Enewsletters

Dear Friends,

Below is an update on the national security crisis at our southern border, an update on Georgia’s new election law, as well as the latest on COVID-19 vaccination efforts in North Carolina.

CBP Reports Additional Terrorism Watch List Individuals Arrested at the Border

In March, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) confirmed to Congress that four people arrested at the southern border since October matched names on the FBI's Terrorist Screening Database.  This week, CBP announced that "Two Yemeni Men Arrested by Border Patrol Identified on the FBI’s Terrorism Watch List."

President Biden’s border crisis continues to escalate into a major national security crisis, but the Administration refuses to take immediate action to address the increasing threat at the border.  According to a recent report from the Washington Post, approximately 1,000 people each day are evading capture by the U.S. Border Patrol and are sneaking into the United States without being identified.  The Wall Street Journal recently reported more than 170,000 migrants crossed the border illegally in March, marking a 15-year high in illegal border crossings.  These alarming reports heighten the need for President Biden to take action and treat this crisis for what it is: a national security threat. 

The Facts on Georgia’s New Election Law

There’s been a wealth of misinformation surrounding Georgia’s Election Integrity Act (SB 202) being spread by several Democrat politicians, the media, and even some corporate CEO’s.  These falsehoods are irresponsible, and only serve to undermine public trust and security in our elections. 

The facts are simple, Georgia's new law:

• Expands access to the polls and ensures integrity at the ballot box
• Increases the number of days allowed for early voting
• Allows for absentee voting for any reason
• Codifies and secures ballot drop boxes
• Expands weekend voting
• Levels the playing field on voter ID requirements
• Allows for water to be provided to voters by election workers, not activists or politically-affiliated individuals, within 150 feet of a polling site

Here are some examples of the misinformation that’s taken place so far…

• The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the largest paper in the state of Georgia, was forced to issue a major correction after mischaracterizing the law.
  
  
• CBS News published a story detailing how corporations can take action against the state of Georgia in protest of the law.
  
  
• ESPN allowed President Biden to spread disinformation about the Georgia law in an interview without any pushback to his false claims.
  
  
• The MLB moved the All-Star Game from Atlanta in protest of the new law, but they’re maintaining a relationship with countries like China and Cuba that are notorious for actual voter suppression.

Here is the bottom line:  Transparency is critical to ensuring integrity of the vote and each state has its own laws governing the election process.  The dishonest and disingenuous information surrounding Georgia’s new election law is wrong and it must end.  These dishonest statements only serve to create division, mislead the American public, and undermine election integrity. 

North Carolina COVID-19 Vaccination Update

This week, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper announced that COVID-19 vaccines are available in North Carolina for anyone ages 16 and older.  You can use this tool from the NCDHHS to find a COVID-19 vaccine location near you in North Carolina. 

As of Wednesday, April 7th, a total of 5,388,382 doses have been administered statewide here in North Carolina.  Currently, 38.9% of North Carolina’s population has been partially vaccinated and 30.6% of the population has been fully vaccinated.  For more statistics on vaccine distribution, visit the NC Department of Health and Human Services’ Dashboard.

An update on IRS Economic Impact Payments: The IRS announced they are disbursing more than 25 million payments in the fourth batch of Economic Impact Payments.  The fourth batch of payments began processing on Friday, April 2, with an official payment date of April 7, with some people receiving direct payments in their accounts earlier as provisional or pending deposits.  Click here for additional information.

For today’s good news story, I’m highlighting the U.S.S. North Carolina.  This year marks the Battleship’s 80th birthday!  Additionally, following years of hard work and dedication by Captain Wilbur D. Jones and President Trump’s designation, DOT officially installed the America’s 1st World War II Heritage City signs upon entry into Wilmington.  I’m extremely proud of this achievement for the city and for Captain Jones, who worked tirelessly to make this designation possible.