Thank you for taking the time to read my most recent updates from Eastern North Carolina and Washington, D.C. As always, it remains a true honor and a privilege to represent you in Congress! If this email was forwarded to you, you can subscribe to my e-newsletter here.

This week, I was honored to be elected co-chair of the GOP Doctors Caucus for the 118th Congress. The Doctors Caucus is a group of 18 health care providers serving in Congress who utilize their medical expertise and backgrounds to develop patient-centered health care policy. As a practicing surgeon of more than 30 years, I look forward to bringing meaningful, patient-focused health care policy to light. As co-chair, I will work to improve our health care system, lower costs, and increase patient access to quality, affordable care. You can read more about my announcement here.

One of my first initiatives as the incoming co-chair of the Doctors Caucus was sending a letter to House leadership requesting support to mitigate impeding Medicare payment cuts for providers in end-of-year legislation. Any cuts to Medicare payments for physicians would be disastrous for health care providers, America’s seniors, and the nation at large. I urge House leadership on both sides of the aisle to take immediate action to secure short and long-term solutions to ensure the stability and continued success of the Medicare program. You can read more about my letter here. I also spoke on the House floor yesterday highlighting the urgency needed to address this issue. You can watch here or by clicking on the image below.

I was also chosen as the Republican co-chair of the Congressional Academic Medicine Caucus (CAMC), a bipartisan group of lawmakers that promotes academic medicine in congressional policy discussions to ensure a healthier future for all Americans. It is such a privilege to help inform my fellow Members of Congress and the American people on the essential role that America’s medical schools, teaching hospitals, and faculty physicians play in improving our nation’s health outcomes. I look forward to engaging in serious and productive conversations regarding the academic medicine community and the patients they serve. You can read more about my announcement here.

Last week, I held the second annual Congressional Campus Free Speech Roundtable in the U.S. Capitol. The event brought together Members of Congress, leaders from the Young America’s Foundation (YAF), the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), current college students, and members of the Alumni Free Speech Alliance (AFSA) to discuss First Amendment concerns in post-secondary education. The free exchange of ideas is the hallmark of a post-secondary education, and I look forward to working with my colleagues to protect the freedom of speech for generations of students to come.

Last Thursday, I led a group of 22 House Republicans calling on the Biden Administration to end the COVID Public Health Emergency (PHE). These declarations are reserved for extreme events which warrant authorizing the President of the United States with temporary executive powers to handle serious crises including the viral spread of infection, major hurricanes, and other severe storms. There’s no question that the Trump Administration rightfully deployed the PHE in 2020 as a necessary response to COVID-19. However, what began as a genuine policy measure under the former Administration to combat a crisis has devolved into an unprecedented dictatorial abuse of power under President Biden. The Daily Caller carried the exclusive on this story, which you can read here. 

I joined The Evening Edit on Wednesday to discuss GOP investigations into Dr. Fauci. You can watch the full interview by clicking here or on the image above.

I joined Newsmax yesterday to discuss my Free Speech Roundtable and our efforts to protect the First Amendment on college campuses. You can watch the full interview by clicking here or on the image above.

I also joined Henry Hinton on Wednesday to discuss NDAA wins for NC-03 in regard to our servicemembers and veterans as well the news of the day. You can watch the full interview at 39:00 by clicking here or on the image above.