Dear [salutation],
I spent much of this past week with my colleagues on the House Committee on Agriculture marking up the 2026 Farm Bill, starting Tuesday and finally finishing up around 1:45 am Thursday morning. It is a privilege to represent and fight for our farm families and rural communities — a role that I take very seriously. Beyond the Committee room, I joined WECT News of Wilmington to discuss ongoing U.S. military operations in the Middle East. I also had the opportunity to sit down with CQ Roll Call recently, a newspaper following the news of Congress, to reflect on my earlier days as a staffer working on Capitol Hill, revisiting the foundational moments that shaped my approach to serving you in Washington today.
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North Carolina is blessed to be one of the most agriculturally diverse states in our great country, with our state agriculture industry contributing more than $113 billion to the state’s economy. A significant portion of that production is in the 7th Congressional District.
To support our farm families, I joined my colleagues on the House Committee on Agriculture in approving H.R. 7567, the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, commonly referred to as the ‘Farm Bill’. This legislation is an important part of protecting our rural communities and a major win for North Carolina's farm families. Our nation's famers provide the safest, most abundant food supply in the world.
During the Committee’s consideration of the Farm Bill, I introduced an amendment to allow tobacco growers access to future USDA-led disaster and economic assistance. This will help protect our hardworking families who power North Carolina’s most historically significant industry, which is still critical to many farm operations. For many, tobacco provides the financial base needed to produce other key farm commodities, such as sweetpotatoes, soybeans, and corn among others.
Watch my remarks speaking in favor of my amendment here.
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The 2026 Farm Bill now heads to the House Floor for a vote of the whole chamber. Our rural communities are the backbone of our state, and I am grateful for the opportunity to advocate for our farm families.
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For decades, it has been bipartisan consensus the United States must never allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon. As the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism, Iran’s growing nuclear capabilities present an imminent and dire threat. Or to put another away, the countdown clock was ticking. While Operation Midnight Hammer took out much of their capability, the Iranians were continuing to pursue a nuclear weapon and growing closer by the day.
Despite President Trump’s efforts to reach a diplomatic solution, Iran remained defiant. President Trump's decisive and continual actions to wipe out this threat to our nation and our allies with Operation Epic Fury are necessary. I’m grateful we have a President with the courage and guts to do it.
My heart and prayers go out to the families of the fallen, and I pray for the full recovery of those wounded. We mourn the seven U.S. servicemembers who tragically lost their lives and the others who were injured. These brave individuals made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our freedom, and we owe them, as well as all who sign up to defend our country, an eternal debt of gratitude. May God bless our troops and protect them from harm.
You can find my interview with WECT News here.
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What a wonderful trip down memory lane. I recently sat down with CQ Roll Call, a paper read by many who follow the news of Congress, to discuss my early days on Capitol Hill, including my very first job which might surprise you. We talked about my time handling agriculture and tobacco policy for my mentor and former boss, U.S. Senator Jesse Helms, a pioneer and founder of the conservative movement. The lessons I learned in those early years still guide my work today. You can read the full article here.
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I am very saddened to learn of the passing of Coach Lou Holtz. I admired him greatly – and not just because he coached at my alma mater, NC State, early in his career. He was a man of great character who loved America.
I had the opportunity to talk with him a couple of times over the years. His book, Winning Every Day, still ranks as a favorite. He was special and will be greatly missed.
Coach Lou Holtz served as the head football coach at NC State University from 1972 to 1975, leading the school to an ACC Championship in 1973.
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For this week’s good news story, I would like to celebrate Ray, the river otter, who lives in the NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher! This past Saturday marked Ray’s "golden birthday," which is when your age matches the day of the month you were born, creating a unique, once-in-a-lifetime celebration.
Ray, the river otter, celebrated with a special birthday "cake" featuring all his favorite treats: krill, smelt, and shrimp. If you’re ever in the Fort Fisher area, I highly recommend stopping by the aquarium! Read more here.
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"Ability is what you're capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it." – Coach Lou Holtz |
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