This Veterans Day, I was honored to recognize one of the many veterans who risked their lives for our country with a Purple Heart. For years, Sergeant First Class William Montgomery had been trying to obtain the Purple Heart for injuries he sustained during Operation Iraqi Freedom. It wasn’t until he contacted my office in July that we got the ball rolling. The typical Purple Heart approval process takes upwards of a year; however, I made this one a top priority and got him approved for the award within just two months of contacting my office.

Former Sergeant First Class (SFC) William Montgomery, originally from Tucson, Arizona, enlisted in the United States Army as a Cavalry Scout in 1997 after graduating from high school in Spring Creek, Nevada. He excelled during his training in Fort Knox, Kentucky, and later served in various roles at Fort Polk, Louisiana. After reenlisting in the Army Reserves, he trained as a Drill Sergeant with the 95th Infantry Division and served in Operation Enduring Freedom in Oklahoma. SFC Montgomery extended his service for a second tour and is scheduled to receive a Purple Heart for wounds and injuries sustained during his deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2008-2009 on Veterans Day. He also led a platoon during a subsequent deployment in 2010-2011. Following his military service, he was medically discharged in 2015 and now resides in Grand Junction, Colorado, with his six children. SFC Montgomery's commendations include multiple medals and awards for his service in various campaigns and units.

Sergeant First Class Montgomery's service is a shining example for all Americans. His distinguished career has been marked with selfless courage and an unwavering willingness to put everything on the line for our nation and everything it stands for.

In the 118th Congress, I voted for the most significant military pay raise in 20 years, passed six amendments that allocate $13 million towards funding for veterans, and voted YES on an additional $1.5 billion for veterans' benefits. In addition to these crucial measures, I also cosponsored H.J. Res 44, which protects millions of veterans and gun owners by nullifying the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives' (ATF's) unconstitutional pistol brace ban rule. Caring for veterans is not just a political stance for me—it's a daily commitment. My office has also returned over $506,000 directly to veterans in Colorado's Third Congressional District. I will always be there to help our nation's heroes!

For months, I have been fighting to properly fund our government through 12 individual appropriations bills. We are over $33 trillion in debt, and unless we cut wasteful government spending, that number will continue to rise. I have been able to pass dozens of amendments and legislative priorities that cut/redirect wasteful spending from government bureaucracies and move those funds to issues that matter most, like border security, education, forest management, and veterans’ care.

Twenty-six of my legislative priorities, including eight critical amendments, passed the House of Representatives as part of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2024. My legislative priorities will protect American energy production, increase funding for active forest management and wildfire prevention, and allocate millions to various community projects in the Third District. Since taking office, Joe Biden has waged an all-out war on American energy production. Colorado is home to thousands of proud oil and gas workers that Joe wants gone. Not on my watch. My amendments that passed the House block Joe Biden’s attack on American energy by prohibiting him from locking up 1.6 million acres of land in Colorado from new oil leases and implementing his ridiculous Fluid Mineral Leases and Leasing Process rule that would squeeze domestic energy producers even further.

I also had twenty-four legislative priorities that passed the House as part of the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2024. These priorities allocate millions of dollars towards expanding access to telehealth services for millions of veterans living in rural areas, increasing funding for charter schools so that children can have access to better education regardless of their zip code, and expanding healthcare resources in rural areas.

As part of my efforts to address the urgent issue of water shortages in the West and promote water storage and infrastructure improvements, I championed two key amendments that passed the House as part of the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2024. These amendments redirect $5 million in funding to two important initiatives: the Colorado River Storage Project and the Colorado River Dam Fund. Through these crucial amendments, I secured funding for critical water and infrastructure projects in Colorado's Third Congressional District. I am committed to meeting the needs of my constituents and ensuring a stable and sustainable water supply for the region. I will always fight for our water!

My Restoring American Energy Dominance Act, which blocks the Biden Administration's proposed Fluid Mineral Leases and Leasing Process rule, has passed the House! On July 24, 2023, the BLM issued a proposed rule entitled Fluid Mineral Leases and Leasing Process. The proposed mandate would formally implement provisions from the partisan Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which increased the royalty rate for production on federal lands while also increasing and creating new fees for producers. The radical Biden administration will stop at nothing to cripple American energy, but I refuse to stand by and watch.