John,

Good afternoon, and welcome to our Weekend Update.

This week was National Police Week, a time to celebrate the dedicated men and women of law enforcement who work tirelessly to protect and serve our communities.

House Republicans passed several bills to support law enforcement. And it’s been pretty astonishing to see so many Democrats voting against these commonsense pieces of legislation, including a bill that would make assaulting a police officer a deportable offense for illegal immigrants. You would think that would be a no-brainer, but 148 Democrats voted no. It’s terrible that there’s not universal respect for the men and women in Blue who protect and serve. This sick ideology starts at the top, and it’s making its way into our communities. I joined "American Agenda" on Newsmax to discuss further. Click here or below to watch.

As the son of a former police officer, I will always Back the Blue! I thank every police officer, Sheriff’s deputy, state trooper, and federal law enforcement official for all they do to keep our communities safe. The men and women of law enforcement risk their lives every day to protect and serve, and we are forever grateful for their efforts. Click here or below to hear my comments on the floor of the U.S. House.

To kick off this important week, I had the privilege of attending the Lebanon County Police Memorial Ceremony. The ceremony was a solemn occasion dedicated to remembering law enforcement officers who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty, including Lt. William Lebo. This event came just days after the President signed my legislation into law designating the post office in Lebanon as the "Lieutenant William D. Lebo Post Office Building." I appreciated the opportunity to spend time with Lt. Lebo’s wife, Lora, at the event. I am also particularly grateful to District Attorney Pier Hess Graf and Sheriff Jeff Marley for extending the invitation to attend and speak at the ceremony to pay tribute to our fallen heroes.

In D.C., I had the pleasure of meeting with the leadership of the FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development Association. FBI-LEEDA is a prominent provider of law enforcement leadership training, and its membership includes distinguished officials from various law enforcement agencies across the country. During the meeting, we discussed the significant challenges and dangers facing the brave men and women of law enforcement.

I was happy to participate in America First Policy Institute's Police Week Panel alongside Doug Collins, Pam Bondi, Chad Wolf, and Matthew Whitaker. We discussed the weak-on-crime ideology, particularly of liberal prosecutors, that is leading to rising violent crime in our cities. Among many issues, I discussed my legislation, the Holding Prosecutors Accountable Act, which would force District Attorneys to do their jobs and prosecute at least 67% of violent crimes. Thank you to Scott Erickson and Chad Wolf of AFPI for moderating this important conversation.

IN NEWS YOU WON’T HEAR IN THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA: Biden is still responsible for the worst border crisis on record — and it’s not even close.

New data shows 179,725 illegal immigrants were encountered at the southern border in April — the 38th straight month where monthly encounters have been HIGHER than even the highest month under President Trump and a 272 percent increase from the average month of the Trump administration.

Since Biden took office, 9.6+ million illegal aliens have crossed the southern border, including 1.8+ million known “gotaways” who escaped past Border Patrol and into the country.

Biden is aiding and abetting an invasion with no end in sight. His unprecedented border crisis took hold after he took 94 executive actions in his first 100 days to systematically dismantle border security.

Now, Biden is allegedly floating executive action to allow 4,000 illegal border crossings per day before shutting down the border — an election-year ploy on which Biden has waffled for months.

Last month, approximately 6,000 illegal aliens crossed the border every single day. For context, former Obama-Biden DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson once said 1,000 illegal crossings per day “overwhelms the system. I cannot begin to imagine what 4,000 a day looks like.”

It’s simply an attempt to gaslight a new normal into the minds of Americans fed up with the dire consequences of the Biden-led bloodbath.

But Americans don’t have to “imagine” under Biden—it’s their everyday reality. There are many reasons to put President Trump back in the White House, but there may not be anything more important to public safety and our economy than securing our southern border. Working with President Trump, we have done it before, and we will do it again!

Responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars is an obligation Congress must take seriously. The service on our debt will soon reach $1 trillion – meaning it’s well past time the Congressional Budget Office included interest projections when scoring a bill. Members of Congress and the American people deserve to know the long-term implications any bill will have on our national debt, which is why my colleagues and I introduced the Cost Estimates Improvement Act. I am pleased to announce that this legislation has successfully passed through the House Budget Committee. Click here to read more.

Small business lenders answered the call to issue PPP loans that kept small businesses' doors open throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. But now, the Biden Administration is moving to the goalposts and denying federally guaranteed reimbursements to lenders despite their compliance with program requirements. This will undoubtedly hurt Main Street America and hamper access to capital. I questioned SBA Associate Administrator Katie Frost about this issue and others during a House Committee on Small Business hearing. Click here or below to watch.

Any regulator should consider the economy's state before issuing new rules, and the Fed is no exception. With soaring rental prices, high credit card debt, and small businesses struggling for capital, Basel III regulations could stifle growth and investment. Our economy comes first. At a recent hearing of the Financial Services Committee, I questioned Michael Barr, Vice Chair for Supervision for the Federal Reserve. Click here or below to watch.

It's clear that the FDIC, under Chairman Gruenberg's leadership, is mismanaged and unaccountable, possibly at the taxpayer's expense. This is highly concerning and not how you run a business. For this and many other reasons, Chairman Patrick McHenry has called for him to resign. Click here or below to watch my exchange with the FDIC Chair at a recent House Financial Services Committee hearing.

It was a pleasure to speak with the Anne B. Anstine Series during their visit to Washington, DC, this week. The Anstine Series is an annual training program for women in Pennsylvania designed to cultivate effective leadership in government, politics, and the community. I extend my special thanks to Bernie Comfort for hosting the event and for inviting me to address this group of accomplished and ambitious women.

This week, I announced the winners of the 2024 Congressional Art Competition. Congratulations to Kaylee Meeker from Northwest Middle/High School in Luzerne County. The attention to detail in her winning entry, Operation Desert Shield, is truly remarkable. From achieving third place last year to claiming first place this year, she should be immensely proud of her artistic abilities. I’m pleased that her artwork will be showcased in the halls of the U.S. Capitol for the next year, offering visitors, staff, and Members of Congress the opportunity to appreciate her talent. Competitions like this are an excellent way to highlight the artistic talents of students across Pennsylvania’s Ninth District. I applaud the efforts of all the young artists who participated in this year's contest, including our second and third-place winners, Heidi Stone from Schuylkill Haven Area High School and Lily Troutman from Tulpehocken High School. Everyone should be very proud of their submissions. Click here to read more.

I was in Harrisburg on Friday, where the PA GOP hosted their Summer Dinner. Many great Republican leaders came together as we prepare for critically important elections this fall. I had the chance to update the PA GOP leadership team on my election efforts. We also welcomed Senator J.D. Vance to Pennsylvania as the special guest speaker. It was a great evening. Pictured below speaking before the Leadership Committee and with Senator J.D. Vance and State Treasurer Stacy Garrity.

After the dinner, I went north to the Best Cigar Pub in Drums, where they hosted a weekend known as the “Smoke-onos." The event started Friday evening and runs through today. Smoke-onos was a very successful event that attracted people from all across the state, even some from other states. As Chairman of the Cigar Caucus in Congress, this event was not just an event full of fun and cigar smoking; it was a reminder of all the great things that come from the cigar industry and how many jobs and products are created. Thank you to Greg Fox, Ron Blatt and their whole team for being such great hosts and putting together a great weekend. Some great friends in the industry were also present, including Rocky Patel, Nick Perdomo, Jonathan Drew, and Drew Estate CEO Glenn Wolfson.

On Saturday morning, I traveled to Tunkhannock for a Veteran Fair hosted by the Dietrich Theatre. Over a dozen veteran organizations that provide important services to the brave men and women who selflessly served our country were in attendance. Also present with me were State Senator Lisa Baker and State Rep Tina Pickett. Thank you to Larry White for the invitation. Pictured below, I am speaking to the group and also with Dave Ragan of Veteran's Promise.

We are excited to catch up with you next week. God Bless, and see you soon,

Dan Meuser
https://www.meuserforcongress.com/