Committee Update

Dear Friend,

Last Thursday, I was proud to be appointed to the House Budget Committee, as well as Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee's Subcommittee on Social Security. I will continue serving on the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Select Revenue Measures – also referred to as the Subcommittee on Tax.

I’ve always said that my focus in Congress is on creating jobs, building a strong economy, and eliminating bureaucratic barriers and waste. As a member of the House Committee on Ways and Means and House Budget Committee, I am ready to roll up my sleeves and get our country back on track with responsible fiscal and pro-growth policies. For the last two years, the radical Left’s out-of-control, big government spending resulted in an economic crisis – causing hardworking Americans to suffer record high inflation and putting our nation on the brink of a recession.

We will reverse course and enact policies to maintain American competitiveness and innovation, economic growth, and fiscal responsibility. As the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Social Security, I will be a leading voice for our nation’s seniors, and advance solutions to some of the most pressing issues facing our country today.

Energy Security is National Security

In his first days in office, President Joe Biden waged war on America’s energy independence by tying the hands of American oil and gas producers – which caused an energy crisis with prices at the pump hitting historic highs.

Then, this Administration completely jeopardized America’s energy security by mismanaging our strategic petroleum reserve (SPR) for political points. The SPR is strictly meant for weather or national security emergencies, but Biden dumped our SPR as a band-aid approach to try and control high prices – which he caused in the first place. In order to hold this Administration accountable, the House passed the Strategic Production Response Act last week.

I was proud to support this legislation that limits the drawdown of petroleum in the SPR for non-emergency purposes until the Department of Energy develops a plan to increase the percentage of federal lands leased for oil and gas production. Our energy security is national security, and we must hold this Administration accountable for depleting our energy reserve for non-emergency purposes, while ensuring it does not happen in the future.

Thanks for Stopping By

Mentoring programs fuel opportunities for young people in schools to connect with workplaces and beyond. Last Wednesday during their National Mentor Summit, it was great to meet with Jessie and Travis to hear about the important work they’re doing to build quality mentoring opportunities for our youth in Georgia.

Honoring Chief Lou Dekmar

Last week, I spoke on the House floor to honor my friend Chief Lou Dekmar on his well-deserved retirement. For 50 years, Chief Dekmar has protected and defended our communities as a law enforcement officer – and has long been a hero in the community protecting the lives of citizens as well as fellow officers.

Serving nearly 30 years as the Chief of Police in LaGrange, Chief Dekmar’s unwavering dedication to ensuring the folks of Troup County stayed safe and secure was second to none. I thank him for his unbelievable devotion to serving the people of Georgia and congratulate him on his retirement. Click here to watch my full remarks.

The Week Ahead

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

H.R. 290 - To provide for transparent licensing of commercial remote sensing systems, and for other purposes
H.R. 342 - To amend the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to require reporting relating to certain cost-share requirements, and for other purposes
H.R. 500 - Financial Exploitation Prevention Act of 2023
H.R. 582 - Credit Union Board Modernization Act
H.R. 298 - Expanding Access to Capital for Rural Job Creators Act
H.R. 497 - Freedom for Health Care Workers Act
H.R. 382 - Pandemic is Over Act
H.R. 139 - SHOW UP Act of 2023
H.J. Res. 7 - Relating to a national emergency declared by the President on March 13, 2020
H. Con. Res. 9 - Denouncing the horrors of socialism

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