Act this week. I was proud to vote in favor of both bills to protect consumer choice and fend off more government interference in our daily lives. As always, I will continue to stand up against radical agendas like the so-called “Green New Deal” and stand up against metastasizing bureaucracy whenever it rears its ugly head.

Protecting Second Amendment Rights

This week, the House passed H.J. Res 44, a bill that would overturn a Biden Administration Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) rule that classifies a firearm with a stabilizing brace as a short-barreled rifle subject to regulation under the Gun Control Act of 1968 (GCA) and the National Firearms Act of 1934 (NFA). Under this rule, millions of law-abiding Americans would be labeled as criminals - an entirely unacceptable course of action. My record on defending the Second Amendment rights of Americans is crystal clear, and I was proud to vote in favor of H.J. Res 44 when it came before the House. Let me be clear, our rights are God-given, and they should be respected.

Holding HHS Accountable

On Tuesday, the House Committee on Education and the Workforce held a hearing examining the policies and priorities of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Assessing the Department’s budget requires a critical eye to ensure that taxpayer dollars are not being misused. Many do not know that one in every four dollars taken from taxpayers by the federal government is routed through HHS. As such, rigorous oversight is necessary to ensure that HHS is acting as a good steward of taxpayer money. Further, Congress’ duty in exercising oversight of the budgeting process allows us to hold federal agencies accountable when they step out of line and even halt their failed policies.

To read my full opening statement from this hearing, click here.

Quote of The Week

“The spirit of resistance to government is so valuable on certain occasions that I wish it to be always kept alive.”

-Thomas Jefferson

Have a blessed weekend,