Reining in Government Abuse of Power

Dear Friend,

I hope this newsletter finds you and your family well.

As President Biden is clearly tone deaf to the skyrocketing inflation and economic crisis that his policies have created, hardworking folks across America continue to feel the pinch at every turn. Instead of working to provide relief from record high energy prices and rapidly escalating grocery bills, President Biden is determined to double down on the failed policies of the Democrats.

While Biden promised the American people that he would not implement any new taxes on families making less than $400,000 annually, Democrats worked to pass the “Inflation Reduction Act,” which supercharged the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) with 87,000 new agents. Even though the Congressional Budget Office – a non-partisan branch of the government that provides budget and economic impact analyses to Congress – made clear that audit rates would “rise for all taxpayers” as a result of this policy, Joe Biden signed the bill into law. Now, this administration is weaponizing the IRS to further go after hardworking Americans by targeting folks whose electronic transactions through third-party payment platforms, such as Venmo and PayPal, total $600.

That means if you paid a babysitter electronically, re-sold sports or concert tickets at the price you paid, or just did some extra work on the side, you could trigger greater scrutiny from the IRS. Under this Democrat policy, the tax agency will begin sending 1099-K forms to third-party payment platform users for transactions amounting to more than $600 early next year. This radical-Left reporting requirement directly targets low and middle-income earners – and clearly is yet another violation of President Biden’s promise that greater tax enforcement wouldn’t hit lower- or middle-income Americans.

As a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, I will continue to fight back against these overreaching policies. As Republicans take control of the House next Congress, rest assured we will do everything in our power to prohibit any future efforts to weaponize the IRS, conduct rigorous oversight to rein in government abuse of power and corruption, and provide real transparency to the American people.

Jackie Walorski Maternal and Child Home Visiting Reauthorization Act

Last week, I was proud to vote in support of the Jackie Walorski Maternal and Child Home Visiting Reauthorization Act. This bipartisan bill reauthorizes the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting program which supports expecting mothers, children, and families. This program provides much needed services to our most vulnerable and last year delivered over 20,000 home visits in the state of Georgia to families with children impacted by early development, mental health, and substance abuse issues.

Jackie dedicated her life to helping at-risk children and mothers, and she worked hard to ensure this program was an evidence-based solution. Naming this bill in her honor is a fitting tribute to her legacy. Prior to passage of the bill, I spoke on the House floor to honor our late colleague, Congresswomen Jackie Walorski. Click here to watch my remarks.

Ferguson Speaks on the Jackie Walorski Maternal & Child Home Visiting Reauthorization Act

New Washington, D.C. Office Address

Our Washington, D.C. office has moved to a new location! I’m excited to announce that my Congressional office is now located at 2239 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, D.C., 20515. Our D.C. phone number – (202) 225-5901 – will remain the same, but any future letters constituents would like to send to my Washington, D.C. office should be address to 2239 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, D.C., 20515.

The Week Ahead

This week, the House will consider the following pieces of legislation:

S. 198 - Data Mapping to Save Moms' Lives Act

S. 4052 - Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Act

Senate Amendment to H.R. 1193 - Cardiovascular Advances in Research and Opportunities Legacy Act

Senate Amendment to H.R. 3462 - SBA Cyber Awareness Act

H.R. 8844 - STEP Improvement Act of 2022

House Amendment to S. 1687 - Small Business Cyber Training Act of 2022

S. 1617 - Disaster Assistance for Rural Communities Act

S. 3875 - Community Disaster Resilience Zones Act of 2022

S. 3499 - To amend the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006 to repeal certain obsolete requirements

S. 4235 - A bill to amend the Controlled Substances Act to fix a technical error in the definitions

S. 2796 - Rural Opioid Abuse Prevention Act

S. 4834 - PROTECT Our Children Act of 2022

Senate Amendment to H.R. 5796 - Patents for Humanity Act of 2022

Senate Amendment to H.R. 8404 - Respect for Marriage Act

Senate Amendment to H.R. 7776 - James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023

H.R. 3648 - EAGLE Act of 2022

H.R. 7946 - Veteran Service Recognition Act of 2022

Additional Legislative Items Are Possible

As always, I’m here to serve you. Please contact my office with any questions, comments, or concerns. Be sure to follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube to keep track of upcoming legislation and events!

Sincerely,

Drew Ferguson
Member of Congress