As the year comes to a close, I wish you and your families a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

This year had its challenges no doubt, but I am proud of the work that we got done for Central Washingtonians and I am looking forward to continuing to work for you in the new Congress starting in January.

One of the most important parts of my job in Congress is resolving issues constituents have with federal agencies. Dealing with the bureaucratic red tape of Washington, D.C. can be tough, but this year, my office was able to successfully solve 2,890 individual cases with IRS, Social Security Administration, and Department of Veterans Affairs.



We also returned over $1,509,805 owed to constituents by the federal government. I am proud of the work we have accomplished this past year, and I look forward to finding new ways we can help even more people in the years to come.

If you or someone you know need assistance, do not hesitate to reach out to my office to see how we can help.

As a third-generation farmer, I am proud to rejoin my colleagues on the House Agriculture Committee in the 119th Conress.

Central Washington is home to over 7,800 farms covering almost 6,000,000 acres, and I am looking forward to bringing their voices to the committee next year. We also have a critical Farm Bill to get across the line, and I am ready to get to work.

This week, my Fentanyl Policy Working Group had its final meeting of the 118th Congress and introduced legislation to hold the CCP responsible for directly subsidizing the fentanyl crisis currently plaguing the United States.

The Joint Task Force to Counter Illicit Synthetic Narcotics Act of 2024 establishes a coordinated task force to combat the trafficking of synthetic narcotics like fentanyl. The task force will bring together representatives from relevant federal agencies to conduct joint operations, disrupt trafficking networks, and enforce sanctions.

The task force will focus on international and domestic coordination, including addressing the role of the People’s Republic of China in the opioid crisis. It aims to streamline interagency collaboration, enhance legal enforcement, and report regularly to Congress.

For too long, China has profited from the destruction of American lives, and the fentanyl crisis they are manufacturing knows no boundaries. As we continue our work fighting the immediate threat the drug poses, we are also going after the CCP and their central role in subsidizing, producing, and exporting the precursors that fuel this epidemic

As Chairman of the Western Caucus, I led 23 bicameral members of the Caucus in demanding that political appointees at the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) who have announced their future employment with environmental non-government organizations (ENGOs) recuse themselves from pending official business.

This poses a serious conflict of interest as the American West is under attack from the Biden Administration and their extreme allies who oppose resource development, grazing, timber harvesting and recreation on public lands.

I look forward to continuing to fight for the rural way of life next year and protect our lands.

This week, I gave my final speech on the House floor as Chairman of the Congressional Western Caucus.

It has been an honor to serve, and I look forward to continuing my work fighting for energy independence and the rural way of life.