This week, the People’s House closed out the appropriations process after passing the final grouping of appropriations bills sent back to us by the United States Senate. Like many of my colleagues in the People’s House, I was particularly disappointed that the Senate did not act expeditiously in passing this legislative package. As a result of the Senate’s delay, parts of the federal government were shut down for a few days – a completely unnecessary and unacceptable outcome. This was entirely avoidable.

Not once did the People’s House flirt with the possibility of a government shutdown during the appropriations process – we did our job. Members of the Appropriations Committee and respective subcommittees, their dedicated and hardworking staff, and countless others worked collaboratively to deliver the following appropriations bills to the House floor for full consideration:

• Defense
• Homeland Security
• Labor, Health, and Human Services
• Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development  

As House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole remarked during debate on this legislative package on the House floor, the House stepped up once more and demonstrated what responsible governance looks like. To add, our Republican majority demonstrated what regular order looks like – something that has long been absent within Congress. Despite the disruption caused by the Senate, the House played its part in restoring the functioning of the federal government while delivering certainty to millions of Americans across the nation. Once more, I was proud to have moved this appropriations package from the Rules Committee to the House floor for a full vote – and to have cast my vote in favor of it. Now, that the appropriations process has concluded, we can turn to addressing even more priorities of the American people.

A Positive Development

Some very good news has come out this week. Siemens Energy, a global energy technology company, has announced a $421 million investment across North Carolina that will lead to the creation of 500 jobs within the state. This includes investing in the Winston Technology Center located in Rural Hall, which is in the 5^th District. Thanks to the hard work of our state legislature, North Carolina remains a premiere hub for innovation and opportunity, and the investments within our state by Siemens and other important companies are a testament to this simple fact. I’m very much looking forward to sharing more news about this with you in the coming months.

To learn more, click here.

A Piece of American History

America 250 is hosting an essay contest for students in grades 3-12 across the United States ahead of our nation’s 250^th anniversary. This essay contest offers students the opportunity to share their perspective about what America means to them. I highly encourage you to share this information with anyone you may know who would like to participate. These young men and women are our nation’s future leaders, and their perspectives are incredibly important – as well as their being molded into informed citizens of our nation.

To learn more about the contest, click here.

Quote of The Week

"The essence of leadership is to get others to do something because they think you want it done and because they know it is worth while doing…”

-Dwight D. Eisenhower

Have a blessed weekend,