Washington needs to be reeducated on what “shall not be infringed” means. Before the Founding Fathers penned the Second Amendment, and even before our Republic was even founded, Americans faithfully exercised the right to keep and bear arms. As a reminder, this right is formally protected by the ratification of the Second Amendment in 1791 – and it should stay that way. I am a lifelong defender of the Constitution and the freedoms it enshrines to protect the American people from the intrusiveness of a heavy-handed government. The rights we are fortunate to possess were not bestowed upon us by the federal government – they are God-given. What I see happening right now in Washington is gravely concerning. The constitutionally guaranteed rights of law-abiding citizens are under siege like never before.

We would all do well to remember that the Second Amendment was intended to empower individuals and avert undue interference – otherwise known as “infringement” – from the federal government. Unfortunately, over time, this simple principle has been distorted and severely misconstrued by Washington bureaucrats to advance their ideological agendas. Imagine the domino effect that would occur if the Second Amendment rights of Americans were stripped away. The rest of our freedoms would surely follow suit.

Following devastating tragedies, well-meaning people turn their attention to the federal government and demand that it “do something”. However good the intentions of these people may be, they do not yield good or constitutional laws. This “act in haste, repent at leisure” mentality often leads to the federal government encroaching on the constitutionally guaranteed rights of the American people – with the goal of paring them back, or even worse, misinterpreting them entirely. President Biden’s recent remark that the Second Amendment is “not absolute” is a prime example of this kind of threat.

This week, I voted against the Democrats’ latest attempts to undermine the Second Amendment freedoms of all Americans. Top-down legislative actions from Washington do not provide the states the due deference they deserve – the latitude of the states to make decisions that best suit their constituencies must be respected. The attack at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas was horrific, and Texas officials must leave no stone unturned in the search for the facts about this tragic event. In response, the federal government should not be in the business of issuing edicts that threaten the Second Amendment rights of Americans. For centuries, the Second Amendment has guaranteed Americans the ability to arm themselves to defend their property and the people they hold dear.

It is a right that cannot be infringed.

The AFT-NewsGuard “Misinfo” Partnership

Recently, I joined Republican Study Committee Chairman Jim Banks (R-IN), and Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education Subcommittee Republican Leader Burgess Owens (R-UT) in sending letters to the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and NewsGuard Inc. seeking additional information on the January 25th agreement that would put NewsGuard’s ‘anti-misinformation’ product in the classrooms of AFT’s more than 1.6 million members. We can’t let this kind of left-wing propaganda into our schools, or let groups condemn so-called ‘misinformation’ while peddling it themselves. I’m not surprised that AFT is teaming up with an organization that ranks Chinese state-run media sites higher than American conservative sites, but I refuse to let it happen without a fight.

Biden’s Loan Forgiveness Scheme

On Tuesday, I took to the floor of the House to expose President Biden’s student loan forgiveness scheme that’s merely an elitist handout to his radical progressive base. Expansive student loan forgiveness does nothing to solve the problems in higher education and exacerbates the economic disaster fueled by the President’s lack of fiscal responsibility. Time and again, President Biden operates as if he can issue any decree he wants on student loan forgiveness, even if it means exercising authority that he does not have. Simply put, he is placing politics and poll numbers above his fiscal and moral responsibilities. To watch my full speech, click here.

Quote of The Week

“The Second Amendment wasn’t written so you can go hunting, it was to create a force to balance a tyrannical force here.”

-Senator Tom Coburn

Have a blessed weekend,