Rep. Nehls' Bill Passes the House T&I Committee   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 in Washington, D.C. Reps. Troy E. Nehls Co-Leads the JUDGES Act with Reps. Issa, Nadler, and Johnson Across the country, dozens of federal district courts are plagued by staggering caseloads and multi-year backlogs. As of June 30, 2024, there were 724, 209 pending cases in federal district courts. Despite the increase in our country's population and a corresponding rise in federal case filings, Congress last authorized new district court judgeships more than two decades ago. This week, I joined Representatives Darrell Issa, Jerrold Nadler, and Hank Johnson in introducing the bipartisan Judicial Understaffing Delays Getting Emergencies Solved (JUDGES) Act of 2024. This legislation would add critically needed federal judgeships to resolve currently understaffed and backlogged courts. Specifically, this legislation would add an additional district judge for the southern district of Texas and one additional district judge for the eastern district of Texas. Congress must pass this bipartisan legislation to ensure the orderly administration of justice. Read more about the JUDGES Act in my press release HERE. Rep. Troy E. Nehls Joins the Benny Johnson Show Watch the interview HERE. Rep. Troy E. Nehls' Bill Passes House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee I am proud to announce that my bill, The Amtrak Transparency and Accountability for Passengers and Taxpayers Act, passed the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. This common-sense legislation would allow the American people to have a say in how their taxpayer dollars are used in government-sponsored style entities like Amtrak. My legislation would require Amtrak to be subject to the same requirements of the Government in Sunshine Act, also known as the Sunshine Act, as other federal agencies and government-sponsored style entities. The Sunshine Act requires meetings of certain federal agencies to be open to public observation. While Amtrak is not a federal agency, it does receive funding from the American taxpayer. My bill requires Amtrak to notify the public of the time, place, and location of pending meetings and allow for public observations unless closed under an exemption of the Sunshine Act. If a meeting is closed for observation, Amtrak would be required to produce a set of minutes providing a full and accurate summary of matters discussed and actions taken to the public. The American people deserve to know how and where their tax dollars are being spent. I would like to thank my colleagues for supporting my legislation and look forward to working to get this legislation across the finish line. Rep. Troy E. Nehls Joins the Ivory Hecker Tonight Show Watch the interview HERE. Rep. Troy E. Nehls Attends House Judiciary Subcommittee Hearing on "Oversight of Homeland Security Investigations" This week, I questioned the Executive Associate Director of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Katrina Berger at a House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Federal Government Surveillance hearing. During the hearing, I questioned Executive Associate Director Berger about the fentanyl that's been pouring across our nation's borders since President Joe Biden and Border Czar Kamala Harris has been in office starting in January 2021. Fentanyl overdose is now the leading cause of death for Americans ages 18 to 45, according to the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). In a 12-month period ending in April 2024, approximately 101,168 Americans died from drug overdoses, with fentanyl and other synthetic opioids responsible for over two-thirds of these deaths. This should alarm every single American. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2023, HSI seized over 41,000 pounds of fentanyl. Sadly, in parts of the 22nd Congressional District of Texas, 604 people died of fentanyl poisoning in 2023. Fentanyl is taking a tragic toll on our nation's families and our government is spending billions of dollars each year combating substance abuse. HSI's workforce consists of over 10,000 employees, including over 7,000 special agents. Oddly, HSI is sending a significant amount of its workforce to New York for the United Nations General Assembly while fentanyl is being smuggled across our borders at a record pace. The mission of HSI is to investigate human trafficking, and drug smuggling, and transnational criminal organizations. On day one of their administration, President Biden and Border Czar Harris took action to destroy the secure border they inherited due to the successful policies of President Donald J. Trump, resulting in millions of illegal border crossings, and American citizens being killed at the hands of illegal aliens. Watch my questioning of Executive Associate Director Berger HERE. Rep. Troy E. Nehls Votes 'YES' to Pass America First Policies This week, House Republicans advanced several pieces of legislation that put the American people first. I proudly voted 'YES' to pass these common-sense bills. H.R. 5717, the No Bailout for Sanctuary Cities Act: This legislation prevents sanctuary cities from receiving federal funding that would benefit illegal aliens, including the provision of food, shelter, healthcare services, legal services, and transportation, and bailout sanctuary cities, like New York City, from the crisis they created. By preventing federal funds from supporting sanctuary cities, this encourages cities to cooperate with federal immigration authorities, particularly in terms of detaining and deporting illegal aliens. H.R. 7909, the Violence Against Women By Illegal Aliens Act: From Fiscal Year 2021 through mid-July 2024, Border Patrol recorded 52,058 arrests of illegal aliens with criminal backgrounds. This is an over 130% increase compared to President Donald Trump's administration. H.R. 7909 would establish a new ground of inadmissibility for several domestic violence-related offenses and make an illegal alien inadmissible or deportable from the United States if that person was convicted of sex offenses or other crimes involving stalking, child abuse, and neglect. I am a proud cosponsor of this legislation. H.R. 3724, the End Woke Higher Education Act: This legislation incorporates two bills, the Accreditation for College Excellence Act and the First Amendment on Campus Act. H.R. 3724 upholds our constitutional rights and restores viewpoint diversity throughout postsecondary education. H.J.Res.136, to end EPA's Unreasonable Tailpipe Emissions Rule: The Harris-Biden Administration has been hell-bent on pushing its radical green agenda on the American people. Additionally, this administration is handing the keys to America's energy future, putting our auto industry at risk, and forcing people to buy expensive electric vehicles (EVs) they do not want. H.J.Res 136 would end the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) unrealistic tailpipe emissions rule, which would, by its own estimation, effectively require at least two-thirds of all new cars in the United States to be electric by 2032. The American people should be free to choose which vehicle is best for their family and lifestyle. I am a proud cosponsor of this joint resolution. House Republicans passed several other pieces of legislation including H.R. 4790 the Prioritizing Economic Growth Over Woke Policies Act and H.R. 5339, the Protecting Americans' Investments from Woke Policies Act. This Week in TX-22 Update from the State Department Regarding Passport Renewal The Department of State's Online Passport Renewal (OPR) system is now available to the American public 24/7. Millions of Americans can now renew their passports online at their convenience and from the comfort of their own homes. OPR is a secure and paperless process that makes it easier for Americans to renew their passports by eliminating the need to print a paper application, use a check, and physically mail their application. The OPR system is available HERE. Attention TX-22: Beware of Paying for Veteran Services Veterans and their family members should never have to pay any company or an organization to complete Veterans Administration (VA) claim documents, especially for pension, aid and attendance or Dependency Indemnity Compensation (DIC). The Disabled American Veterans, American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), Texas Veterans Commission, Paralyzed Veterans of America, and the Military Order of the Purple Heart are all Veteran Service Organizations that are certified by the VA to help veterans and family members complete documentation for free. To locate one of these organizations please visit the VA’s website HERE or contact our office for assistance at my website. Service Academy Nominations Are Now Open 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. Congressional App Challenge Submissions Are Now Open 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. For more information, please visit the official Congressional App Challenge website email [email protected], or email my office at [email protected]. Did you know from 2020 to 2023, violent crime was up 37%?  YES 65.2% NO 34.8% Follow Us We Want to Hear From You I always appreciate learning about the issues that are important to you. If you have a concern, please contact me HERE. 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. Do you support your tax dollars being used to bail out sanctuary cities? Let me know below Yes No Sincerely, Troy E. Nehls Member of Congress By participating in the survey, you are opting into further communication from Rep. Nehls Rep. Nehls | 1104 Longworth House Office Building | Washington, DC 20515 US Unsubscribe | Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice