December 8, 2023

New West Texas Interstate Officially Named I-27

This week, the House passed the I-27 Numbering Act of 2023 to formally name the Ports-to-Plains Corridor through Texas and New Mexico as Interstate 27. The Ports-to-Plains Corridor is a significant north-south transportation corridor that will unlock transportation capabilities for the energy industry in the Permian Basin and enhance Texas’ key economic engines of international trade, energy, and the largest agricultural production in the country.

This new designation literally paves the way for safer roads in West Texas, and clearly marks Midland-Odessa as the energy hub of our nation.

Watch here or below for my remarks on the renaming.

U.S. Borders Infiltrated by Adversaries

Representative Tony Gonzales (TX-23) and I joined the Ripon Society this week to discuss the importance of bolstering our border security.

People do not take you seriously around the world if you are weak at home. Unfortunately, weakness is exactly what President Biden is welcoming along our southern border.

Just this week, the southern border has witnessed record-breaking encounters with over 10,000 individuals crossing in a single day. Customs and Border Patrol agents are overwhelmed, while President Biden continues to ignore this crisis. Our adversaries, including the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), are utilizing our border to smuggle individuals and illicit drugs into our country.

Earlier this year, the House passed H.R. 2, the Secure the Border Act of 2023, which is the strongest border security legislation passed in decades. The Senate must immediately pass this legislation to secure the border. Click here for my delivered remarks.

Blocking President Biden's Electric Vehicle Mandate

Rural America knows that electric vehicles do not work for everyone. Unfortunately, the Biden Administration is pushing policies to ban gas-powered engines and force every American to drive an electric vehicle.

This week, the House passed legislation to stop President Biden's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from outlawing gas-powered vehicles. The CARS Act places a critical STOP sign on this failed path toward forcing all Americans to own electric vehicles.

The EPA’s job is to identify emissions that endanger health or welfare, not socially engineer the new cars that Americans must buy. 

President Biden has no business telling Americans what kind of cars they can and cannot drive. This vote safeguards consumer choice in selecting a car to drive and ensures we are not handing over the keys to China. Watch here or below for my remarks.

Overwhelming Evidence: President Biden Impeachment Inquiry

The Committee on Oversight and Accountability continues to uncover overwhelming amounts of evidence in the investigation and impeachment inquiry into President Biden and the Biden Family. We have discovered direct monthly payments and an influence-peddling scheme tied to President Biden. Oversight Chairman James Comer has also subpoenaed Hunter and many Biden Family members to sit for depositions before Congress. Without the Republican Majority, the American people would not know any of this information. As we move towards the new year, Republicans in Congress will continue to hold the Biden Family accountable and uncover the facts.

Taxpayers Should Not Bail Out Student Loan Borrowers

Even after the Supreme Court ruled President Biden's "student loan forgiveness" program unconstitutional, the Biden Administration continues to transfer student debt onto taxpayers. In fact, on the same day of the Supreme Court's ruling, the Department of Education announced a new final rule to allow a majority of bachelor’s degree student loan borrowers to avoid paying back even the principal on their loans. I voted to strike down this harmful rule that would have taxed Americans.

No hardworking Texan should be forced to pay for "elite" college degrees—especially when we saw the Presidents of Harvard and Penn refuse to strongly condemn calls for the genocide of the Jewish people this week.

Rather than addressing the root causes of the student debt crisis, the Biden Administration would rather transfer the financial burden onto taxpayers, exacerbating our ongoing issues with inflation and contributing further to our staggering $33 trillion national debt. Watch here or below for my remarks.

Advocating for Patient Access to Critical Medications

This week, I met with representatives from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) alongside my colleagues on the Energy and Commerce Committee. We discussed the consequences of CMS' decision to end a policy that allows for independent physicians to mail medications directly to their patients or have them delivered by a family member or caregiver if a Medicare patient was unable to be present in the office.

This policy is especially harmful to patients in rural areas where a trip to the doctor might be a long journey, and puts those who have unreliable transportation or health conditions that make it unsafe to travel at risk.

It will create an unacceptable hurdle for patients in need of vital medications, including many cancer patients, to receive their prescriptions promptly from their healthcare provider. I will continue to fight against this policy that restricts a patient's access to critical medications.

2024 Congressional Youth Advisory Council

I am excited to announce the re-launch of the Congressional Youth Advisory Council (CYAC) for high school juniors and seniors in the 11th Congressional District of Texas. CYAC is designed to empower the next generation of leaders by providing a platform to voice their perspectives on critical issues. Participants will have the chance to interact directly with me and special guests in interactive virtual meetings. Additionally, CYAC participants will be provided special admittance to the Pfluger Youth Leadership Conference in Spring 2024 (Date TBD).

Key Program Details:

· Up to four interactive virtual meetings with Congressman Pfluger and distinguished guests.

· Participation in the Pfluger Youth Leadership Conference in Spring 2024 (Date TBD).

· No cost to participants; all materials provided.

· Possibility of academic or community service credit.

Interested students are encouraged to apply by completing an application at: pfluger.house.gov/services/cyac.htm.

The deadline for submissions is December 15, 2023. Applicants must commit to attending a minimum of three meetings, scheduled after school hours, subject to possible changes in the Congressional calendar.

For questions about the program or application, please contact Corbette Padilla in the Midland district office at 432-687-2390.

Thank you for reading. It is the honor of my lifetime to serve you in Congress. Please follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for daily updates.

Rep. August Pfluger

Member of Congress