Stay Safe and Stay Alert

As this major winter storm reaches the state of Georgia, Robin and I are praying for the safety of you, your families, and loved ones. Please do not hesitate to contact one of my offices if you need assistance, and visit my website for helpful tips on being prepared for winter weather. Stay safe and stay alert!

Seeking Answers on Eisenhower Army Medical Center

Revitalizing Georgia's Forestry Sector

Recent mill closures, natural disasters, and declines in stumpage and delivered timber prices have devastated Georgia's forestry sector. 

Earlier this week, I introduced H.R. 7195, the Timber Harvesters, Haulers, and Landowners Market Disruptions Relief Act. This legislation establishes a targeted federal assistance program within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), administered through the Farm Service Agency (FSA), to provide temporary financial relief to eligible forest product harvesting and hauling businesses impacted by significant market disruptions.

Importantly, the program established in H.R. 7195 would be funded using anti-dumping and countervailing duties collected on Canadian softwood lumber imports, avoiding new taxpayer spending. Read more about the bill HERE.

Taking our final step in responsibly funding the government for Fiscal Year 2026, House Republicans passed our last four appropriations bills and concluded our work on FY2026 appropriations. This is a major milestone in returning to regular order, one I have called for since being elected to Congress. Completing the government funding process without a bloated omnibus bill is a significant win for the American people.

Together, all twelve appropriations bills provide responsible, full-year government funding, spend less than another continuing resolution, and codify reforms to cut waste, fraud, and abuse. This week, I proudly supported:

H.R. 7148 - Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026

• Department of Defense (DoD) Appropriations Act, 2026:
  • Provides discretionary funding to invest in America’s military superiority, shape a more efficient and effective DoD, protect from threats at America’s border, and take care of our troops and their families
  • Enhances investments in 5th and 6th-generation aircraft, supporting the modernization of the nuclear triad
  • Cares for our troops by providing a 3.8% pay raise for all servicemembers
  • Ensures no funding for DEI programs, Critical Race Theory, or abortion-related travel, consistent with DoD policy
• Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026:
  • Protects the right to life by maintaining the Hyde Amendment and longstanding language to ensure that federal funds cannot be used to advocate or promote restrictions on Second Amendment rights
  • Rescinds the Biden Administration’s massive expansion of Internal Revenue Service funding to audit everyday Americans
  • Provides funding to ensure America remains the pioneer in biomedical research, a necessary counter to China’s growing threat in basic science research
  • Prioritizes primary care funding for rural health, health centers, and the health workforce to end the chronic disease epidemic
• Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, (THUD) And Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026:
  • Invests in transportation safety and maintains essential housing assistance for our nation’s most vulnerable
  • Increases funding for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and provides the FAA with resources to hire 2,500 new air traffic controllers
  • Codifies DOGE recommendations to reduce the federal bureaucracy of THUD agencies by 29%
  • Invests in highway and airport infrastructure

H.R. 7147 - Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2026

• Provides funding to protect the homeland and keep American communities safe, secure, and resilient
• Ends programs that incentivize illegal immigration
• Bolsters border protections and sustains 22,000 Border Patrol agents for custody operations to strengthen the Administration’s efforts to detain and deport all criminal and removable aliens
• Eliminates funding for DEI efforts and codifies the Trump Administration’s reductions to bloated bureaucracy
• Enhances resources to detect and counter the spread of deadly drugs, like fentanyl, that poison our communities

During a full committee markup, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce advanced H.R. 4214, the Clean Air and Building Infrastructure Act, legislation I introduced earlier this Congress. This critical legislation is a necessary solution in response to the Biden-Harris Administration's harmful final rule for Fine Particulate Matter, otherwise known as PM 2.5 standards. 

This legislation would modernize the process for obtaining preconstruction permits and meeting compliance requirements for revised National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS).

Read more HERE.

Calling for Meaningful PBM Reform

Community pharmacies, which are especially critical in Georgia's rural communities, have consistently pushed for transparency into Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs).

I was proud to join my colleagues outside of the Capitol buidling to highlight the need to get PBM reform across the finish line this Congress and bring down health care costs for American families.

The 2026 Congressional Art Competition is Underway

The 2026 Congressional Art Competition is Underway! Every year, Members of the U.S. House of Representatives sponsor a nationwide high school art competition. This contest is open to all high school students (9th – 12th grade) in Georgia’s 12th District. The winning piece will be displayed for one year in the U.S. Capitol, and its student artist will receive an invitation to travel to Washington, D.C. to attend the national winners’ reception.

This competition is a special tradition that provides high school students the opportunity to display their art for the country to see. I look forward to seeing submissions from our young artists in the 12th District, and encourage all interested high school students to participate.

More information HERE.

This Week's White House Highlight

Additional Committee Activity

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