Dear Friend, Last week, President Biden delivered his State of the Union address. He attempted to paint a picture depicting a country experiencing an economic boom and financial bliss when in fact, millions of American workers and families are living paycheck to paycheck and struggling to pay for basic living expenses. A February Forbes magazine article revealed that 78 percent of Americans are now living paycheck to paycheck. This includes almost 52 percent of families with one child and 40 percent of people over 70 years of age. In his speech, President Biden not only did not acknowledge the damage his policies have inflicted on our nation, but he also laid his vision for making things even worse. Biden tried to blame Republicans for our border crisis. But the crisis is entirely and transparently the result of the directives he issued at the beginning of his administration. He not only has the responsibility to uphold our laws regarding illegal entry in the United States, but he has the resources and the authority. He has deliberately chosen to open our borders leaving our communities less safe and our nation less secure. Biden’s speech was the angry rant of a failed leader who is increasingly unpopular even among his base.  Alabama and America deserve better. My Republican colleagues and I are working to secure our border, open up our enormous energy resources, reduce spending, and stop the out-of-control regulations being pushed by the Biden Administration all of which will lower inflation. I hope you will read this newsletter to learn more about the work I am doing on your behalf. If you ever want to express your thoughts or comments regarding legislative issues, please call our D.C. office at (202) 225-4921 or email me through my website. If you need help with a federal agency, please see if we can assist you by calling our district office at (205) 968-1290 or filling out this form on my website. Sincerely, Gary Palmer Securing Our Southern Border Our southern border is in crisis, and President Biden is doing nothing to fix it. In January, I went down to the southern border to examine the problem myself. I had the chance to talk with Border Patrol agents, local law enforcement, and a local rancher about the impact on the local community as well as hear their concerns about the numbers of people they are dealing with on almost a daily basis. I learned first-hand about the impact on their communities, businesses, and their property. After hearing from them, I stand in strong support of the State of Texas acting independently to mobilize the National Guard to secure their border. Every month, the number of illegal crossings is hitting a new record. Since October, there have already been over one million illegal crossings into our country. In just 2023, 169 individuals whose names appeared on the U.S. terrorist watchlist were apprehended trying to cross the US-Mexico border in between ports of entry, which is more than the entire four years of the Trump Administration. Given these numbers, it is as if they cartels and other advisories ramped up to take advantage of the Biden Open Borders policy while they have the chance. Additionally, it is estimated that the net costs to taxpayers for illegal immigration is $150.7 billion annually, which amounts to $957 per taxpayer. It is the responsibility of Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas to ensure that our border is closed and the homeland secured. Not only has he failed to carry out his duties under the law, he repeatedly misrepresented the situation at the border and misled Congress. Consequently, I joined other Republicans in the House to impeach him. Read my statement about my trip to the border here Read my statement about impeaching Sec. Mayorkas here Breitbart: GOP Rep. Palmer: Influx of Illegals Under Biden Could Have Impact on Census, Congressional Representation CBS 42: 2 Alabama Congressmen among house republicans touring the southern border Yellowhammer: 7 Things: Alabama congressmen visit the border as illegals cross; Epstein associate list released; and more … Fox News: 'He's delusional': Biden's border comments spark stiff rebuke on Capitol Hill from some lawmakers Yellowhammer: ‘Accountability is here’ – U.S. House impeaches Mayorkas with support from Alabama’s GOP delegation Congressman Palmer at the Southern Border Racism in Medicare All Americans should be treated the same by their doctors, regardless of race, and Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements should not be used to incentivize racially biased access to treatment one way or the other. Unfortunately, under the direction of Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra, a directive was sent to physician offices offering bonus payments to those who moved minority patients ahead of white patients. I confronted Sec. Becerra about this in two different hearings. In the first hearing Sec. Becerra denied the policy existed and argued I was misinformed. In the second hearing, after I presented him with the language from the rules sent to physician offices by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service along with his letter approving the rule, he admitted the bonus structure existed. Bottom line, he lied about it. In response to this, I introduced a bill to prevent the department of Health and Human Services from using Medicare and Medicaid dollars from being used to discriminate against anyone. You can read more about it using the links below: Read my statement here Alabama Today: Gary Palmer fights racism, discrimination and “woke agenda” of HHS and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid The Daily Signal: EXCLUSIVE: Alabama Republican’s Bill Would Ban Government From Forcing Racial Discrimination in Medicare Yellowhammer: Gary Palmer wants to ‘stop CRT and DEI’ in healthcare Release the Tapes The Hur Report released last month about then Vice President Joe Biden’s mishandling of classified documents appears to be an attempt to protect Biden from prosecution by claiming he is not mentally fit enough to stand trial. Given all the concerns already being raised about Biden’s mental fitness to serve a second term, while a lack of mental acuity might keep him from facing charges, it should also raise serious concerns among voters about his ability to serve a second term. However, the White House is claiming he is as mentally fit as a fiddle. Because of my grave concerns about President Biden’s capacity to carry out his duties, I called on the White House and Department of Justice to release the transcripts and recordings of President Biden’s interviews with Special Counsel Robert Hur. The American people should have access to these documents so they can decide for themselves instead of relying on the White House press office proclamations that he is up to the task. Read my statement regarding the Hur Report here Read my statement calling for the tapes to be released here 1819: ‘Release the full recordings’ Palmer says, following ‘not surprising’ DOJ report on Biden investigation Yellowhammer: Gary Palmer calls for release of ‘damaging’ DOJ report that details Biden’s ‘diminished capacities’ Watch my interview with NewsNation here or by clicking the video below If you wish to share your thoughts or comments regarding legislation, please email me using this link from my website or call our D.C. office at (202) 225-4921. Additionally, you can view my voting record and bills that I have sponsored and co-sponsored here. Be sure to check out the ‘Newsroom’ section on my website to stay up to date on press releases, interviews, and articles. Around the District Service Academy Nominees One of the most important parts of my job is nominating students to the U.S. Service Academies. This year, I had the honor of nominating 12 outstanding students from our communities that wish to serve our country. Congratulations! Gardendale Prayer Breakfast It was an honor to be invited to join the city of Gardendale for their annual prayer breakfast. Thank you to Mayor Stan Hogeland for having me. ABC 33/40 news anchor Pam Huff was the keynote speaker who shared us how her faith carried her through her battle with cancer. With almost 50 years a major feature in the daily lives of people all around the metro Birmingham area, Pam has become a household name. Her story is one I hope many more people have the opportunity to hear. Mayors Luncheon It is always a pleasure hearing from mayors around the district at our quarterly district mayors’ luncheon. Thank you to everyone that attended! Birmingham City Sales Club Thank you to the Birmingham City Sales Club for having me speak at their event last month. It was a great opportunity to meet with local business owners and salesmen to learn about the challenges they are facing. I sincerely appreciate Darryl White for inviting me to speak. Hoover Chamber of Commerce Luncheon Thanks to Mayor Frank Brocato for having me at Hoover’s Chamber of Commerce Luncheon. It was a great day to hear from constituents and update them on my work in D.C. If you need help with a federal agency, please see if we can assist you by calling our district office at (205) 968-1290 or filling out this form on my website. If you are traveling to Washington, D.C. anytime soon, please contact my office to see how we can assist you. And feel free to stop by my office while in town! Office of Rep. Gary Palmer | 170 Cannon House Building, Washington, DC 20515 Unsubscribe [email protected] Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice Sent by [email protected]