Dear Friend,
I appreciate your reading this weekly update and continue to encourage you to forward to your family and friends. As always if you need anything from my office, you can reach me via my Contact page or by calling 202-225-5031.
Weekly Poll
I ask. You answer.
Gulf of America
This week, House Republicans voted to codify Trump’s executive order to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. Check out my video below:
Update on the March Storms
I want to update you regarding disaster assistance in Mississippi. This week, I was able to speak with Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem during a budget hearing for the department. I’m sharing her response to my question in the video and hearing transcript below.
The March 14 – March 15 storms had a devastating impact throughout Mississippi's Third Congressional District, and I want you to know that I will do everything in my capacity to help our communities recover. Please let me know how I can be of service to you.
Congressman Guest: With the roughly minute that I have I want to address an issue that is near and dear to my state. On March the 15th, we had a series of tornadoes that came through Mississippi. About half a dozen individuals lost their lives that day, and it impacted roughly 20 counties, so roughly a quarter of our state was impacted. Shortly after the storms, I along with many of the other elected officials, we went and we visited those areas that were impacted. And I'll tell you that some of the damage has been extreme. Our Governor, and MEMA quickly requested disaster assistance, but at this point the review of that process is still pending, and I understand that, that takes time, and I don't want to rush anything but I would ask you if you could make sure that you could do everything to expedite that request. It is impacting my local jurisdictions with debris cleanup. It is impacting people as they seek to recover, so I would just ask that you personally see if anything could be done to expedite that request, and with that, Mr. Chairman, I would yield back.
Secretary Noem: Yes, I will certainly get back to you and follow up with that. I'm not sure if that decision is still with us or at the White House, but I will - I will follow up with you. And I want to thank you for talking about the fact that you're sitting there waiting for the federal government to respond. President Trump's heart is with the American people and recognizes they don't deserve that. If we had the ability to give resources to a state so they could respond in a more timely manner and do a better job than where the federal government has failed. It would be entirely appropriate. So, thank you for that, and I'll follow up with you.
Legislation Happening in Washington, D.C.
H.R. 530 – ACRES Act
This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to seek to enter into an agreement with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) to conduct a study, and submit the results of the study to Congress and the VA Secretary, on the prevalence of cancer among former military aircrew and any link to identified chemical and toxic exposures experienced by military aircrew. The bill would require VA to finalize the contract in a timely way and inform Congress of any delays.
H.R.276 — Gulf of America Act of 2025
The bill renames the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America and directs federal agencies to update their documents and maps to incorporate the new name.
H.R.881 — DHS Restrictions on Confucius Institutes and Chinese Entities of Concern Act
This bill would prohibit the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from providing funds to any higher education institution that hosts Confucius Institutes, which are nonprofit cultural and educational centers funded by the Chinese government. That prohibition also would apply to institutions that have financial relationships with Chinese universities or colleges that meet other criteria such as receiving funding from or providing support to elements of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
Celebrating Life
Haley and I enjoyed participating in the Center for Pregnancy Choices Life Walk last Saturday morning. The CPC offers services and support to expecting mothers. Thank you, CPC, for all you do to provide these valuable resources to our communities.
Poll Results from Last Week
Recently, I asked if you supported my work to ensure President Trump's agenda to secure our border is in place, and 81% of you said yes. Be sure to follow me on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and X to stay up-to-date on my work serving you.
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