Enewsletters

An Update on COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates

This past week, the Supreme Court ruled President Biden’s vaccine mandate for businesses with more than 100 employees unconstitutional.  While this is a victory for freedom, job creators, and hardworking Americans, there’s still more to do.  We must continue to stand up for the many healthcare workers who are still being forced to follow a similar mandate or face the threat of losing their jobs. 

The Supreme Court ruled the vaccine mandate for healthcare workers to be constitutional largely because of other statutes that applied to their workplace and a long history of requirements specific to healthcare workers. 

These healthcare heroes have been on the front lines of the pandemic.  They have battled worker shortages, burnout, recruitment challenges, and more.  Constitutional or not, President Biden’s vaccine mandate makes each of these problems worse and could potentially cost lives instead of saving them.

I’m a signatory on a discharge petition in the House to bring to the House Floor a resolution that would protect healthcare professionals from President Biden’s vaccine mandate under the Congressional Review Act.  This resolution, if passed by the House and Senate and signed by President Biden, would prevent the Executive branch from overstepping its authority and enforcing this mandate on those in healthcare.  It’s not likely that President Biden will reverse course on this, obviously, but it is a way to help build public pressure for him to do so.

Read more about the resolution here: Fox News: Biden's CMS vaccine mandate faces strong opposition from over 150 Republicans

Advocating for Our Nation’s Water Infrastructure

I was pleased to open this past week’s Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment hearing to officially kick-off drafting of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) for 2022.  This bill is one of the most important pieces of bipartisan legislation we do on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to improve our nation’s water infrastructure.  I will be working to ensure this bill includes flood protection measures for our inland communities and much-needed investment for North Carolina’s ports, beaches, inlets and waterways.

COVID-19 Update

Last week, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) made an announcement regarding COVID-19 testing and community testing sites.  According to their announcement, they are working to support existing testing sites and increase access to at-home collection kits.  More than a million professional rapid antigen tests, at-home rapid antigen tests, and at-home collection kits are also on their way to the state according to NCDHHS

For more information about how to receive an at-home COVID-19 testing kit, visit the NCDHHS “COVID-19 Test Home Collection Kit Program” website.

Additionally, click here for a full list of FDA authorized at-home COVID-19 tests.

For this week’s good news story, I’m highlighting the nominations I was proud to make for outstanding students from NC-07 to attend a United States Service Academy.  If accepted, they will receive a first-rate undergraduate education and have the opportunity to serve our great nation as an active-duty military officer.  I congratulate these young leaders and wish them the best of luck as they move forward with the application process.  Click here for a full list of students who received a nomination.

As a reminder, my staff will be hosting Mobile Office Hours for those unable to visit a district office due to distance or other factors.  This is an opportunity to meet with my staff and receive services at a more convenient location.  Many take advantage of this opportunity to get help with a federal government agency.  Click here for more information.