President Biden delivered his State of the Union address to Congress last night. During his speech, he discussed his radical priorities including endless American dollars to left-wing priorities, abortion up until the point of birth, COVID-19, and climate change. Americans deserve a strong economy, a secure border, energy independence, and a national security posture that protects Americans at home and abroad. Unfortunately, this President has done everything he can to weaken our country. We deserve better.
Despite the President’s divisive remarks, I have a lot of hope for this country because I represent the best district in the entire United States. Texas-11 is home to the best people who are working hard to raise their children as proud citizens who want to serve and be a part of the greatest country in history.
Jay Hendricks & Matthew Alvarez of CBS7 in Washington
I was honored to invite Jay Hendricks of CBS7 News to be my guest at the State of the Union Address this week. Jay is a staple in the Permian Basin who has been working to bring news and updates to West Texans for decades. It was wonderful to host him along with Matthew Alvarez. Check out CBS7 Newsfor more highlights and coverage of their visit.
TikTok is a Threat to American National Security
The Committee on Energy and Commerce marked up H.R. 7521, the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act this week. This bill is to protect Americans and prevent foreign adversaries, like China, from targeting, surveilling, and manipulating the American people through the app TikTok.
TikTok is fully owned and controlled by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Our legislation requires TikTok to sever ties with its Chinese partners to ensure American privacy and safety. TikTok has 170 million American users, making it a valuable propaganda tool for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
Just last year, Shou Zi Chew, the CEO of TikTok, testified before the Energy and Commerce Committee. The concerns and evidence brought from his testimony, and subsequent briefings I led on the national security concerns of TikTok, have brought the Committee to this final point.
Laken Riley Act Passes House
This week the House Passed the Laken Riley Act—named after the 22-year-old nursing student who was tragically killed by an illegal alien who was released by the Biden Administration. The legislation would require Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to arrest, detain, and deport illegal aliens who commit theft-related offenses. It also allows individual states to sue the federal government if an immigration-related action harms the state or its citizens.
Laken Riley’s death is a tragedy that would not have occurred if the U.S. had a secure border. I was proud to lead the charge on this initiative to ensure the President and his administration cannot release dangerous criminals into our communities.
Counterterrorism Subcommittee Markup
This week I was proud to Chair a markup of legislation in the Homeland Security Counterterrorism Subcommittee. The markup included my legislation, the Combating Transnational Repression Act of 2024, to combat transnational repression on U.S. soil.
Transnational repression is the act of a foreign government harassing and intimidating individuals who are critical of the nation acting as the aggressor. This hits home locally, as our own Bob Fu is a victim of transnational repression. He testified before the committee recently about his experience being targeted by the Chinese Communist Party.
My legislation will require the Homeland Security Investigations Office to take action to prevent transnational repression. It is a crucial step in protecting the sovereignty of our nation and ensuring the safety and rights of those targeted by foreign governments. It sends a clear message that the United States will not tolerate such attacks on our soil
Goodfellow Air Force Base in Washington
It was an honor to meet with Colonel Angelina Maguinness, who is the Commander of Goodfellow Air Force Base, during her visit to Washington this week. Goodfellow is responsible for training more than 14,000 firefighting, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance warriors annually for every branch of our military. I am blessed to represent all of the men and women at Goodfellow and appreciate their work in securing our nation. Thank you for stopping by to meet with me!
Midland Leaders Advocating for West Texas
It was a pleasure to meet with Midland Mayor Lori Blong and other community leaders during their time in our Nation’s Capitol this week. One of the issues this incredible group has championed is the Interstate-27 Numbering Bill, which is now headed to President Biden’s desk to be signed into law. Thank you all for meeting with me and advocating for Midland and the Permian Basin!
Killeen Town Hall Next Week
I will be hosting a Town Hall in Killeen next week, I hope to see you there!
2024 Congressional Art Competition
My office is now accepting submissions for the 2024 Congressional Art Competition. The competition is open to all 7-12 grade students in the 11th Congressional District of Texas and is an opportunity for local artists to be recognized for their talents among artists from around the Nation.
The deadline is April 29th, 2024. Students can register and upload images of their artwork on Congressman Pfluger’s website at: tinyurl.com/TX11Art.
Students are highly encouraged to review the competition’s complete rules and regulations on my website. For more information, please visit tinyurl.com/TX11Art, or contact Cayssia David in the Killeen Office at [email protected].gov.
Thank you for reading. It is the honor of my lifetime to serve you in Congress. Please follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for daily updates.
