July 12, 2024

Since his first day in office, President Biden’s administration has worked to shut down American energy production. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has threatened to redesignate the Permian Basin as a nonattainment area for ozone—a move that would severely hamper oil and gas production in the region. To make matters worse, the EPA is relying on out-of-state monitors, modeling, and behind-closed-doors data to try and redesignate areas like the Permian Basin without sufficient and direct evidence. This approach disregards local input and threatens to impose new regulatory burdens that could worsen inflationary pressures and drive up energy prices for consumers.

I introduced the Show the Data Act of 2024 to ensure that decisions impacting our communities and energy security are based on transparent, local data rather than distant estimates and models. Read more here in E&E News by Politico about my new legislation.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act (SAVE) Act to require proof of citizenship when voting in American elections and to remove noncitizens from voting registration rolls.

This legislation comes at a time when New York, Washington, D.C., and California have incentivized illegal immigrants to register to vote in U.S. elections. The integrity of our election system is at risk due to lax voter registration laws and President Biden’s wide-open border policies.

I have led the charge in Congress to protect the integrity of our elections by introducing and passing legislation that blocks noncitizens from voting in Washington, D.C.

If you cannot provide documentation that you are an American citizen, you should not be able to vote –  period. Read more here about the passage of the SAVE Act.

This week I was honored to attend a roundtable with U.S. Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall to discuss how Congress can further support our air fighting power and strength.

As a former U.S. Air Force fighter pilot who spent twenty years in the service, I am committed to ensuring our airmen are equipped to deter and fight against threats to America.

The Biden Administration’s Department of Education recently issued a radical rewrite of Title IX, that would erase vital protections for women and young girls that have existed for over fifty years.

I voted on the U.S. House Floor this week in favor of a Congressional Review Act (CRA) to overturn this unjust “rewrite.” This issue is personal to me as a father to three young girls. There is no excuse for the Biden Administration to pander to the radical left at the expense of our female athletes. Unfortunately, a large majority of Democrats voted against this measure. Read more about the CRA here.

I introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation to protect victims of online deepfake images, a disturbing crime that is becoming increasingly popular. The TAKE IT DOWN Act criminalizes the publication of these harmful images and requires websites to quickly remove them.

There is an urgent need for Congress to act by putting protections in place for victims of exploitative deep fakes and levying consequences on those creating and facilitating this sickening practice. Read more about the TAKE IT DOWN Act here.

It was great to catch up with Tarleton State University President Dr. James Hurley this week during his visit to Washington, D.C. We discussed Tarleton’s Texan Corps of Cadets program and how they are shaping young men and women to enter the armed services.

I was pleased to see a U.S. federal judge block the Biden Administration’s ban on liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports last week. The judge said, “President Biden’s decision to halt LNG export approvals was completely without reason or logic.” This ruling is a huge win for American energy producers across the country who are fueling our allies abroad.

The U.S. House passed my legislation the Unlocking Our Domestic LNG Potential Act of 2024 to reverse this ban and to unlock American energy. Read more here.

I always enjoy visiting with families from Texas-11 while they are visiting Washington, D.C. Thank you to the Osborn family from San Angelo for meeting with me after their U.S. Capitol tour this week. Book your tour today at https://pfluger.house.gov/forms/tourrequest/.

The earlier you can get your request in, the better.

My office is now accepting submissions for the 2024 Congressional App Competition. The competition is open to all 6-12 grade students in the 11th Congressional District of Texas and is an opportunity for students to develop their skills in computer science and STEM.

The deadline is October 24th, 2024 at 12:00 pm ET. Students can register and upload their app here.

PRIZES

• The winner from the 11th Congressional District, chosen by a panel of expert judges, will be featured on the House of Representatives website, House.gov, as well as on CongressionalAppChallenge.us. The winning app will also be displayed in the U.S. Capitol among other winners from across the country. Additional sponsor prizes to be announced.

RULES

• Students will create an application (aka app) for PC, web, tablet, robot, mobile, etc Any programming such as C, C++, JavaScript, Python, Ruby, or “block code” will be accepted.
• There are NO LIMITS on the application theme or topic.
• Students may work individually or in teams made up of no more than four.

Students are highly encouraged to review the competition’s complete rules and regulations on the Congressional App Challenge’s website. For more information, please visit congressionalappchallenge.us/ or contact Kathy Keane in the San Angelo Office at [email protected].

Rep. August Pfluger

Member of Congress