Fighting to Lower Health Care Costs

congressman allen's e-newsletter

Fighting to Lower Health Care Costs

I have often said that the best way to lower health care costs for hardworking Americans is to enhance competition in the marketplace.

I recently introduced the Healthy Competition for Better Care Act with Congressman Jodey Arrington (TX-19), which proposes comprehensive reforms to improve our flawed system by increasing transparency, fostering greater competition, expanding access to quality care, and lowering skyrocketing health care costs.

Read more HERE.

Combatting China's Influence in K-12 Schools

Over the past decade, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has worked to spread propaganda and conduct sophisticated espionage around the world by targeting the United States and seeking to infiltrate America’s K-12 classrooms and institutions of learning. This week, with my support, the House of Representatives passed three bills to deter foreign adversaries, including the CCP, from influencing our nation’s K-12 schools:

The PROTECT Our Kids Act (H.R. 1069) – Combats foreign interference

Stops the flow of CCP funds to K–12 schools.

The CLASS Act (H.R. 1005) – Ensures transparency

Requires schools to disclose the source of foreign funding.

The TRACE Act (H.R. 1049) – Empowers parents

Ensures parents know who is funding their child’s education and what strings are attached.

Cutting Burdensome Red Tape on Small Businesses

Overly burdensome regulations make it harder for small businesses to grow, innovate, and succeed due to regulatory uncertainty and high compliance costs. In fact, the American Action Forum estimated the cumulative cost of Biden Administration regulations to be over $1.8 trillion – a significant increase from any previous administrations.

The House also passed legislation this week that will take meaningful steps to cut costly red tape, strengthen oversight, and ensure small businesses can grow without being weighed down by government overreach.

The Small Business Regulatory Reduction Act (H.R. 2965)

This bill requires the SBA to report annually on the regulatory costs on small businesses, aiming to expose and limit the burden of excessive red tape and compliance obstacles harming Main Street America.

The DUMP Red Tape Act (H.R. 4305)

The bill codifies the efforts of President Trump and the SBA Office of Advocacy to establish a “Red Tape Hotline” where small businesses can report excessive regulatory burdens.

My Bill to Preserve Consumer Choice for Household Appliances is Headed to the House Floor

During a full committee markup, the Energy and Commerce Committee advanced my legislation, the Don't Mess With My Home Appliances Act.

This bill implements necessary reforms to prevent future administrations from prioritizing a radical rush-to-green agenda over the affordability and availability of reliable household appliances that Americans rely on every day. I look forward to its consideration on the House floor this Congress.

Watch my remarks during our committee markup HERE.

Meeting with Our Military Academy Nomination Board

On Friday, I met with members of my U.S. Military Academy Nomination Board in the Augusta office before they interviewed several of this year's qualified nominees.

It is a privilege of mine to nominate a limited number of young people from the 12th District of Georgia to attend four of the five Service Academies. The Board plays a critical role in this process, and I thank them for their service.

Thanking Members of the Georgia National Guard

I was honored to meet members of the Georgia National Guard—several from the 12th District—on the U.S. Capitol steps earlier this week. It was a privilege to thank these men and women in person for their service to our state and our country!

If you or someone you know is interested in touring Washington, D.C., please fill out our tour request form HERE.

Additional Committee Activity

Energy and Commerce Committee

Subcommittee on Energy hearing:

"Securing America’s Energy Infrastructure: Addressing Cyber and Physical Threats to the Grid"

We must secure our electrical grid and protect it from evolving threats to ensure reliable power can be dispatched. I questioned our witnesses about how National laboratories, like the Savannah River National Lab, can play a critical role in helping cyber operators address these threats and strengthen our grid's resiliency.

Watch my remarks HERE.

Education and Workforce Committee

Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions hearing:

"Pension Predators: Stopping Class Action Abuse Against Workers’ Retirement"

I chaired a HELP Subcommittee hearing to examine the rise in frivolous class-action lawsuits against ERISA plans and their impact on American retirement security. Frivolous class action lawsuits against ERISA benefit plans impose serious financial and reputational costs on employers and employee benefit plan fiduciaries—sucking up time and resources that should be spent helping American savers. Every dollar spent on legal defense is a dollar not invested in workers’ retirement security or other employee benefits.

Read the hearing recap HERE.

Read my opening statement HERE.

Watch my line of questioning HERE.

Subcommittee on Workforce Protections hearing:

"In Their Corner: Creating More Opportunities for American Boxers"

The Augusta Boxing Club has a storied history of serving kids in the CSRA, not only teaching the craft of boxing but also instilling values like sportsmanship, self-discipline, and a strong work ethic. I enjoyed highlighting this staple of our community in a Workforce Protections Subcommittee hearing.

Watch my remarks HERE.

"A Date Which Will Live in Infamy"

On this day in 1941, our nation was forever changed. Today, we pause to remember the thousands of lives lost at Pearl Harbor and to honor the strength and service of all who stood in defense of our freedom. Their bravery still echoes through history.

This Week's White House Highlight

Earlier this week, President Trump delivered major relief to American families by resetting the Biden Administration’s costly Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards. In doing so, we are returning CAFE standards to levels that can actually be met with conventional gasoline and diesel vehicles.

The previous standards set unrealistic fuel economy targets that effectively resulted in an electric vehicle (EV) mandate that American consumers did not ask for, accompanied by significant cost-of-living increases. This is a huge win for working families. It protects consumer choice, keeps cars AFFORDABLE, and blocks yet another self-inflicted price hike.

This Week's Office Visitors

As always, it was great to meet with several groups this week to talk about the issues that matter most to them.

Those pictured include representatives from:

Georgia Beverage Association
National Cotton Council
Roblox

Follow me on Social Media!

Social media is a great way to stay connected and I encourage you to keep up with my work in Congress by ‘liking’ my Facebook page and following me on X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.

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As always, my office is here to help. If you'd like to email me, please click here.

To contact one of our district offices, please click here.

To stay informed about what is happening in Washington D.C. and in our district, please follow me on Facebook, X, and Instagram.

Sincerely,

Rick Allen
Member of Congress