Dear Friend,
This past week in DC, the House passed legislation I introduced to protect our farm families from federal government overreach, House Republicans unveiled H.R.1 to help restore American energy independence, I took to the House Floor to highlight my concerns with a recent visit by Cuban government officials in Wilmington, and more. Thank you for subscribing and read more below!
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I’m proud my colleagues in the House joined me this past week in passing my legislation to rescind the Biden Administration’s flawed Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule. Biden's new rule is a nuclear warhead aimed squarely at our farm families, small businesses, homebuilders, every property owner, and entire communities because of its overreaching definition. Once the federal government gains control of your land as a result of the ambiguity and subjectivity of what defines a “navigable water”, any alteration to one’s property could easily — and will likely — be regulated by the federal government. This includes everyday tasks like applying herbicides or insecticides to the mere building of a fence or a shed. The WOTUS rule makes every landowner susceptible to prosecution for taking actions on their property that are later viewed to have been a violation of the Clean Water Act. Land in areas like North Carolina’s Seventh District where storms can bring heavy rain and water often lingers for short periods of time could easily be classified as a “wetland” depending on the viewpoint of the bureaucrat making the judgment. Cloaked under the guise of clean water, all this rule does is expand the federal government’s control over states, localities, and private landowners, making it harder to farm, build, and generate economic prosperity. Click here or on the image below to watch my speech in support of overturning the flawed Biden WOTUS rule.
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On top of overturning Biden's WOTUS rule, House Republicans:
✅ Passed the Parents Bill of Rights in the Education Committee.
✅ Passed H.R. 140, the Protecting Speech from Government Interference Act, legislation to stop the federal government from colluding with Big Tech to censor lawful speech and silence Americans.
✅ Passed S.619, the COVID–19 Origin Act of 2023, legislation to demand transparency on the origins of COVID-19, specifically by requiring the Director of National Intelligence to declassify all information on the origin of COVID-19 and any potential links with the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
✅ Sent H.J. Res. 30 to President Biden's desk. This resolution protects the retirement funds of hard working Americans by blocking the Biden Administration Department of Labor’s rule allowing fiduciaries to prioritize environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing in retirement plans.
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This week, Speaker Kevin McCarthy announced my bill, the Water Quality Certification and Energy Projects Improvement Act, will be included in H.R. 1, the Lower Energy Costs Act. Historically, H.R. 1 through H.R. 10 have signaled a Speaker’s legislative priorities to improve the lives of the American people, making the Lower Energy Costs Act all the more significant.
My bill promotes the development of the Nation’s energy infrastructure by streamlining the permitting process under Section 401 of the Clean Water Act and clarifying Section 401’s focus on water quality, and I'm proud it will be included as part of H.R. 1 to help restore American energy independence and lower prices at the pump.
The water quality certification process has been — and continues to be — weaponized by certain states to stifle important energy projects they oppose, particularly pipelines, for political reasons completely unrelated to water quality and outside the scope and intent of the Clean Water Act. Providing clarity to the water quality certification process is sorely needed to put an end to this abuse of the law blocking important energy projects. At a time when American families are facing skyrocketing energy costs, we shouldn’t inhibit domestic energy production and its transport. This only makes America further dependent on foreign adversaries for our energy sources.
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I spoke on the House Floor regarding the visit by Cuba’s Border Guard and Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the port facilities in Wilmington, which was planned and authorized by President Biden's Department of Homeland Security and the Department of State. As one of our nation's oldest adversaries and a state sponsor of terrorism, Cuba's communist government is no friend of the United States or anyone else who believes in freedom. Cuba has a history of being a strategic Western asset to our greatest adversaries, including China, Russia, and Iran, and they regularly cooperate with narcotics traffickers bringing cocaine, fentanyl, and other deadly drugs to our country. This visit should have never happened and the American people deserve to know what steps were taken to protect our national security interests. Click here or on the image below to watch my speech.
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IRS Taxpayer Assistance: The IRS will offer additional Saturday hours at many Taxpayer Assistance Centers (TACs) across the country. The openings are from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., on March 11, April 8, and May 13. During these times, people can walk in to receive in-person help without an appointment. Additionally, the IRS offers free guided tax preparation to those with an annual gross income of less than $73,000. You can use their Free File tool here. If you fall outside of this range, the IRS also provides free fillable forms to complete on your own here.
IRS Warns Taxpayers of New Scam: The IRS issued a consumer alert to warn taxpayers of new scams urging people to use wage information on a tax return to claim false credits in hopes of getting a large refund. Click here for more information.
VA Relaxes Masking Requirements at Medical Facilities: The Department of Veterans Affairs announced it has relaxed the masking requirement at VA medical facilities. This update maintains the safety of Veterans while accommodating individual masking preferences and aligning with CDC guidelines. Moving forward, VA will base its masking guidelines on the VHA COVID-19 Health Protection Levels (low, medium, and high) and healthcare facilities’ conditions. VHA will monitor any changes to CDC guidelines and update VHA COVID-19 guidelines as necessary.
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For this week's good news story, I'm recognizing the North Carolina Maritime Museum at Southport's new program in celebration of Women's History Month which highlights women pilots who served during World War II. According to WWAY, "“During World War II, women served in various roles to bring about victory,” museum Education Curator Shannon Walker said. “Many women joined the military as US Army WACs, US Navy WAVES, or Coast Guard SPARs. But one of the most interesting was the WASP, or Women Airforce Service Pilots.” Kaitlin O’Connor, an interpreter with Fort Fisher State Historic Site, will be at the museum March 18TH from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. to share the story of the 52 WASPs who came to Southeastern North Carolina, serving at the Army Antiaircraft training facilities based at Camp Davis in Holly Ridge." "Flying war-weary aircraft, the women’s mission was to pull cloth targets behind their airplanes. As the planes flew by, the gunners with Anti-aircraft Battalions training around Topsail Island and at Fort Fisher would fire live ammunition at the targets." The free drop-in program is open to the public and designed for all ages.
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"Be sure you put your feet in the right place, then stand firm." — Abraham Lincoln |
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