This month, the whole country got to watch firsthand as House conservatives delivered a historic victory on the House Floor by fundamentally changing the way the House operates. I penned this letter following the vote that explains some of the things we achieved:

We changed the way bills will be passed. We changed the way the government will be funded. We changed the way committees will be formed. We secured votes on term limits, the fair tax, the Texas Border Plan, and so much more.

Here’s what I hope America saw this week:

1. The first one has nothing to do with politics. It’s this: A few voices can make a big difference. This isn’t just about politics. If you’re a mom or a student, a truck driver, or a server, if you believe in something and will stand by that belief, you can make a meaningful change.
2. Congress has been broken. From the way we spend money to the way Pelosi consolidated power to the Speakership, it’s broken, and House conservatives are working to fix it.
3. It’s better to get things right than to get them quickly.
4. When the House actually functions as intended, when we’re all on the Floor debating a path forward, the result is far better for the American people than when governing is done behind closed doors.

This past week we all delivered on the promises we made to our constituents. They told us Congress is broken, and we promised to work on fixing it. We’ve done just that. Here are some of the changes that we secured:

1. In the 118th Congress, bills must be single subject. Last session, House Democrats passed a so-called $1.2 trillion dollar “infrastructure bill.” Shamefully, less than 10% of the actual funds in the bill went to roads and bridges, with hundreds of billions of dollars going to Solyndra-style slush funds and Green New Deal policies, a $400 billion kickback to big labor, and even $10,000,000 going to a program to save butterflies and bees. These unrelated topics should have never been lumped together in the same vote. Forty-seven state legislatures have single subject rules, and I’m proud that Congress will follow suit.
2. Members will have time to read the bills before voting on them. Remember the infamous line by Speaker Pelosi, “We have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it.” Well, that’s a thing of the past as all Members will have a minimum of 72 hours to read legislation before voting on it.
3. House Republicans will do the hard work and fund the government as Congress intended. That means scrapping the horrific omnibus bills and continuing resolutions, and passing 12 individual appropriations bills through regular order. This allows for input, debate, and amendments that will reduce federal spending and eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayer dollars. Returning to this appropriations process will also ensure that the Senate will consider individual spending bills and not another omnibus. In short, our budgetary reforms will yield improvements on what the Senate considers in addition to the House.
4. We established a committee to investigate the weaponization of the federal government.

We will work to close the southern border, increase domestic energy production, lower government spending, curb inflation, and so much more.

From the Speaker’s office to my more moderate colleagues, even those I’ve exchanged some tough words with, we will all work together to deliver conservative solutions on these issues for the American people.

I want to close by responding to one criticism that has been cast on what took place this week. Joe Biden said this has been embarrassing for Republicans. How sad is it that us governing as the Founders intended looks embarrassing to Democrats? It should look like the norm. I’ll tell you what’s embarrassing. 40-year high inflation is embarrassing. 5 million illegals crossing our southern border is embarrassing. Surrendering to ISIS and fleeing Afghanistan is embarrassing. Having a President that can’t finish his sentences is embarrassing.

But fighting to fix Congress, that’s doing exactly what we promised.

I’m incredibly grateful that Speaker McCarthy, to his credit, responded favorably to our negotiations and deconsolidated power and returned it to individual Members to better serve their constituents. Moving forward, I believe the Republican party is more unified and in a better position to govern than ever before.

In the 118th Congress, I will defend the individual liberties of the people of Colorado’s Third District by holding the Biden administration accountable as a new member of the Oversight Committee. I look forward to eliminating mismanagement in the federal government by investigating the border and fentanyl crises, COVID relief fraud, government collusion with big tech to censor Americans, the botched Afghanistan withdrawal, the energy crisis, COVID origins, and the Biden family’s shady business schemes.

Additionally, I will continue to defend Colorado’s Third District’s rural way of life as a returning member of the House Committee on Natural Resources. I will keep working on effective policies to unleash American energy, protect water rights, fight western drought, prevent wildfires, and steward our natural resources in a way that puts rural communities first.

I also introduced the Defund Planned Parenthood Act to stop taxpayer funding of the country's largest abortion provider. Planned Parenthood is not a healthcare provider. Last year, the number of abortions they performed hit a record high, and the number of well woman exams, breast cancer screenings, and pap smears were down. 

In addition to the legislation I am working on in the 118th Congress, I am also continuing to serve constituents. My team has successfully helped people in the District who weren’t getting answers from federal agencies, like veterans seeking to get the care they earned from the VA, travelers needing expedited assistance to receive a passport on short notice, taxpayers being harassed by the IRS, senior citizens having issues with the Social Security Administration or Medicare, and more. My office will continue serving Coloradans at my three district offices in Pueblo, Durango, and Grand Junction and at mobile office hours across every County in Colorado’s Third District.

My office and I have returned over $1,945,445 to constituents—many of whom were veterans having issues with the VA. From helping a veteran who had to wait 14 months for care cut through the bureaucracy, to helping another veteran get immediate open-heart surgery that saved his life, my team and I are always busy helping veterans receive the care they EARNED. If you or a veteran you know are having issues with the VA, please reach out to my office so we can get to work on your behalf.

My office will be hosting mobile office hours at the following times and locations:

FRIDAY, JANUARY 20, 2023  

La Plata County Mobile Office Hours 

Ignacio Community Library, Community Room 

470 Goddard Avenue 

Ignacio, CO  

11:00am-12:00pm

Montezuma County Mobile Office Hours 

Mancos Public Library, Community Meeting Room 

211 West First Street 

Mancos, CO 

3:00-5:00pm 

TUESDAY, JANUARY 24, 2023 

Las Animas County Mobile Office Hours 

Trinidad City Hall 

135 North Animas Street 

Trinidad, CO   

1:00-2:00pm