Hello Friend,

Welcome to my e-newsletter, the Ready Room. As a retired Naval Aviator, the Ready Room is special to me because it’s where fellow aviators meet to brief and debrief missions. This is my weekly briefing to you on my mission in Congress. Please follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube for regular updates on how my team and I are working to serve you in Congress.

FIGHTING TO SECURE OUR OPEN BORDER

December saw a staggering 302,000 migrant encounters, the highest month ever recorded. 

We must secure our border! That's why I support the upcoming impeachment hearings against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. His policies and dereliction of duty have resulted in a border crisis that cripples community resources and has triggered a national health emergency in the current fentanyl crisis.

Our best solution is for the Senate to pass H.R. 2, the Secure the Border Act, in its entirety. It ends catch-and-release policies, reinstates the Remain in Mexico program and recruits more Customs and Border Patrol agents. If the Senate refuses to act, they own the problem too. 

HOLDING UNELECTED BUREAUCRATS ACCOUNTABLE

In 2021, Congress passed 143 laws, while federal agencies issued over 3,000 rules that cost almost $2 trillion annually each year. Unelected career bureaucrats at federal agencies who are not accountable to the public should never be able to circumvent Congress and our system of checks and balances.

That's why I voted for H.R. 357, the Ensuring Accountability in Agency Rulemaking Act, to put the brakes on executive branch overreach and reclaim Congress’ constitutional lawmaking authority to restore the health of our democracy. This measure passed the House and is awaiting Senate action.

STOPPING THE STUDENT LOAN REPAYMENT SCHEME

The Biden Administration's Savings on a Valuable Education (SAVE) plan is estimated to cost taxpayers a staggering $559 billion. The Education Department expects all taxpayers to repay the student loans of others – even those who did not attend college. This is costly and unfair. It fails to address the root problem of sky rocketing tuition.

That's why I voted to overturn President Biden's extreme SAVE plan via H.J. Res. 88 to put a stop to unilateral actions that would set a dangerous precedent of rendering student loan repayment obsolete and squander billions of taxpayer dollars. The House successfully overturned H.J. Res. 88, which now awaits Senate action.

Test Your Knowledge #CivicsWithScott!

In which state did Samuel Morse conduct the first public demonstration of the telegraph in 1838?

A. New Jersey
B. Connecticut
C. Massachusetts
D. Virginia

Last Week's Question

President Theodore Roosevelt set a new record by shaking how many hands in one day on New Year's Day in 1907?

A. 10,021
B. 679
C. 8,513 - Correct answer
D. 4,947

It is an honor and privilege to represent you in Congress. Please take a moment to fill out my latest constituent survey here. Your feedback helps me better represent you. For more information on constituent services, current legislation, and to sign up for my e-newsletter, please visit my website at franklin.house.gov. 

Best regards,

C. Scott Franklin
Member of Congress