Passing Legislation to Support Veterans and Military Families, while Strengthening National Security

Ensuring our nation's servicemembers and veterans have access to top-tier benefits, facilities, and care while strengthening our national security is essential to our country's prosperity. H.R. 8580 guarantees that servicemembers, veterans, and their families are supported and receive the benefits they are owed for their service and sacrifice. The bill provides a vital investment in U.S. military infrastructure by improving Department of Defense facilities and enhancing the lives of military families through much-needed funding for family housing and child development centers. Additionally, this bill takes steps to uphold pro-life principles, protect our veterans’ Second Amendment rights, and crack down on the Biden administration’s “woke” policies. By passing this bill through regular order, House Republicans reaffirm our commitment to uphold Congress's power of the purse and curb the wasteful spending of the Biden Administration while supporting our military. Voting in favor of this bill last week reaffirms my commitment to our veterans and active-duty military by ensuring their housing, health care programs, and benefits are fully funded while bolstering our national security.

Key Provisions in the FY25 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Bill:

●      Provides $337.4 billion for the Department of Veterans Affairs to fully fund veterans’ health care, benefits and VA programs

●      Includes $2 billion for Military Family Housing

●      Supplies $75 million above the enacted level for child development centers

●      Issues $1.1 billion for investments in the Indo-Pacific region to improve the United States strategic posture in the region 

●      Prohibits funding to promote or advance critical race theory and the Biden Administration’s DEI agenda

●      Bans taxpayer dollars from being used for abortions

●      Protects Veterans’ Second Amendment rights by prohibiting the VA from reporting a veteran to NICS for using a fiduciary to apply for a lawful purchase

Designating Lake Ontario as a National Marine Sanctuary

The designation of the Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary will ensure long-term protection and proper management of our historic shipwrecks and maritime heritage sites in eastern Lake Ontario, off the coast of Oswego, Jefferson, Cayuga, and Wayne counties. This important designation will not only safeguard these valuable historic sites but also promote educational opportunities and support tourism in our community. The community is eager to have the necessary resources to protect these sites and continue educating future generations about our region's rich maritime history.

READ MORE: Lake Ontario designated as 16th National Marine Sanctuary, honoring its rich history

My Votes Explained

Transparency in Congress and a well-informed electorate are vital to preserving our self-governing Constitutional Republic. My constituents deserve to know how their members of Congress vote, which is why I have explained every vote I have cast in Congress since I was first elected. 

To read more about my votes and see the full list with explanations of all the legislation considered this week by the House, please click here.

I voted “Yes” on H.R. 6983, To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 15 South Valdosta Road in Lakeland, Georgia, as the "Nell Patten Roquemore Post Office". Nell Patten Roquemore was a dedicated public servant in Lakeland, Georgia who served as Mayor Pro Tempore, postmaster, and as a secretary to various commanders at Moody Air Force Base. Roquemore also led numerous groups dedicated to beautifying and improving Lakeland and Lanier County as a whole. H.R. 6983 passed the House by a vote of 369-2, with two members voting present.

I voted “Yes” on H.Res. 1215, Calling on elected officials and civil society leaders to join in efforts to educate the public on the contributions of the Jewish American community. In recent months, a horrific wave of anti-Semitism has arisen across the country, including at college campuses. This important resolution calls on all elected officials and civil society leaders to condemn anti-Semitism and work to ensure the safety and security of Jewish communities. H.Res. 1215 passed the House by a vote of 371-0.

I voted “Yes” on H.R. 8580, the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2025. Ensuring our nation's servicemembers and veterans have access to high-quality benefits, facilities, and care while strengthening our national security is essential to our country's prosperity. H.R. 8580 guarantees that servicemembers, veterans, and their families are supported and receive the benefits they are owed for their service and sacrifice. The bill provides a vital investment in U.S. military infrastructure by improving Department of Defense (DOD) facilities and enhancing the lives of military families through much-needed funding for family housing and child development centers. Additionally, this bill takes steps to uphold pro-life principles, protect our veterans’ Second Amendment rights, and crack down on the Biden administration’s “woke” policies. Voting in favor of this bill reaffirms my commitment to our veterans and active-duty military by ensuring their housing, health care programs, and benefits are fully funded while bolstering our national security. H.R. 8580 passed the House by a vote of 209-197.

I voted “Yes” on H.R. 8282, the Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act. As Hamas continues to hold Americans and Israelis hostage, the International Criminal Court (ICC) announced arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for defending Israel against Hamas’ terrorism. These warrants are baseless and illegitimate, especially considering Israel, like the United States, is not a member of the ICC, resulting in the ICC’s lack of jurisdiction in this matter. However, allowing the ICC to arrest Israeli leaders could create a precedent that could lead to American leaders being arrested and tried by the ICC, violating our national sovereignty. This important bill would impose sanctions on any ICC officials involved in the investigation, arrest, detention, or prosecution of any American or ally that is not subject to the ICC’s jurisdiction and prohibits any federal funding for the ICC. I cosponsored this critical bill to ensure that our national sovereignty is upheld and international institutions, such as the ICC, cannot impose their will on countries that are not members of the organization. H.R. 8282 passed the House by a vote of 247-155, with two members voting present.

Fighting to Secure our Elections!

I have taken various actions in the past year to ensure that Americans have greater confidence in free, fair, accurate, and transparent elections. In March, I reintroduced the “End Zuckerbucks Act,” which passed the Ways and Means Committee markup. H.R.1725 amends the Internal Revenue Code to prohibit 501 (c)(3) tax-exempt organizations from directly funding official election organizations through donations or donated services. The “End Zuckerbucks Act” condemns organizations that orchestrate partisan, private funding of our elections. In the 2020 election, Mark Zuckerberg – behind the facade of a liberal non-profit organization – flushed left-wing county governments with private funding to influence election administration. H.R.1725 prohibits big tech billionaires from influencing election administrators and the election process.

Recently, I voted in favor of H.R. 192, the SAVE Act, which would prohibit individuals who are not citizens of the United States from voting in elections in the District of Columbia. As a cosponsor of H.R. 192, it was my honor to support legislation banning illegal immigrants from voting in DC. American citizens are the only ones who should have a say at the ballot box.

As the founder and co-chair of the House Election Integrity Caucus in Congress, I am dedicated to preserving the sanctity of our elections and to boosting confidence in the democratic process. The “End Zuckerbucks Act” and SAVE Act call for the safeguarding of our nation’s elections and the renewal of transparency and accountability in the democratic process. I look forward to working with my colleagues on the caucus in the future to continue to ensure the sanctity of our elections.

Celebrating 100th Anniversary of Customs and Border Protection with CBP Agents in NY-24

I recently joined CBP agents from across the Buffalo Sector of the Northern Border which spans 450 miles of the border with Canada from the Ohio/Pennsylvania state line to Jefferson County, New York. At one of the events, I presented a Congressional Proclamation to Chief Patrol Agent Thomas Martin of the Buffalo Sector, recognizing his and his agents' dedication to the country. We also joined Rochester CBP Station Chief Juan Ramirez and Deputy Sector Chief James Damato at a ceremony to thank them and their agents for their service.  

Due to President Biden's disastrous border policies, there has been an alarming surge in illegal crossings at our Northern Border, putting our courageous Customs and Border Protection agents in unprecedentedly challenging situations and endangering our communities. Our border protection agents need more support than ever, and I remain dedicated to ensuring they have the resources and backing necessary to safely and effectively do their jobs. Last week, I joined members of the Customs and Border Protection from the Buffalo Sector to celebrate CBP's 100th anniversary and to thank them for their unwavering commitment to securing our borders. I will always support our CBP agents and their mission to protect our nation.

Are You Visiting DC this Summer? Contact us!

Are you planning to travel to our nation's capital this summer? My team would love to assist you in planning tours of some of our nation's greatest monuments!

Tours of the Capitol Building are available Monday-Saturday. At this time, the White House requires 21 days' minimum notice to accommodate any tour requests, and offers tours Tuesday-Saturday. Availability for both of these tours are extremely limited. I urge you to reach out to my office as soon as possible regarding all future tour requests. You can do so by accessing my tour request portal here. My office is also able to arrange FBI Headquarters tours, which must be requested no later than four weeks prior to the desired visit date.

I urge you to visit house.gov for more information regarding these opportunities. We are excited to welcome a safe and enjoyable trip to Washington, D.C.

Need Help with a Federal Agency? Call us today.

If you or someone you know ever needs assistance with a federal agency, we are just a phone call away and are ready to help you! Please contact my Victor Office at 585-869-2060, my Oswego Office at 315-236-7088, or my Lockport Office at 716-514-5130! I am honored to have the opportunity to represent you.

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If you have updates regarding events in the community or other news to share from across New York's 24th District, please visit the "Contact Me" page on my website to share it with me. My team will try to include as many of your updates from around #NY24 as we can each week.