As Congress paused for the August district work period, I’ve been grateful for the opportunity to spend extended time back home in Southeastern North Carolina.  This past month has been filled with tours of local businesses, meetings, and conversations with constituents across our district — from local business owners and employees to farmers to schools and community organizations.

In this week’s newsletter, you’ll find a behind-the-scenes look at a few of the places I visited, some of the folks I met, and the important issues we discussed.  These visits help shape the work I do in Washington, ensuring your voices are front and center in the decisions made.  Check out some of the highlights of August in NC-07 below! 

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The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee (T&I) has held nine hearings to this point in its “America Builds” series.  I'm honored to serve as Chairman of the Highways and Transit Subcommittee with five of those hearings on topics ranging from how our truckers support American communities to the long-term solvency of the Highway Trust Fund held in my subcommittee.

T&I has received more than 5,000 requests from stakeholders including municipal governments, transit authorities, industry associations, and companies in the transportation sector.  We have also received more than 6,000 requests from individual Member offices (meaning Members of Congress) in the Highways and Transit portion of the bill alone.  This is going to be a member-driven bill, which significantly enhances its chance of passage in both chambers.  

The Committee is aiming to mark up the bill this Fall and pass it out of the House by the end of the year to begin negotiations with the Senate as soon as possible thereafter.  The current Surface Reauthorization Act expires September 30, 2026.

I also held a roundtable with members of my Agriculture Advisory Council for a productive roundtable focused on addressing the challenges our farmers face on a consistent basis.  None of these challenges are new; they just come dressed a little differently sometimes.  Our discussion centered around the Working Families Tax Cut and all the wins we were able to secure in that legislation to improve the safety net to keep our farm families in business.

It was an honor to speak at the Chamber’s State of the Community event in Fayetteville and engage with the dedicated leaders, entrepreneurs, and community members who are working every day to grow and strengthen our region.  These conversations lead to even more collaboration, and I always appreciate the chance to help support the work being done to directly impact our local communities.

My remarks focused on my work on the House Agriculture Committee as well as the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee to improve the transportation systems, including better roads, bridges and rail.  I also took a few minutes to highlight some of the major provisions included in the Working Families Tax Cut that delivers critical support for our farmers, rural communities, and working families.  This bill is a comprehensive win for Southeastern North Carolina.  Fayetteville and the surrounding areas stand to benefit significantly, including from key tax provisions that will help jumpstart investments of businesses both big and small as well as tax relief for individuals and families.    

“Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.” — Theodore Roosevelt