Greetings!
I wanted to take a moment to share with you a recap on what happened last week in Texas' 22nd District and the United States House of Representatives.
This week is National Police Week. As a former law enforcement officer for nearly 30 years, I know all too well the sacrifices our men and women in blue make every day.
To the men and women in blue, thank you for your dedication to protecting communities across the nation, including TX-22. To those who are no longer with us, your sacrifice and memory will not be forgotten.
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This Week in Washington, D.C. |
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Rep. Troy E. Nehls Votes 'YES' to Pass Pro-Law Enforcement Legislation |
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In honor of National Police Week, House Republicans brought the following series of bills to the floor designed to support our men and women in blue, on which I proudly voted 'YES':
- H.Res.1213 condemns calls to defund the police, which has increased violence towards law enforcement officers.
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H.R. 7343, the Detain and Deport Illegal Aliens Who Assault Cops Act, requires Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to detain any illegal immigrant who has been charged with or convicted of assaulting a law enforcement officer.
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H.R. 8146, the Police Our Border Act, requires the Attorney General to report to Congress on how the Biden border crisis affects law enforcement at various levels.
- H.Res.1210 condemns the Biden border crisis and the tremendous burdens law enforcement officers face as a result.
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H.R. 7530, the DC CRIMES Act of 2024, asserts Congressional control over the District of Columbia by prohibiting the D.C. Council from pursuing soft-on-crime sentencing policy.
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H.R. 7581, the Improving Law Enforcement Officer Safety and Wellness Through Data Act, ensures adequate data collection to address the rise in anti-police attacks.
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H.R.354, the Law Enforcement Officer Safety Act (LEOSA) Reform Act, expands the LEOSA exemption to allow qualified active and retired law enforcement officers to carry firearms on state, local, and private property otherwise open to the public and also extends the exemption to magazine capacity and would allow active and retired law enforcement officers to access these Federal facilities without disarming or securing their firearms elsewhere.
I will always back the blue.
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Rep. Troy E. Nehls Attends House Transportation and Infrastructure Hearing on the Francis Scott Key Bridge Collapse |
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As a member of the House Transporation and Infrastructure Committee, I attended a hearing titled, "Reviewing and Examining the Francis Scott Key Bridge Federal Response." At this hearing, committee members heard from multiple Biden Administration officials regarding the federal response to the March 26, 2024, early morning incident involving the cargo vessel Dali and the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, that resulted in the subsequent collapse of the bridge.
Hours after the collapse, President Joe Biden announced his intention for the federal government to pay for the entire cost of reconstructing the Key Bridge. While the President’s request has been received and is under consideration, Congress still has roughly six months to act before any cost share changes would occur. Despite initial estimates of $1.2 billion to rebuild the bridge, media reports now indicate that the State of Maryland estimates that the bridge rebuild may cost between $1.7 billion and $1.9 billion.
It is important that we have a firmer estimate before we take any further actions on the cost share. In addition, if the company that owned and operated the ship is found to be liable, we must make sure that the government actively works to recover any money it is owed. That could help offset the bridge funding or be used to make the people and companies who rely on and work at the Baltimore Harbor whole.
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Rep. Troy E. Nehls Waives onto the House Homeland Security Committee Hearing to Discuss the Drone Research and Innovation for Law Enforcement Act of 2023
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This week, I waived onto the House Homeland Security Subcommittee Hearing titled "Unmanned Aerial Systems: An Examination of the Use of Drones in Emergency Response" to discuss my bill, the Drone Research and Innovation for Law Enforcement Act of 2023, which would establish a pilot research program within the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for the use of non-lethal de-escalation unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) for law enforcement officers, leading to safer outcomes for officers and the communities they serve.
As a former law enforcement official of nearly 30 years and retired sheriff, I personally understand what the use of UAVs by law enforcement would mean for the safety of our communities. Every day, law enforcement and first responders around our great nation are forced to deal with some of the most difficult and dangerous situations. Whether it’s a firefighter racing into a burning building or a police officer responding to gang violence, having real-time information is invaluable. The “unknown” in high-risk scenarios has the potential to lead to more unintended consequences and is often one of the most dangerous things to consider.
In high-stress situations where seconds can be a matter of life or death, it is imperative that we provide our brothers and sisters in blue with the best technology, weaponry, and tools to combat violent criminals. Every police officer around the country would prefer to de-escalate high-risk situations. To achieve this objective, law enforcement needs to gain situational awareness of the threats they face. Drones provide real-time data to responding officers about the threats they face and where they should respond.
Watch my remarks from the hearing HERE.
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Watch the full interview HERE.
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Rep. Troy E. Nehls Attends House Judiciary Committee Markup on Legislation to Hold AG Merrick Garland in Contempt of Congress |
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As a member of the House Judiciary Committee, I attended a full committee markup to consider a resolution and accompanying report to recommend to the House of Representatives that U.S. Attorney General (AG) Merrick Garland be found in contempt of Congress for defying a lawful subpoena.
The House Committees on Oversight and Accountability and Judiciary issued subpoenas to AG Garland on February 27, 2024, for records, including transcripts, notes, video, and audio files, related to Special Counsel Robert Hur’s investigation of President Joe Biden’s willful mishandling of classified information. AG Garland has refused to provide the audio files of President Biden’s interview with the Special Counsel.
At the hearing, Democrats seemed to suggest the audio files are not necessary because the Judiciary Committee is in possession of the transcripts, but that could not be further from the truth. These audio files are important and directly relevant to our investigation of President Biden’s willful retention of classified documents and his fitness to be President of the United States, especially because the audio files would reveal far more about the President's mental fitness than mere transcripts.
Just last January, former Trump advisor Peter Navarro was sentenced to four months imprisonment for defying a subpoena from this very body. AG Garland should get no special treatment and should be held to account for noncompliance with a lawfully issued subpoena.
I proudly voted to advance the resolution to hold AG Garland in contempt of Congress. The American people deserve to know the truth.
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Listen to the full interview HERE.
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Rep. Troy E. Nehls Introduces Legislation to Block Taxpayer Funds from Funding Biden's ICE Secure Docket Card Program |
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This summer, President Joe Biden’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is expected to launch the ICE Secure Docket Card program, which will doll out photo identity cards to thousands of illegal aliens across the country. This program would be funded directly by American taxpayer dollars. Issuing photo identity cards to illegal aliens will allow them to further take advantage of the American people and abuse local, state, and federal government benefits, such as housing, healthcare, and transportation.
That is exactly why this week, I introduced the No Taxpayer Funds for Illegal Immigrant Identity Cards Act to prevent President Biden’s DHS from utilizing American’s hard-earned tax dollars to issue these ID cards. This legislation would also prohibit the use of documentation issued in connection with immigration proceedings to establish eligibility for federal public benefits.
Upon taking office, Joe Biden dismantled successful Trump-era policies, sending a message around the world that our border is wide-open, encouraging over 9 million illegal aliens to cross our borders. If this wasn’t bad enough, his DHS is going to hand out IDs to illegal aliens instead of addressing the crisis he created—all at the expense of the American taxpayer. This is unacceptable. Joe Biden should be deporting illegal aliens, not giving them a way to further take advantage of the American people.
Read more about the legislation HERE.
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This week, I spoke on the House Floor to honor a great American hero, Clarence E. Sasser, who passed away on May 13th, 2024, in Sugar Land, Texas.
While serving in the United States Army as a medic during the Vietnam War, then-Private First Class (PFC) Sasser selflessly sprang into action to administer medical aid to his unit after they came under heavy fire from three different directions. Despite having incurred wounds and a tremendous loss of blood, PFC Sasser dragged himself through the mud to tend to his wounded soldiers on an open rice paddy.
As a result of his extraordinary heroism displayed on that day, President Richard Nixon presented Specialist 5th Class Clarence Eugene Sasser with the Medal of Honor, which is our nation’s highest and most prestigious military decoration.
I'm proud and honored to have represented Mr. Sasser in Congress. He is an inspiration for us all and embodies the very best of the United States of America.
Watch my remarks on the House Floor HERE.
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Watch the interview HERE.
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Service Academy Nominations Are Now Open |
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My office is now accepting Service Academy Nominations.
One of the privileges of serving in the United States House of Representatives is the opportunity to nominate outstanding young people from the 22nd Congressional District of Texas to be considered for appointment to our nation’s service academies.
Admission to a service academy is a two-tiered process. First, the candidate must meet the minimum standards set by the individual academy. Second, the candidate must complete the congressional application by October 11, 2024, to be considered for an interview in our office with the nomination review board. Please note, the ultimate selection of appointees rests solely with academy officials and is based on their competitive evaluation of all nominees.
Please fill out the web form HERE to receive all of the application information. If you have any further questions, please email [email protected] or call my district office at (346) 762-6600.
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Congressional App Challenge Submissions Are Now Open |
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I am pleased to announce that my office is hosting the 2024 Congressional App Challenge. The Congressional App Challenge is a competition designed to encourage student participation in computer science and coding. Students are encouraged to register online and submit their app by October 24, 2024.
The Congressional App Challenge is open to all middle and high school students in the 22nd Congressional District of Texas. Students entering the competition must submit their app to CongressionalAppChallenge.us during the Competition Submission Period through Thursday, October 24, 2024, at 12 P.M. Eastern Time.
The winner from the 22nd Congressional District, chosen by a panel of expert judges, will be featured on CongressionalAppChallenge.us. The winning app will also be eligible to be on display in the U.S. Capitol, honoring the winners from across the country.
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LAST WEEK'S POLL QUESTION RESULTS |
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Should a citizenship question be added to the U.S. Census to exclude the count of illegal aliens in congressional apportionment?
YES 85.1%
NO 14.9%
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I always appreciate learning about the issues that are important to you. If you have a concern, please contact me HERE.
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Use this QR code to follow my Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts and join my Newsletter for updates. It's an honor to represent you and the great state of Texas in the United States House of Representatives.
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Do you support our nation's law enforcement officers? |
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Troy E. Nehls
Member of Congress
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