I just voted no on the Democrats’ $1.7 Trillion, 4,000+ page spending bill that will make inflation worse while doing nothing to address the border and drug crisis plaguing our country.
Democrats have once again proven themselves incapable of crafting a responsible fiscal agenda that meets the needs of hardworking families. Despite the American people entrusting Republicans with control of the House, which takes effect in just over one week, we were shut out of these negotiations.
Speaker Pelosi’s last hoorah is another reckless spending package that makes inflation even worse, fails to address the border crisis, and prioritizes green energy lobbyists over American oil & gas workers.
A Victory to Secure Our Southern Border
In a victory for border security efforts, legislation I authored alongside U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) has become law.
H.R. 4209, the DHS Illicit Cross-Border Tunnel Defense Act, was included in the National Defense Authorization Act of 2023 and signed into law this morning.
Our bill will help seal the more than 230 underground tunnels beneath the U.S.-Mexico border that drug cartels and human traffickers are currently using to smuggle narcotics, weapons, and cash through.
Now, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will have the tools and resources they need to develop a plan, destroy the tunnels, and prevent these dangerous products from flowing into Texas. I am proud to see this bill become signed into law and will continue the fight to secure our border.
Honoring Midland World War II Veteran and Volunteer
I had the opportunity to honor Midland local and World War II Veteran Don McSparran in a speech on the Floor of the U.S. House of Representatives this morning. In addition to his military service, Mr. McSparran has volunteered with the Midland Police Department for the past twenty-two years, impacting countless lives and strengthening the community.
On December 1st, Midland Mayor Patrick Payton officially declared the day ‘Don McSparran Appreciation Day’ – a wonderful time to recognize Mr. McSparran’s lifetime of service and incredible dedication to our community. Thank you to all the volunteers working to keep our communities safe. Our district is blessed to have wonderful people caring for our community.
The United States should not enable Chinese surveillance companies that help the Chinese Communist Party track and monitor dissidents, harvest genomic data, and torture ethnic and religious minorities.
Chinese Communist Party (CCP)-directed tech companies Hikvision, Dahua, Tiandy, and BGI provide the technological equipment used by the CCP to commit genocide against Uyghurs and other predominantly Muslim ethnic groups in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR).
To hold these companies responsible for their human rights abuses, Florida Senator Marco Rubio and I introduced the Uyghur Human Rights Sanctions Review Act. The bill would require the U.S. Department of the Treasury to immediately make sanctions determinations for Hikvision, Dahua, Tiandy, and BGI.
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has removed its study regarding defensive gun use (DGU) information from its website. This study showed that Americans have relied on guns for self-defense upwards of 2.5 million times a year.
This censorship follows a private meeting held between the CDC and gun control advocates. This is clear pandering to liberal activist groups aiming to cover up the fact gun owners use their 2nd amendment rights to protect their life, liberty, and property.
Public trust in the CDC is already at an all-time low. If agencies commissioned with informing the American public are so easily swayed by political-interest groups, they will lose all credibility with the American people. The politicization of our institutions must end.
I sent a letter with Rep. Elise Stefanik to the CDC demanding answers for this censorship. Come January, the Republican-controlled House of Representatives will advocate for law-abiding gun owners and ensure the CDC is held accountable. Read our letter here.
Praise Report
Praise God! Our family got the best early Christmas present ever. My father Walter is back home in San Angelo after being in the hospital for several months. His first request after landing in San Angelo was Rosa’s Cafe.
My family and I want to say thank you to the thousands of prayer warriors who have been relentless in praying for and sending support and love to my family, especially my dad and mom. We are so grateful for the wonderful support of our community and are overjoyed to have my dad home this Christmas.
Volunteering with Our Family
Earlier this week, my family and I were honored to partner with TXU Energy and the Concho Valley Community Action Agency to help those currently experiencing homelessness by spending time together and providing them with blankets and water bottle bundles. Particularly for my daughters, I was grateful to have the opportunity to share the gifts that we have been given with others.
I want to encourage everyone to take some time this season to take stock of your blessings, as we’re surrounded by our loved ones and in the comforts of our homes, let us keep in mind our neighbors and those less fortunate in our community.
In Matthew 25:40, God instructs: “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” I hope everyone will be able to some way pay their blessings forward this Christmas.
Telephone Town Hall
Thank you to everyone who joined our Telephone Town Hall this week! It is important for me to answer your questions and share the plans my Republican colleagues and I have for the Republican-controlled House come January. As always, I will continue working on your behalf & doing everything I can to safeguard our Texas way of life.
If you were unable to join the call and have a question, please sign up here to make sure you are able to join for the next time!
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