Representative David Rouzer

Never Forget

On Sunday, we remember and pay tribute to the nearly 3,000 innocent lives lost 21 years ago during the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.

We will never forget the victims — nor will we ever forget the extraordinary courage, service and sacrifice of our law enforcement officers, firefighters, passengers, crew and Pentagon personnel during the 9/11 attacks. Through all of the devastation, the American people proved our spirit could not be broken.

The anniversary of 9/11 is always a solemn reminder of what is at stake and why we must do everything in our power to prevent another terrorist attack. Though our country continues to face serious threats from our adversaries both at home and abroad, we must never surrender our American ideals. The principles that made America great deserve to survive.

May God always bless our troops, their families and our country.

Hosting a Veterans Roundtable

Thank you to the local veterans, representatives from the VA, and veteran service organizations who joined me for a roundtable discussion in Wilmington this week.

I heard directly about the challenges facing the veteran community and the issues important to them. Our conversation centered around how we can address the hurdles facing servicemembers as they transition to civilian life, and how we can support them in the long term. Providing veterans with information regarding mental health and suicide prevention was one of the top concerns among those who participated. We discussed a variety of ways we can remove the stigma around getting help and how we can work together to strengthen mental health services for the veteran community.

I will continue to collaborate with everyone involved in this week's roundtable to incorporate the solutions we discussed and to continue educating the public, veteran caregivers, and the entire veteran community on how we can address the most pressing issues facing our veterans when they leave the military.

The information gathered during the discussion will continue to guide my legislative work in Congress, and please stay tuned for an email with a comprehensive overview of the resources available to our veterans and their families. I appreciate the roundtable participants for sharing their input and the many hours they put in to care for our veterans.

As a reminder, veterans who need help can call the Veterans Crisis Line at 1-800-273-8255, then PRESS 1 or visit veteranscrisisline.net/ to connect with caring, qualified responders for 24/7 crisis support.

Meeting with NC-07 veterans roundtable participants.

Remembering Queen Elizabeth II

This week, I joined my bipartisan co-chairs of the Congressional UK Caucus in offering our sincerest condolences to our friends in the UK, the Commonwealth, and the world on the passing of Queen Elizabeth II.

During wartime and peacetime, Queen Elizabeth reigned with distinction and ushered in unprecedented human progress during her decades-long era of service. The spirit of her steadfast leadership and devotion to the cause of freedom will remain with all of us.

Ways We Can Help

I would like to thank Leslie in Shallotte for sharing her story about how my office was able to help resolve an issue with the IRS. As Leslie points out, many people are unaware of the services available to NC-07 residents looking for assistance with a federal agency such as the VA, the IRS, passport issues, and more. Additionally, members of my staff host local office hours every month in counties throughout the 7th District to answer questions and assist to the best of our ability. You can find the schedule here.

We are only a phone call, email, or office visit away. If at any time there is anything we can assist you with, please let us know!

Closing Thoughts...

“It's worth remembering that it is often the small steps, not the giant leaps, that bring about the most lasting change." – Queen Elizabeth II