A Message from Gabe:

Greetings Rhode Islanders,

Sincerely,

Gabe Amo

Member of Congress

Operation Stand Down Rhode Island (OSDRI) — a local non-profit organization that helps veterans and military families transition to civilian life — was awarded a $100,000 federal grant to expand their reach. The grant will fund: job placement services resume building interview coaching and offer practical support to those leaving the military. This new program is part of a broader initiative under President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris to smooth the transition for service members and their families. For more information, click here.
	Rhode Island law enforcement is receiving nearly $5 million in federal funding to help our local police departments hire more officers, combat drug trafficking, and strengthen community policing efforts. These grants will help law enforcement officers keep our communities safe. I’m proud to work with my Rhode Island delegation colleagues to secure these resources and help build trust between law enforcement and the people they serve. For more information, click here.
This week, President Biden issued a new Executive Order to curb gun violence. This important plan focuses on: cracking down on illegal gun modifications including 3D-printed guns improving school safety protocols and active shooter drills encouraging the safe storage of firearms and the implementation of “red flag” laws expanding access to firearm safety counseling under Medicaid. Far too many seats at dinner tables are left empty because of the scourge of gun violence in our communities. We must continue to protect Americans from the threat of illegal, unregistered guns. For more information, click here.

	Congratulations to the people of Armenia and those of Armenian descent celebrating Armenia’s independence. As we mark the 34th Independence Day, I remain committed to supporting economic prosperity in the region and ensuring safety and security in the South Caucasus.
	I’m proud to stand in solidarity with my congressional colleagues, especially the Haiti Caucus, to call out dangerous, racist lies being spread about Haitian immigrants.
	As a member of the Fusion Energy Caucus, I joined Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA), Rep. Lori Trahan (D-MA), and Rep. Jake Auchincloss (D-MA) to tour Commonwealth Fusion Systems. I’m optimistic for the acceleration of energy innovation sparked by robust U.S. Department of Energy investments!
	Great to meet with students from SkillsUSA RI this week! I learned about the skills they’re developing to enter our future workforce in a wide range of fields from biomedical manufacturing to criminology.
	Honored to meet with Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) to learn more about their work in Rhode Island and across our nation to provide care and resources to those living through the deaths of loved ones who’ve served our country.
	It was a pleasure to meet with Rhode Island Head Start Association champions to discuss the importance of investing in this life-changing program. I appreciate their work to ensure children in Rhode Island have bright futures and high-quality early childhood education.
	98.9% of all businesses in Rhode Island are small businesses — they truly are the backbone of our economy. It was such a pleasure to meet with so many of them at the National Small Business Association Advocate breakfast to discuss supporting our small businesses, locally and nationwide.

Addressing the Republican Investigation of the Afghanistan Withdrawal

Congressman Amo in a House Committee on Foreign Affairs markup hearing denounced partisan attacks on President Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken and called out Republicans who impeded a thorough investigation of the Afghanistan withdrawal.

This week, in a House Committee on Foreign Affairs markup hearing, I criticized the Republican-led report into the Afghanistan withdrawal, calling it a partisan effort that attacks President Joe Biden and Secretary Antony Blinken while ignoring Donald Trump's role in the withdrawal. We should not be politicizing the deaths of service members who lost their lives in Afghanistan. We should be putting country over party to get the full picture of what went wrong and make sure that it never happens again.

In addition, I highlighted the investigation's lack of thoroughness — specifically, how my Republican colleagues excluded key facts about Donald Trump's failure to process visas for our Afghan allies and his failure to hold the Taliban accountable when they violated the Doha Agreement. If the other side was serious about finding the truth, we would be thanking our diplomats who go to work every single day focused on protecting and defending the Constitution from enemies, foreign and domestic.

To view my remarks from the hearing, click here.

If you need help with personal casework: Contact the District Office in Pawtucket: 1070 Main Street, Suite 300 Pawtucket, RI 02860 Phone: (401) 729-5600 Fax: (401) 729-5608

If you need help with legislative issues: Contact the Washington, D.C. Office: 2233 Rayburn HOB Washington, DC 20515 Phone: (202) 225-4911 Fax: (202) 225-3290