Good afternoon, and welcome to our Weekend Update. Nearly every week for seven years, I have recapped our week’s activities in this newsletter, and I will continue to provide these updates, as it is critically important that you stay abreast of the latest news. It is a privilege to represent the greatest district in the nation in Washington, D.C. – PA’s 9^th. I will always strive to keep you, my friends and neighbors, up to date with the latest in D.C. and the District.

On Saturday of last week, President Donald J. Trump greenlit a targeted mission in Venezuela focused on protecting American lives and confronting evil that threatens our country. Nicolás Maduro has presided over a regime marked by arbitrary arrests and detentions, torture, extrajudicial killings, disappearances, repression of dissent, and serious restrictions on freedom of expression and political opposition. These abuses have contributed to a humanitarian crisis and widespread suffering for the Venezuelan people.

His regime has also welcomed corrupt Russian and Chinese influence that enriched his regime and their criminal enterprises while hollowing out Venezuela’s economy. This is a side of the story the media has too often failed to tell.

Maduro has been indicted in U.S. courts, and an arrest warrant was issued for his crimes related to narcotics trafficking and cartel violence. He will now face justice.

I commend the brave men and women of the United States military who carried out this mission with precision and courage. Their actions reflect the strength and resolve of our nation. If there was ever any doubt, the United States’ military capabilities are unmatched.

Earlier this week, I joined “Wake Up America” on Newsmax to discuss the successful operation to take down Nicolás Maduro.

We’re also back to work in Washington — avoiding a government shutdown by moving appropriations bills that save taxpayers money, and continue to rein in waste, fraud, and abuse. Click here or below to watch.

While keeping from getting ahead of ourselves, it’s undeniable that President Trump’s policies are shaking regimes long sustained by fear, corruption, and force. Venezuela was not led by a legitimate president. Nicolás Maduro was an indicted and FBI wanted narco-terrorist, who rigged elections, crushed political opposition, and ruled through intimidation as the head of the Cartel de los Soles. He did not govern by the will of the people. He governed by fear and violence. That era is ending under President Trump’s leadership.

The effects of this shift extend far beyond Venezuela. Cuba is rattled after years of relying on Maduro’s regime to survive. Iran is in dire straits, where a brutal dictatorship that exports terror and repression belongs. These regimes are weakening because President Trump understands that peace and democracy are secured through strength, not appeasement. History reminds us of this. President Reagan’s resolve against communism set off a domino effect that brought down oppressive systems once thought permanent. Today feels no different under President Trump.

President Trump addressed the House GOP Member Retreat at the Trump-Kennedy Center, and he spoke about the importance of continuing to Make America Great Again. Click here or below to watch his remarks.

As for the protesters outside of the President’s briefing event, they absolutely have the right to protest in the United States. What they do not have is the right to be hostile or violent, especially while defending a ruthless dictator. If they were expressing their opposition in Venezuela under Maduro’s rule, they wouldn’t be protesting at all. They’d be imprisoned or worse. That's a stark reality worth remembering. America exists because we reject tyranny and continue striving toward a more perfect union, fighting for freedom not just at home, but for people everywhere. Click here or below to watch my interview outside of the President’s address at the Trump-Kennedy Center.

On Wednesday evening, I discussed the unrest in Minnesota and the loss of life that occurred on "Ed Henry: The Briefing" on Newsmax. Any loss of life is terrible, and the situation must be fully and fairly investigated.

What is truly concerning is how reckless, inflammatory rhetoric from Democratic lawmakers is making an already volatile situation worse. ICE agents are law enforcement officers doing their jobs, yet they’ve been demonized and vilified by political leaders who rush to assign blame before the facts are known.

Instead of pouring gasoline on the fire, the Left should advocate for the de-escalation of tensions and let the facts play out. Hateful, evil rhetoric will not solve the problem. Responsible leadership will. Click here or below to watch my interview.

Following the shooting incident in Minneapolis this week, the Philadelphia Sheriff publicly weighed in with comments criticizing federal law enforcement. In response, the Philadelphia Police Commissioner issued a clear and professional statement reaffirming cooperation with federal partners and clarifying the respective roles and authorities of law enforcement agencies in the City of Philadelphia.

The Sheriff’s remarks reflect the kind of rhetoric that is causing, and will continue to cause, serious problems. Threatening and undermining federal law enforcement and the Commander in Chief emboldens bad actors and further radicalizes civilians. At a time when responsible leadership is needed, misleading and unfounded statements put public safety and institutional stability at risk. Unfortunately, this reflects a broader pattern in Philadelphia’s approach to law enforcement and public safety, where figures like Larry Krasner have consistently shown a disregard for accountability and public safety.

I joined the "National Report" on Newsmax to discuss President Trump’s strategy to bring stability and freedom to Venezuela and our hemisphere.

I also addressed the situation in Minnesota. While the shooting there is tragic, it does not excuse ignoring the failures that led us here. The situation began with billions of dollars lost to fraud, including schemes involving individuals who were in the country illegally. Instead of fully confronting those failures, we’re now seeing ICE agents demonized and federal law enforcement targeted for doing their jobs.

Sanctuary city policies and a refusal to enforce federal law have created a volatile environment. We need law and order, increased cooperation, and leadership focused on strengthening the country, not inflaming chaos. Click here or below to watch.

IN NEWS YOU WON’T HEAR IN THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA: President Trump establishes new Department of Justice Division for National Fraud Enforcement

FIGHTING CRIMINAL FRAUD NATIONWIDE: Today, the Trump Administration is announcing the upcoming creation of the Department of Justice’s new division for national fraud enforcement.

• To combat the rampant and pervasive problem of fraud in the United States, the DOJ’s new division for national fraud enforcement will enforce the Federal criminal and civil laws against fraud targeting Federal government programs, Federally funded benefits, businesses, nonprofits, and private citizens nationwide.
  
  
• The Assistant Attorney General for this new division will be responsible for leading the Department’s efforts to investigate, prosecute, and remedy fraud affecting the Federal government, Federally funded programs, and private citizens. This role will oversee multi-district and multi-agency fraud investigations; provide advice, assistance, and direction to the United States Attorneys’ Offices on fraud-related issues; and work closely with Federal agencies and Department components to identify, disrupt, and dismantle organized and sophisticated fraud schemes across jurisdictions.
  
  
  • The new Assistant Attorney General will also help develop and set national enforcement priorities, and propose legislative and regulatory reforms as necessary to close systematic vulnerabilities and prevent future abuses.
    
    
  • The Assistant Attorney General will also advise the Attorney General and Deputy Attorney General on issues involving significant, high-impact fraud investigations and prosecutions and related policy matters.

HERE ARE THE ACTIONS THE ADMINISTRATION HAS ALREADY TAKEN TO END MINNESOTA’S FRAUD EPIDEMIC:

• The Department of Justice is currently engaged in multiple active, ongoing, and extensive investigations into the fraudulent activity that has occurred in various Minnesota programs, including the State’s Feeding Our Future, Housing Stabilization Services, Early Intensive Developmental and Behavioral Intervention programs. Department lawyers are also leading the prosecution of the Evergreen Recovery Medicaid fraud defendants.
  
  
  • The DOJ has charged 98 defendants in Minnesota fraud-related cases — 85 of whom are of Somali descent. 64 of the defendants have already been convicted.
    
    
  • The DOJ has already issued over 1,750 subpoenas, executed over 130 search warrants, and conducted over 1,000 witness interviews as part of its ongoing investigation.
    
    
  • Many of the facilities and schemes visited in Nick Shirley’s viral video are currently under active investigation by the DOJ; in fact, one of the buildings prominently featured in the video has already had 13 defendants charged for fraud.
    
    
  • The DOJ is surging prosecution resources to Minnesota, doubling the number of attorneys handling these matters.
    
    
• The Federal Bureau of Investigation is conducting investigations into dozens of the State’s health care and home care providers accused of fraud, deploying forensic accountants and data analytics teams, and investigating potential links to elected officials and terrorist financing.
  
  
• The Department of Homeland Security has sent roughly 2,000 agents to Minnesota and is conducting targeted, door-to-door investigations at locations suspected of fraud.
   
  • DHS has arrested over 1,000 criminal illegal aliens in just the past few weeks as immigration enforcement operations continue. Additionally, as part of Operation Twin Shield earlier this year, DHS identified over 1,300 fraud findings based on site visits in Minneapolis and Saint Paul, and is currently in the process of determining which cases require additional vetting, including for refugee status and potential denaturalization.
    
    
• The Department of Health and Human Services has frozen childcare payments and started requiring a justification, receipt, or photo evidence for all childcare-related payments nationwide. HHS is also enforcing a long-ignored Federal law to demand immigration sponsors repay Medicaid benefits used by sponsored immigrants. And HHS is investigating Minnesota’s Head Start programs over allegations of fraud by illegal aliens.
  
  
  • The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services notified Minnesota Governor Tim Walz they are pressing pause on Medicaid payments to the 14 programs the State previously flagged for fraud, waste, and abuse until auditors can verify which claims are legitimate. This follows CMS’ determination that the Minnesota Medicaid agency is operating its program in substantial noncompliance with Federal requirements.
    
    
  • HHS cut off an additional $10 billion in five Democrat-run states, including Minnesota.
    
    
• The Small Business Administration has halted all annual grant payments to Minnesota. The agency also suspended 6,900 borrowers in the State due to approximately $400 million in suspected fraudulent activity — banning the individuals from all further loan programs, including disaster loans.
  
  
• The Department of Housing and Urban Development has dispatched a team to Minnesota to investigate possible housing-assistance fraud.
  
  
• The Department of Labor is currently conducting a targeted review of Minnesota’s Unemployment Insurance program.
• The Department of Agriculture has demanded Minnesota conduct recertification for its SNAP recipients to ensure the program complies with eligibility requirements — a commonsense move inexplicably challenged in court by state officials.

This week, I want to highlight the work of State Rep. Brenda Pugh, who is fighting to defend fairness in women's sports. She is leading the Defending Our Daughters effort, which urges Governor Josh Shapiro to support female athletes. Please visit www.DefendingDaughters.com to get involved today.

Small business optimism is at its highest in 5 years under President Trump, driven by pro-growth policies that are delivering real results for the American people. Lower taxes and tax certainty, reduced energy costs, less red tape, and a renewed focus on bringing manufacturing back to American soil are giving small businesses the confidence to grow. The Section 199A tax cut alone prevented nearly a 25% tax hike on small businesses, and every Republican voted for it. These reforms are not only helping businesses expand but also lowering costs for families.

President Trump’s America First trade agenda is also strengthening domestic production and narrowing the trade deficit. In September, the trade deficit fell to a five-year low of roughly $50 billion, clear evidence that these policies are keeping jobs and investment here at home.
When small businesses win, America wins. I will keep fighting to make these reforms permanent and ensure Main Street always has a seat at the table in Washington. I questioned Casey Mulligan, an American economist and author, on his view of how Trump and GOP policies are supporting small businesses. Click here or below to watch.

Over the last decade, the U.S. has lost more than 2,000 community banks, limiting access to capital for small businesses, farmers, homebuyers, and working families.
This week, I stood alongside my Financial Services Committee Republicans in support of the Main Street Capital Access Act, which reverses that trend by strengthening community banks and restoring local lending.

The legislation package also includes my SAFE Guidance Act, which reins in federal regulators by stopping the use of informal guidance, reputational risk, and political pressure to deny banking services to lawful businesses and individuals. This legislation protects access to financial services and advances President Trump’s executive order to end debanking.

We had a great meeting on Thursday morning with Chairman Congressman French Hill, Congressman Andy Barr, the U.S. Department of the Treasury Under Secretary Jonathan McKernan, Rob Nichols of ABA Bank, and Rebecca Romero Rainey of ICBA on advancing the Main Street Capital Access Act.

This comprehensive legislation will roll back one-size-fits-all regulation, expand access to capital, and strengthen community banks so our financial system works for Main Street and keeps lending local.

We met with Sharon Miller, President of Business Banking at Bank of America, on the state of small businesses and the Bank of America 2025 Business Owner Report. It was a great discussion.

I’ll keep fighting to cut red tape, expand access to capital, and make sure our policies support the entrepreneurs who drive our economy and create jobs across Pennsylvania and the nation. 

Thursday was National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day. As the son of a former police officer, I know how dangerous and demanding this job is, and the integrity it takes to serve every day. To the men and women protecting the 9th Congressional District and communities across the country, thank you for your service and courage. Today and always, I #BackTheBlue.

On Friday, we held a meeting with Major General John Pippy and the leadership of the Pennsylvania National Guard and DMVA to get updates on Fort Indiantown Gap and the Guard’s incredible work for our Commonwealth and country. The Gap remains the busiest Guard training installation in the nation, supporting nearly 1 million man-days of training in 2025 and leading the way in modernization, multi-domain training, and unmanned systems integration.

Fort Indiantown Gap is a national defense asset and a source of pride for Pennsylvania, and I’ll keep fighting to make sure it has the resources and support it deserves in Congress.

At the opening day of the Pennsylvania Farm Show, with Congressman Glenn Thompson and Secretary Russell Redding, and so many of our great Pennsylvania producers who feed our commonwealth and country.

Congressman Thompson, Chair of the House AG Committee, hosted a listening session with Secretary Redding, Troy Ott (Chair of Penn State's AG Department), and Congressman Bresnahan. We had some great conversations with farmers and producers, and a look at the exhibits (including the famous butter sculpture). Events like this highlight how important agriculture is to Pennsylvania’s economy, food supply, and communities. I want to thank Chairman Thompson and his staff for the tremendous amount of work they put into this great event. Chairman Thompson is a longtime champion of Pennsylvania's ag industry. We are so fortunate to have him in this key national position.

I’ll keep working to support our farmers and keep PA agriculture strong.

Finally, on a somber note, I was saddened to learn of the sudden passing of my friend and colleague, Rep. Doug LaMalfa. He was a true red, white, and blue Republican, a devoted patriot and a tireless fighter for rural America. My thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, staff, and constituents during this difficult time.

May God continue to bless our nation. I look forward to seeing you soon,