I spent this weekend down at the border in McAllen, Texas. There are numerous issues that need to be addressed at our southern border. October 7, 2022 I spent this weekend down at the border in McAllen, Texas. There are numerous issues that need to be addressed at our southern border, but the main issue is that under the Biden Administration, there are no consequences. Our heroic border patrol officers are working to overcome the challenges of inconsistent fences, understaffing, and most importantly rhetoric and policies from our President that are encouraging the most illegal border crossings in the history of this country. During my visit, I witnessed a staggering number of illegal crossings, including children as young as 9 and 10 years old who were trafficked to our border. We must build the wall, provide the technology needed, hire more border patrol agents, and secure the border once and for all. President Biden's refusal to enforce consequences for illegal activity at our border has created nothing but chaos. We must return to law and order. Thank you to FOX West Texas for having me on air for an important discussion on the southern border crisis. Click here or below to watch and learn more. Odessa Over OPEC This week, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC+) announced it would cut oil production by 2 million barrels per day. This production cut comes after President Biden’s visit to Saudi Arabia in July to ask for more oil production overseas. Energy is fundamental for our society. President Biden’s crowning policy achievement will be making America more dependent on foreign countries for our energy needs in order to appease Green interest groups. To make matters worse, the Biden Administration is reportedly considering a ban or limit on exports of refined petroleum products. President Biden continues to be on the wrong side of every major issue affecting America’s energy security. An export ban of any kind would further discourage U.S. oil and gas production and the necessary investment needed to ensure our Nation is the world energy leader for decades to come. We must refocus on restoring American energy independence. The first step should be ending government-made barriers to oil and gas investment and rolling back regulatory burdens put forth by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Let’s put Odessa, Texas over OPEC and encourage more American production. Now. Requesting answers from CBP The United States is currently dependent on Communist China for critical minerals—which are used in anything from fighter jets to electric vehicle batteries. We know that the majority of these minerals were produced using Chinese slaves. U.S. Customs and Border Patrol is charged with screening items that are imported into the United States, but Representative Michael McCaul and I have questions for the Biden Administration as to how the agency is properly screening and preventing products produced by slavery from coming into the U.S. We sent a letter, first reported by Breitbart News, to CBP Commissioner Chris Magnus demanding answers to our questions. Read more in Breitbart here. Celebrating East Elementary School East Elementary School in Brownwood was recently designated a Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education—an incredible distinction. I was honored to visit East Elementary this week and speak with a group of 5th Graders about how Congress works and how bills become law. The class had the idea to pass a bill for “Free Ice Cream Fridays”—paid for by the teachers! We may have to workshop it a little bit, but I love their enthusiasm. Thank you to the faculty and staff at East Elementary for providing our kids with a fantastic education, and Congratulations to them on this achievement. Click here to read more about our visit in the Brownwood News. Meeting with the Goldthwaite Chamber of Commerce Thank you to the Goldthwaite Chamber of Commerce for hosting me for a meet & greet earlier this week. I will always champion policies that promote a strong economy where our businesses and workers can thrive. I appreciate everyone who took the time to meet! Bown County Farm Bureau I was honored to speak at the Brown County Farm Bureau’s annual convention. Texas producers face innumerable challenges with the drought, sky-high input costs, Green New Deal policies coming out of this administration, and more. The work they do to keep America fed could not be more important, and I will continue working to promote policies to make sure they are able to continue carrying out their mission. Thank you to all of our agricultural heroes that work overtime to keep food on our tables. Opportunities for Students to Get Involved I am excited to announce a new opportunity for high school juniors and seniors to learn about government, collaborate on and discuss various topics with myself and fellow high school students, and provide service to our wonderful district. The Congressional Youth Advisory Council (CYAC) program consists of up to four virtual meetings. If accepted into the program, you must be able to attend at least three meetings, which will be scheduled after school hours. Additionally, CYAC participants will be provided special admittance to the Pfluger Youth Leadership Conference in Spring 2023. The deadline to apply is October 21st. Click here to learn more and apply! The Congressional App Challenge is also open to all middle and high school (grades 6-12) students in the 11th Congressional District of Texas. Students can work alone or with a team of up to four to create and code their own app. Students entering the competition must submit their app to CongressionalAppChallenge.us during the Competition Submission Period through November 1st, 2022. The winner from the 11th Congressional District, chosen by a panel of expert judges, will be featured on the House of Representatives website, House.gov, as well as on CongressionalAppChallenge.us. The winning app will also be displayed in the U.S. Capitol among other winners from across the country. Additional sponsor prizes are to be announced. Students interested in applying can easily sign up at the App Challenge website or find more information about the challenge on my website here. Want to read our Newsletter in Spanish? Sign up below! ¿Quieres leer nuestro Boletín en español? Regístrate aquí para el Boletín en español Thank you for reading. It is the honor of my lifetime to serve you in Congress. Please follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for daily updates. Rep. August Pfluger Member of Congress ‌ ‌ ‌ Rep. Pfluger | 1531 Longworth HOB, Washington, DC 20002 Unsubscribe [email protected] Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice Sent by [email protected]