Washington, D.C. - Happy Friday! I hope you all had a great week and are staying cool during this heatwave.

Last Friday, I joined Good Days in Frisco to kick off Chronic Disease Day! Did you know that 7 of 10 deaths in the U.S. can be attributed to chronic illness? This day is devoted to raising awareness of this issue and solutions to limit the number of preventable illnesses.

On Monday, I joined my Ways and Means colleagues in Minnesota for a field hearing on trade and agriculture. We were able to hear directly from farmers and producers about their trade policy concerns, issues facing the U.S. agricultural industry, and how we can help get the federal government out of their way.

On Wednesday, I headed to the Capitol steps to chat with some Cornell students who were in town for a Student Advocacy Day. It was a pleasure to meet so many young adults from my alma mater passionate about policy.

Our 2023 Congressional Art Competition winner, Sophia, and her family visited D.C. this week, and I had the pleasure of showing them where her winning artwork, “Ollie,” is displayed in the U.S. Capitol. 

If you or your family are planning a trip to D.C., our office is happy to help you schedule a tour. Please visit https://vanduyne.house.gov/tours-and-tickets. Make sure to keep an eye out for “Ollie” during your tour!

Next, I stopped by the National Association of Manufacturers Tax Forum event and was able to speak with NAM member company representatives regarding tax policy. We discussed the importance of passing the American Families and Jobs Act, which will help maintain American competitiveness from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

As a member of the Ways and Means Committee, I’m working to expand opportunities for trade. On Thursday morning, I met with the Chairperson of Kazakhstan’s Parliament Committee on Foreign Affairs, Aigul Kuspan. We discussed the bipartisan Kazakhstan Permanent Normal Trade Relations Act of 2023, which would remove Soviet-era restrictions on trade. Kazakhstan is an important ally in a strategic region, neighboring many of our adversaries.

Later in the day, I had a great meeting with the Texas Cattle Feeders Association to discuss their priorities for the upcoming farm bill.

Then, it was on to my Small Business Committee hearing on pandemic fraud accountability where we reviewed the SBA Inspector General’s COVID-19 Fraud Report.

I finished out the week with some of my Republican and Democrat colleagues at the Congressional Former Mayors Caucus Reception! We discussed our shared experiences as local leaders that provided us with valuable perspectives when coming to Washington.

REMINDER: We have more than 200 employers and dozens of elected officials confirmed for our upcoming 2023 North Texas Job Fair! Be sure to join us on August 7th at the Irving Convention Center.

Our 2021 job fair brought together more than 200 businesses and thousands of job seekers and we’re set to top that this year! Some of our participants are Amazon, TxDOT, FC Dallas, CHRISTUS Health, AT&T, Cook Children’s Health, Bell Textron, and Parkland Health.

If you're a job seeker or you're looking to hire, please click here to RSVP, view the full list of businesses, or to reserve a booth for your company!

*NOTE: Please submit your business registration forms as soon as possible as there are a set number of booths to reserve.*

Upcoming Telephone Town Hall with Congresswoman Beth Van Duyne

Today, I voted for the National Defense Authorization Act, which included my amendment to help our servicemembers and veterans find jobs after they complete their service.

Our bill is the strongest, most conservative defense bill that has come before Congress since I was sworn in. It provides pay increases, improved housing, and healthcare access for servicemembers and their families, while equipping our military with the tools and resources needed to fight the growing threats from hostile governments.

House Republicans are delivering on our Commitment to America by supporting our troops and saving billions of taxpayer dollars by cracking down on waste, fraud, and abuse!

TX-24 Veteran Commendation

The Congressional Veteran Commendation has been created to honor the distinguished veterans of the 24th Congressional District of Texas and to preserve their stories for future generations of Americans.

Veterans who are nominated must be currently residing in the 24th District of Texas and have served our nation with honor consistent with the finest traditions of military service. The nominated veterans must also have served their community.

Click here to complete and submit the nomination packet no later than October 13, 2023 at 5pm.

This week’s Texas-24 Hometown Hero is Grapevine Police Officer, Patrick O’Neal!

Officer O’Neal has spent the last several years working on a project to help law enforcement find any area or room on a school campus in an emergency, within seconds. He began his mission of numbering every door and hallway in Grapevine ISD, then created digital maps of the floor plans to share across departments. He's since put together detailed maps of almost two dozen schools in Grapevine ISD which the police department can access via a digital system on their phone. Last week, he was honored with the 2023 State of Texas Law Enforcement Achievement Award for Public Services at the State Capitol.

I’d like to thank Officer O’Neal for his tireless efforts and years of dedication to keeping North Texas students and staff safe! We are so grateful for all you do.

Do you know someone who goes above and beyond for our community? Nominate a Texas-24 Hometown Hero here.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve as your voice in Washington. To stay up to date on what's happening each week, follow me on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, GETTR, Parler, Rumble, and YouTube. 

Please do not hesitate to contact our office if we can ever be of service to you. 

Sincerely,

Congresswoman Beth Van Duyne (TX-24)