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 weekend, please join me in remembering and honoring the fallen servicemen and women who made the ultimate sacrifice to defend and serve our great nation. Please join me in praying for our nation's Gold Star families.
We are home of the free because of the brave.
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This Week in Washington, D.C. |
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Rep. Troy E. Nehls and Chairman Jim Jordan Launch Investigation into the D.C. Department of Corrections |
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Nehls and Jordan Launch Investigation into the D.C....
WASHINGTON, D.C. -Today, Congressman Troy E.
Read more
nehls.house.gov
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On September 5, 2022, an altercation occurred between Ronald "Colton" McAbee and Lieutenant Crystal Lancaster, an employee of the District of Columbia Department of Corrections (DOC), that resulted in the discharge of chemical munitions in Mr. McAbee’s face. According to an account of the incident, this use of force was not only unprompted, but may have violated the commonly used Use of Force Model used by correctional agencies.
For over 15 months now, I have attempted to acquire the video footage of this incident and have been stonewalled by the DOC.
This week, Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee Jim Jordan and I sent a letter to Thomas Faust, the Director of the D.C. DOC, regarding the department's treatment of Mr. McAbee. The Judiciary Committee has serious concerns about the DOC's continued lack of transparency, obstruction, and unwillingness to provide the requested information.
I strongly believe the body camera footage of Lieutenant Lancaster would reveal a civil rights violation against former DOC J6 detainee, Mr. McAbee. It remains my mission to uncover this footage to get to the bottom of what really happened between Mr. McAbee and Lieutenant Lancaster. Every detainee, including J6 detainees, deserves to be treated humanely and receive due process.
Read the full letter HERE.
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Rep. Troy E. Nehls Appears at Trial of President Donald J. Trump in Show of Support |
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Watch my remarks from outside the courtroom HERE.
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Rep. Troy E. Nehls Sends Letter to Judge Merchan Urging Him to Issue a Stay in Bragg's Prosecution of President Trump and Refer to FEC |
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NY v. Trump: House GOP lawmaker urges Merchan to dismiss ...
A member of the House Judiciary Committee is warning the judge presiding over New York v. Trump that the case brought against the former president suffers from "fatal flaws"
Read more
www.foxnews.com
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This week, I sent a letter to Judge Juan Merchan, urging him to issue a stay in Manhattan District Attorney (DA) Alvin Bragg's case against President Donald Trump currently before a court in Manhattan, and refer it to the Federal Election Commission (FEC), as a result of the "primary jurisdiction doctrine."
President Trump is being charged with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records for allegedly disguising “hush money payments” issued to Stormy Daniels, an adult film star. Specifically, prosecutors allege that President Trump’s former attorney, Michael Cohen, a now-convicted perjurer and disbarred attorney, paid $130,000 to Ms. Daniels in exchange for her silence about an alleged affair, which President Trump denies. Prosecutors say President Trump then reimbursed Mr. Cohen in a series of 12 monthly payments from the Trump Organization that were logged and characterized as checks for ongoing legal services instead of repayments for the “hush money.”
Mr. Bragg's prosecution of President Trump alleges that Mr. Cohen's payments to Ms. Daniels were unlawful federal political contributions. Mr. Bragg, however, doesn't get to prosecute federal election cases. Congress has charged the FEC and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), not the Manhattan DA, with enforcing federal campaign laws.
The letter asserts a United States Supreme Court doctrine, known as the “primary jurisdiction doctrine,” which states that a court should stay a case when it implicates issues within the special competence of a federal administrative agency. In Mr. Bragg’s case, federal campaign finance violations are indisputably within the special competence of the FEC, not the New York County District Attorney’s Office. My letter argues Judge Merchan should stay the case and refer it to the FEC.
If the former President of the United States can be subject to criminal penalties when state prosecutors take federal law into their own hands, then all Americans are at risk.
Read the full letter HERE.
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Rep. Troy E. Nehls in the Washington Examiner: How Congress Can Better Support Law Enforcement |
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How Congress can better support law enforcement -...
Congress must ensure that DOJ dollars are spent on community initiatives that go toward proven programs that support law enforcement.
Read more
www.washingtonexaminer.com
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Following National Police Week, it should go without saying that law enforcement remains a tough but essential job. As a member of the House Judiciary Committee, I am aware of and concerned by the serious challenges facing our nation's law enforcement. As a former Sheriff of Fort Bend County, Texas, I have a unique perspective on these challenges and an understanding of what needs to be done at the federal level to best support law enforcement.
Last May, I introduced the bipartisan National Law Enforcement Remembrance, Support, and Community Outreach Act. This legislation would establish a formal program within the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to support and enhance community outreach, public education, and officer safety and wellness programs of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF or "the Fund"), including programs to memorialize and honor law enforcement, compile data on law enforcement fatalities and injuries, increase public understanding of and support for law enforcement, enhance and improve law enforcement officer safety and wellness, and programs to bring law enforcement closer to the communities they serve. A year later, my legislation has over 150 cosponsors.
This week, I penned an op-ed for the Washington Examiner explaining my legislation and its importance. In 2023, 136 law enforcement officers at the local, state, and federal levels tragically died in the line of duty. Now, more than ever, we must pay tribute to and honor our courageous law enforcement officials who protect and serve our communities, homes, and loved ones.
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Rep. Troy E. Nehls Attends House Judiciary Committee Markup |
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This week, the House Judiciary Committee held a markup on a series of bills, including H.R. 1398, the Protect America's Innovation and Economic Security from CCP Act, H.R. 7909, the Violence Against Women by Illegal Aliens Act, and H.R. 8296, the GAO Database Modernization Act of 2024.
H.R. 1398, the Protect America's Innovation and Economic Security from the CCP Act, would reestablish the CCP Initiative at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). The Biden Administration ended this Trump-era program in February 2022. Specifically, the DOJ's Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Initiative was designed to identify and prosecute individuals identified as engaged in trade theft, hacking, and economic espionage. This program would protect our infrastructure from foreign threats by preventing foreign direct investment and supply chain vulnerabilities. I proudly voted 'YES' to advance this critical legislation out of the House Judiciary Committee.
H.R. 7909, the Violence Against Women by Illegal Aliens Act, would deem aliens convicted of sex offenses or domestic violence, or those who admit to committing such atrocities, inadmissible into the United States, and those convicted of a sex offense or conspiracy to commit such an offense will be deported. I proudly voted 'YES' to advance this legislation out of the House Judiciary Committee.
Additionally, H.R. 8296, the GAO Database Modernization Act of 2024, passed out of the House Judiciary Committee by a voice vote. This legislation would require federal agencies to report to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) certain information about agency rules that are made ineffective due to an agency action or other reason.
House Judiciary Committee Republicans are committed to advancing policies that put America First.
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Rep. Troy E. Nehls in The Washington Times: Making Progress for Our Nation’s Infrastructure Industry |
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I am honored to serve as the Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials in the 118th Congress.
My subcommittee has been hard at work making improvements to our nation's infrastructure industry. So far, the subcommittee has passed the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization, the Promoting Innovation in Pipeline Efficiency and Safety (PIPES) Act of 2023, which reauthorizes the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration's (PHMSA) pipeline programs for the next four years and passed in an overwhelmingly bipartisan manner and will benefit our country and the great state of Texas.
In tandem, my subcommittee has held hearings regarding oversight on Amtrak and rail safety. Additionally, in January, my subcommittee held a hearing on grade crossings and railroad safety.
To learn more about the work of my subcommittee in the 118th Congress, read my op-ed HERE.
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Watch the full interview HERE.
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Rep. Troy E. Nehls Introduces the Accountability Through Deportation (ATD) Act |
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Under current law, if an illegal alien fails to comply with the terms of release from U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) custody and flees, DHS must expend resources to locate the illegal alien and then wait until the illegal alien is ordered removed by an immigration judge before being deported.
This week, I introduced the Accountability Through Deportation (ADT) Act, which would impose real consequences on illegal aliens who fail to comply with a release order by requiring immigration judges to order the illegal aliens removed.
President Donald Trump’s border policy was only to release aliens at the Southwest Border under "very exigent circumstances."
Under the failed leadership of President Joe Biden, more than 7.8 million illegal aliens have entered the U.S. through our porous southern border, and subsequently, many of them have been released from custody, often without proper monitoring, and disappear into American communities.
Until President Trump is back in the White House, we must ensure that the illegal aliens who fail to comply with their release are removed at all costs. Illegal aliens are on notice— if you fail to comply, we will find you, and you will be deported.
Read more about my legislation HERE.
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Watch the full interview HERE.
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Rep. Troy E. Nehls Questions ATF Director During a House Judiciary Committee Hearing |
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This week, the House Judiciary Committee held a hearing titled, "Oversight of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives," to examine the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) missions and programs. The witness was the ATF Director Steven Dettelbach.
In the early morning hours of March 19, 2024, armed ATF agents arrived at Mr. Bryan Malinowski's home in at least ten vehicles to execute a search warrant, which alleged that Mr. Malinowski was selling firearms without a license. Mr. Malinowski had no arrests or previous run-ins with police.
ATF agents approached Mr. Malinowski's home with riot shields and disabled his home camera to prevent their conduct from being recorded. Furthermore, there was no evidence of the agents knocking or announcing their presence, only loud banging followed by the crash of the front door. Mr. Malinowski awoke to what he and his wife believed to be home intruders, prepared to defend his family. An exchange of gunfire ensued, and Mr. Malinowski was shot in the head and died from his wounds two days later. This should have never happened.
During the hearing, I demanded that Director Dettelbach apologize to Mr. Malinowski's wife, who was present at the hearing. I questioned the director about the agents' lack of body cameras during the raid, which is a policy of his department.
This stinks to high heavens, and I believe the ATF agents didn't have body cameras on to hide their conduct from the American people.
Watch my questioning of Director Dettelbach HERE.
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Watch the full interview HERE.
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Rep. Troy E. Nehls Votes 'YES' on Passage of Two Digital Currency Bills |
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This week, the House voted on and passed the following two key pieces of legislation relating to digital currency, in which I proudly voted 'YES':
H.R. 5403, the Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) Anti-Surveillance Act, would prohibit the Federal Reserve from issuing a surveillance-style central bank digital currency (CBDC) that could give the federal government the ability to monitor and control individual Americans’ spending habits.
H.R. 4763, the Financial Innovation and Technology for the 21st Century Act (FIT21), would establish clear and functional federal requirements over digital asset (cryptocurrency, or "crypto") markets. The FIT21 Act provides robust consumer protections and regulatory clarity necessary for the digital asset ecosystem to thrive in the United States.
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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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Do you support our nation's law enforcement officers?
YES 96.5%
NO 3.5%
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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 the creation of a centralized digital currency issued, tracked, and controlled by the Federal Reserve? |
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Troy E. Nehls
Member of Congress
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By participating in the survey, you are opting into further communication from Rep. Nehls |
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