And a Look Ahead for What's in Store this September on Capitol Hill 

August 24, 2023

Rep. Pat Fallon

My Work in Congress So Far This Year: Conservatives in Congress share your concerns about what I mentioned previously. I know for a fact that folks across the country are saying the same thing you are: Congress must demand accountability from the Biden Administration.

This past May, I voted against raising the debt limit. I remember being appalled when our national debt stood at $10 trillion just a few short years ago. Now, it stands at over $32 trillion. You can click on the tweet video below where I made my case moments before I walked onto the House floor to cast my vote. 

Texas families cannot spend more than they make, so why should Congress tolerate this sort of fiscal irresponsibility from the federal government? No doubt, the reckless spending we have seen recently has contributed to the record inflation we’ve experienced over the past few years. I have cosponsored legislation, H.J.Res.12, to require a balanced budget and ensure that Congress gets our fiscal house in order. The federal government does not have a revenue problem, it has a spending problem. 

When it comes to the threat posed by Communist China, the United States needs solutions, not appeasement. Many of the folks I spoke with brought up their concerns with state-backed Chinese companies buying up US land. For this reason, I’ve co-sponsored H.R. 917, which was also introduced by Sen. Ted Cruz in the Senate, that restricts the purchase of property near military installations by China, as well as Russia, Iran and North Korea.

Much like the situation at our southern border, Congress must reaffirm American sovereignty and send a clear message to the Chinese Communist Party that the United States will not be intimidated. 

I'm honored to represent over 34,500 veterans in Texas' Fourth District and have made it a priority that they receive the benefits and care they deserve. My bill, H.R. 3811, the Veterans Mental and Behavioral Health Quality of Care Act requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to use an independent and objective outside organization to study the difference in the quality of care between behavioral and mental health care provided by VA providers and by non-VA providers. You can read more about my bill in The Washington Examiner by clicking on the headline below.  

What to Expect When Congress Returns to D.C. Next Month: Congress will return from the district work period on September 12 to begin session. Federal funding expires on September 30 and the House will be focused on passing 11 of the 12 remaining appropriations bills to fund specific government programs. 

One of these bills funds the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which is responsible for maintaining operational control of our southern border. I strongly believe that DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas' failed policies have led to the crisis at the border, and you may recall that I introduced Articles of Impeachment for him for this very reason earlier this year. 

To date, Texas has spent more than $10 billion through Operation Lone Star to secure our 1,254 mile border with Mexico.

Governor Abbott has put in place real measures to curb the influx of illegal immigration and the flow of toxic fentanyl across our porous southern border. The Biden Administration is now suing the State of Texas for its policies.

I think this is absurd and indicates that the Biden Administration's policies are pro-open border. But how does this relate to the appropriations process on Capitol Hill?

I have signed on to my fellow Texan, Rep. Chip Roy's letter that makes clear we will not vote for a DHS appropriations bill until significant steps are taken to secure the border.

The full text of the letter can be found here. Specifically, it calls for the following: 

1. President Biden to sign into law H.R. 2, Republicans' border control bill which passed the House earlier this spring. 
2. Adoption of policies that allow law enforcement and or the military to target cartels.
3. Ensuring Secretary Mayorkas is removed from office.
4. Reimbursing Texas the $10 billion it has been forced to spend to shore up border security.

Regarding the last point, this March I introduced H.R. 1286, the Lone Star Reimbursement Act, that would require a portion of the funds spent by Texas to secure the border to be reimbursed by the DHS and the Department of Defense. 

The House has the power of the purse, and withholding funding from government agencies is one of the tools Congress can use to change the way things are done in Washington, D.C. 

August 2023 Town Hall Tour: As I mentioned earlier, we just finished our town hall tour across the district during the first half of August. It always means so much to me when you come in person to ask the hard questions! 

Stay Tuned For Our September 2023 Telephone Town Hall: If you didn’t have a chance to stop by on the district town hall tour this past month, please keep a look out for our next telephone-town hall meeting in mid-September.  I’ll be on the line to answer your questions from my office in Washington, D.C. when Congress is back in session. I look forward to hearing from everyone!

Recognizing Our Veterans: As Americans, we owe our military and Veterans a debt of gratitude which can never be repaid. The Congressional Veteran Commendation (CVC) program is nominations-based, and designed to recognize the sacrifices and devotion to serving our country offered by veterans within Texas’ Fourth Congressional District.

To be considered for a nomination, veterans must currently reside in Texas’ Fourth Congressional District, must have served as active duty military personnel or have been reservists called to active duty, and must have been honorably discharged from a branch of the United States Armed Forces.

Our application due date is being extended to August 31st. Applicants need to submit a photo of the veteran (required) and the veteran’s DD214 if they can access it. If not, they need to give a brief reason why when they submit the application. You can apply and find more information here. 

Need Passport Help? You may have heard that there are ongoing issues at the State Department when it comes to passport applications. I want to make sure I do all I can to see to it that everyone in Texas' Fourth Congressional District can enjoy their panned travel.

Alongside my Northeast Texas colleagues in the House, I sent a letter in late June to Secretary of State Anthony Blinken urging him to devote the additional resources necessary to processing backlog of passport applications. The text of this letter can be found here. 

In the meantime, please do not hesitate to reach out to your staff in our district offices if you need assistance with your passport or any other federal agency. Your district staff will continue to do all they can to get your passport applications in front of the Dallas Passport Agency.

Contact information for your district offices can be found at the end of this newsletter.

You can find helpful tips regarding ordering a passport here. 

New Special Counsel Appointed in Hunter Biden Case: I joined Fox News' Martha MacCallum last Friday to react to the day's breaking news that Attorney General Merrick Garland had appointed U.S. Attorney David Weiss as special counsel in the Hunter Biden case. Watch below!