July 12, 2024

Hurricane Beryl

Thousands of homes and businesses in the 17th Congressional District of Texas were without power, cellular, or internet access in the wake of Hurricane Beryl this week, including my Huntsville and Lufkin Field Offices. Outages left many Texans exposed to the heat. The hurricane has greatly impeded Trinity County’s recovery efforts following the storms earlier this year. In Walker County, the Walker County Storm Shelter is offering disaster food boxes as well as overnight shelter. Residents without power in Nacogdoches, Angelina, and Trinity Counties are encouraged to seek shelter from the heat and drink plenty of water to decrease the risk of heat-related illnesses. Texans are resilient to storms such as Beryl, and power restoration efforts have greatly reduced the number of outages. My affected offices are back to business as usual and available to assist constituents.

Thank you, Jack Kielty and Tunnel to Towers Foundation

On Monday, I took to the floor of the House of Representatives with a certificate signed by Governor Greg Abbott to extend my thanks to Lt. Jack Kielty (Ret.) of FDNY. Back in March, Lt. Kielty came to Franklin, Texas to present a mortgage-free personalized smart home to Sgt. Maj. Sid Hamid, USA (Ret.), through the Tunnel to Towers Foundation. At the event, Lt. Kielty shared the story of the founding of Tunnel to Towers by the siblings of firefighter Stephen Siller, a hero who gave his life rescuing others on 9/11. Lt. Kielty has dedicated his life to public service through his career as a firefighter. Now as a board member with the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, he supports those who have served our great country as first responders or members of the military such as Sgt. Hamid, who now suffers various handicaps resulting from his time as an Army Green Beret and 40 years of military service. His home was renovated for him by the Tunnel to Towers Foundation to uniquely meet his needs, and I was honored to participate in Lt. Kielty’s ribbon-cutting presentation of the home to the Hamid family.

I was touched by what Lt. Kielty and Tunnel to Towers did for Sgt. Hamid and their service to veterans and first responders. In recognition of his kindness, I gave an address and presented a certificate proclaiming Lt. Kielty an Honorary Texan. You can view the address here. To learn more about the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, visit t2t.org. To read more about the incredible life of ongoing service of Sgt. Hamid, click here. Lt. Kielty, thank you for your kindness and continued service.

Oversight of the Environmental Protection Agency

This Wednesday, EPA Administrator Michael Regan appeared before the House Oversight Committee. Administrator Regan could not answer basic questions about the naturally occurring chemical formaldehyde, yet his EPA proposed lowering formaldehyde in the workplace to levels that are undetectable to modern technology.

The Report to the Nation

Congressman Sessions, Chief Scout Executive Krone, and Chief of the Order of the Arrow Gosik

Also on Wednesday, I was introduced to the newly commissioned Chief Scout Executive of Scouting America, Roger Krone. As an Eagle Scout myself, and the father of two Eagle Scouts, I am personally familiar with the positive impact scouting has on preparing America’s youth for life. The National Chief of the Order of the Arrow, David Gosik, presented me with a copy of the 2024 Report to the Nation. In my many years involved with the Scouts, I have amassed a collection of these Reports to the Nation and am excited to have an addition. Thank you for coming by!

Public Comment Letter

Senator James Lankford (OK) and I released a bicameral public comment letter with 23 Members of Congress strongly opposing the Biden administration’s recent decision to reschedule marijuana from a Schedule I to a Schedule III substance. In my conversations with local law enforcement and judges, I am hearing much concern about the addictive qualities of THC (marijuana). Our letter emphasizes that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) made the recommendation to reschedule based on politics, not science. The rescheduling ignores the increasing danger of high-potency marijuana, creating a high risk for public health threats such as youth overdoses and schizophrenia. This egregious proposed rule fails to provide sufficient science and data to support it. You can read the letter, released Wednesday, here.

H.R. 8281→ The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act
The Biden administration has failed to secure our southern border. President Biden has released almost 5 million illegal aliens into the U.S. and allowed over 2 million illegal aliens to enter the country undetected. In many states, these migrants can obtain drivers licenses and other forms of identification. These forms of identification are enough to allow migrants to vote in our federal elections. To combat this, H.R. 8281, the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, passed the House this week. This legislation requires proof of U.S. citizenship in person when states are registering an individual to vote in federal elections. The influx of illegal migrants into our country requires Congress to take steps to safeguard against non-citizens participating in our elections. I am proud to be a cosponsor of H.R. 8281 and voted yes.
 
H.J. Res. 165→ Stopping Biden's Attack on Women and Girls
Another piece of common sense legislation to pass the House this week was H.J. Res. 165. The Biden administration’s Title IX rule destroys fundamental protections for women and girls by allowing biological males to compete within women’s sports and organizations and eliminating female-only spaces. The Democratic Party is more interested with men being in women’s locker rooms than about jobs in this country. I voted yes to protecting women and girls’ access to educational opportunities through our institutions, fighting Biden’s crusade against decades of progress for women across America.

Newsmax→ The National Report
I joined Newsmax this week to discuss the behind-the-scenes division of House Democrats, potential VP nominees for the Republican ticket, and who would win in a golf matchup between Biden and Trump. (Hint: Trump owns the course).

Talk 1370→ Cardle & Woolley
On my regular appearance on the Central Texas talk show, Cardle & Woolley, we discussed the disarray of the Democrats and the passage of the SAVE Act this week.