Land of the Free, Because of the Brave

May 28, 2022

THE TRAGEDY IN UVALDE, TEXAS

My heart is broken at the news of the tragedy that occurred in Uvalde, Texas on Tuesday. Please join Christie and me in praying for comfort and healing for the loved ones of the victims and those who were injured. May God be near those who are grieving. In thinking about our own six kids, I cannot imagine the pain the families are going through right now. We are devastated.

OUR OFFICERS WHO HAVE GONE ABOVE AND BEYOND

I had the honor of stopping by the Atoka Police Department and presenting Officers Jedediah Griffith and Cody Poe with Congressional Commendations for their heroic actions and life-saving service. Through quick thinking and application of prior medical training, Officers Griffith and Poe were separately able to save the life of a 34 year old victim who was near death after a horrific tractor trailer accident and the life of a 35 year old who was the victim of a stabbing.

Pictured with Officer Jedediah Griffith

Pictured with Officer Cody Roe.

It was an honor to recognize these officers' bravery and to thank them in person for their service. The entire department has proven their ability to go above and beyond for the community and I could not be more grateful.

LAND OF THE FREE, BECAUSE OF THE BRAVE

Memorial Day marks the beginning of summer for Oklahomans. Many celebrate with cookouts, trips to the lake or river, and time spent with loved ones. While we are celebrating, we must not forget the true reason for Memorial Day and the families who have lost loved ones.

Memorial Day is a day of remembrance in which we reflect and pay our deepest respects to the fallen heroes who have given their life in sacrifice to our great nation. There is no more noble cause than risking your life to defend the people and the virtues that you hold dear.

We must never forget that we are the land of the free, because of the brave. The bravest among us are the men and women who wear the uniforms of our armed forces every day and never waiver in their fight against the people and groups who threaten our way of life.

President Ronald Reagan once said, “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same.” The United States continues to be a beacon of freedom, hope, and democracy in the world because of the selfless service and sacrifice of our nation’s service men and women.

As we commemorate this Memorial Day, I ask that you join me in setting aside time to remember the men and women who given their lives so we can enjoy the freedoms we have as Americans. We owe a debt of gratitude we can never repay, and it is our duty as Americans to honor the fallen, as well as give honor and respect to the families who have experienced unimaginable hurt.

I encourage you to reach out to these families of fallen service members in your community and to thank them for their tremendous sacrifice, and to hear the stories of service from those they love. May God bless our fallen heroes, and may God bless the United States of America.

I had a blast on the Treadwell Tower with Colonel Blackmon.

HOLDING THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION ACCOUNTABLE

On Thursday, I sent a letter to President Biden demanding answers from his administration following their failure to respond to my previous questioning on Title 42. On April 7, in the previous letter, I outlined the consequences of the disastrous decision to repeal Title 42 and urged the administration to release their plan on how they will handle the extreme influx of migrants once this measure is lifted. The deadline outlined in the letter was April 22, which the Biden Administration failed to meet. Though a Federal Court blocked the appeal for now, President Biden cannot stay silent on this crisis. Click here to read the full text of the letter.

TWO WEEKS OF RECORD BREAKING GAS PRICES

When delivering a speech last week, President Biden told the crowd that the pain at the pump is the price to pay for the transition away from fossil fuels. He finally admitted to the world what hard-working Americans have known for months. The record high gas prices we have seen are a direct result of his Green New Deal agenda. Unfortunately, while President Biden pushes his own agenda, the rest of America is left to suffer the burden.

AMERICA HASN'T FORGOTTEN THE DISASTROUS AFGHANISTAN WITHDRAWAL

Not only has the Biden Administration failed to hold one single person accountable for their disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal, but they continue to abandon those who they promised to get out. It was reported this past week that the U.S. State Department is trying to get out of a court agreement to fast track the processing of Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) for those who aided the U.S. military on the ground. These individuals worked alongside our soldiers and were willing to die for our country, and this is how we treat them in return. Shame on the Biden Administration does not begin to cover it. Click here to watch the full interview.

FORMALLY RECOGNIZING MAY AS NATIONAL FOSTER CARE MONTH

Last week, I joined my fellow Co-Chairs on the Bipartisan Congressional Caucus on Foster Youth in introducing a resolution to recognize May 2022 as National Foster Care Month. National Foster Care Month was established more than 30 years ago to bring foster care issues to the forefront, highlight the importance of permanency for every child, and to recognize the key roles foster parents, social workers, and advocates have in the lives of children in foster care throughout the United States. Click here to watch my video commemorating this month.

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Thank you,

Markwayne Mullin
Member of Congress