Enewsletters

In September, the U.S. economy only added 194,000 jobs falling well short of the 500,000 jobs economists expected.  Many able-bodied adults are leaving the workforce altogether because they can.  They’ve made a lot of money in the markets since COVID hit due to the policies of the Federal Reserve, and they are getting government checks on top of it.  The September jobs report is the worst of Joe Biden's presidency and is the latest sign President Biden’s policies of more regulation, shutting off domestic energy sources, paying people to stay home, threatening tax hikes and excessive spending the country cannot afford are fueling an economic crisis that is only going to get worse.  And it will be that much worse if their latest tax hike and $1.5 trillion to $4.3 trillion Budget Reconciliation Bill eventually passes.

Because of these policies combined with vaccine mandates at the local, state and federal levels of government prompting a number of people to leave the workforce, our job creators are facing a labor shortage crisis, higher energy costs, sky-rocketing inflation, and wage pressures that are unsustainable.  This is making it almost impossible for many businesses to survive.  More and more restaurants and other small businesses are shutting down with each passing week.  

Keep in mind, it is the small businesses that create the overwhelming majority of jobs in this country.  When there are no small businesses left, there are no jobs for the vast majority of people.  It is that simple.      

It's illogical for Washington Democrats to continue pushing their cradle to grave socialist agenda included in the Budget Reconciliation Bill when the results of their failed economic policies put in place thus far have been so dismal.  The Democrat majority in Congress and the President should be making the tax reforms and tax cuts under President Trump permanent law, expanding access to energy resources in the this country, reversing their regulatory strangleholds, and incentivizing employees to get back to work.

An Update on PFAS

Last week, the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment, on which I serve as Ranking Member, heard testimony in our effort to examine the wide-ranging aspects of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs), including PFAS.  Our communities rightfully have questions about these chemicals and how they affect the drinking water and environment, which also leads to questions about their effect on personal health even when at very minute levels. 

More study, and research and development are needed to better understand the effects of these chemicals, how widespread they are, and how they can be monitored and properly cleaned up.  I’ll continue working to achieve progress in this realm.

Pressing for Answers on Afghanistan

I joined my colleagues in the North Carolina Congressional Delegation on a letter to Secretary of State Blinken last week regarding the ongoing crisis in Afghanistan and the many Americans who remain left behind. 

We are increasingly concerned with the lack of strategy to secure the safety of American citizens and Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) holders and applicants left behind in now Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.  Because of the chaos of the evacuation, many of these people remain in danger, and the United States has little capacity to properly vet and transfer these people quickly and safely.   You can read the full letter here.

For this week’s good news story, I would like to highlight the Honor Flight of the Cape Fear Area’s search for veterans and volunteers.  The organization honors WWII, Korea War, and Vietnam War-era Veterans by taking them to Washington, D.C. for an all-expenses-paid day of remembrance and honor, as they visit the memorials and monuments built in their honor.  Click here for more information on how to apply.

A quick update from the SSA: This week, the Social Security Administration (SSA) announced an update to the Social Security Statement, available online through the my Social Security portal at www.socialsecurity.gov/myaccount and by mail.  The agency conducted extensive research, review, and testing to make the updated Statement easier to understand.