Dear Friends,
I enjoyed traveling across eastern North Carolina this week to discuss ways to strengthen public safety, improve water infrastructure, and enhance coastal resilience for our communities. I joined Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, Assistant Secretary of the Interior Billy Kirkland, and Lumbee Tribal Chairman John Lowery for a meeting focused on strengthening federal collaboration. I appreciated the opportunity to build on our shared efforts to advance meaningful protections for the Lumbee Tribe and southeastern North Carolina.
This week, I co-hosted the Fifth Annual WATERS Summit in Greenville with Congressman Greg Murphy, M.D., secured additional federal infrastructure funding for southeastern North Carolina to help meet growing freight demand, and attended the American Shore & Beach Preservation Association’s fall conference, where I was honored with an award recognizing my advocacy for coastal communities.
I also met with transportation leaders in Brunswick County to discuss federal infrastructure priorities, including critical road improvements, congestion relief, and transportation projects needed to support the region’s continued growth.
Keep reading for more updates on these visits, along with information about upcoming Mobile Office Hours to help address your casework concerns closer to home.
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On Friday, I was pleased to join Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Markwayne Mullin and Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Billy Kirkland during their visit to the Lumbee Tribe to discuss how stronger federal partnerships can better serve the community. After more than 70 years of dedicated work by Chairman John Lowery and generations of Lumbee leaders who preceded him, the Tribe finally achieved formal federal recognition. I was proud to see their hard work pay off for the Lumbee people.
North Carolina knows firsthand the devastation natural disasters can bring. As a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, which oversees FEMA and its disaster response efforts, I appreciate Secretary Mullin’s commitment to strengthening disaster response and ensuring communities receive assistance in a timely manner. I look forward to continuing to work with him and local leaders to improve emergency preparedness and help our communities better withstand future storms.
I remain committed to strengthening local-federal partnerships that deliver results, improve public safety, and ensure the Lumbee Tribe and the broader community have the resources needed to protect our communities. By working together, we can build safer, stronger, and more resilient communities across North Carolina. If you would like to watch the press conference, click here.
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This week, I was proud to co-host the fifth annual Water Adaptation to Ensure Regional Success (WATERS) Summit in Greenville alongside Congressman Greg Murphy, M.D. This daylong, nonpartisan event brought together more than 175 local, state, and federal leaders, academic experts, and flood mitigation professionals to discuss solutions to North Carolina’s flooding and water infrastructure challenges.
As a senior member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, I remain committed to advancing legislative solutions that will help improve flood protection, enhance disaster response, and streamline permitting to make delivery more timely. Through the Water Resources Development Act of 2026, I was able to secure key provisions to support coastal protection, advance flood risk reduction studies across southeastern North Carolina, and improve critical water infrastructure. I am also working to cut bureaucratic red tape through legislation I authored that was included in the Promoting Efficient Review for Modern Infrastructure Today (PERMIT) Act, as well as advanced additional reforms through the Fixing Emergency Management for Americans (FEMA) Act of 2025, to strengthen disaster response and recovery.
I appreciate Congressman Murphy's partnership in hosting the WATERS Summit. It provided a valuable opportunity to collaborate with leaders and experts on strategies to strengthen our infrastructure, improve storm resiliency, and better protect North Carolina communities from future flooding.
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I’m proud to announce additional federal funding to support freight rail improvements across North Carolina and the Southeast through the Federal Railroad Administration’s Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) Program. This investment will help modernize critical rail lines and meet growing freight demand.
Planned upgrades include replacing worn rails and rehabilitating tracks and grade crossings along the Raleigh and Fayetteville Railroad (RFCC), which connect Raleigh and Fayetteville. The other rail line that is expected to receive funding is the Carolina Lines (RJCS), which runs from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina to Chadbourn, North Carolina. These improvements are expected to reduce derailment risks and temporary speed restrictions, improve reliability, and help North Carolina businesses move goods safely and efficiently.
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Strong infrastructure is essential to protecting our beaches and waterways, maintaining our highways and bridges, and helping communities recover from disasters. In North Carolina, the American Shore & Beach Preservation Association (ASBPA) plays an important role in advocating for responsible coastal management, beach nourishment, shoreline protection, and other policies that preserve our nation’s beaches and coastal communities. These efforts help reduce erosion, protect property and infrastructure, support coastal economies, and strengthen our resilience to storms and flooding.
I appreciate ASBPA’s leadership and advocacy on these critical issues, and I was honored to receive the Association’s 2026 National Coastal Advocate Award at the North Carolina Beach, Inlet & Waterway Association’s Fall Conference. I look forward to continuing our work to advance legislation that protects our coastlines, strengthens infrastructure, and ensures coastal communities have the resources they need to prepare for future storms so that they will thrive for generations to come.
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Brunswick County is one of the fastest-growing counties in the country and ensuring our infrastructure keeps pace is essential to addressing the challenges that come with significant growth over a short period of time. As Chairman of the Highways and Transit Subcommittee on the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, I’m working to ensure the state of North Carolina has the resources and flexibility needed to improve our highways, strengthen critical connections, and keep our communities moving.
I was honored to join local and state leaders at the Brunswick County Transportation Summit to discuss federal transportation funding, infrastructure priorities, and efforts to streamline project delivery. A special thanks to Commissioner Frank Williams for organizing this great event!
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Navigating the federal government can be frustrating. If you are experiencing difficulties with a federal agency such as the IRS, VA, or Social Security Administration, and are unable to visit one of my district offices, we may be able to help! Please stop by one of the nearby mobile office hours in November and see how my local office staff an assist:
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In addition to my mobile office hours, I have offices in Brunswick, Cumberland, and New Hanover counties, as well as in Washington, DC. You can find contact information for my office locations and hours here.
Please do not hesitate to contact my office if we can be of assistance.
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I’m proud to recognize Jon David, District Attorney for North Carolina’s 15th Prosecutorial District, who recently received the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, one of the state’s highest honors.
This prestigious award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated extraordinary service to North Carolina. Jon has served Bladen, Brunswick, and Columbus counties as district attorney for more than 16 years, building on a prosecutorial career spanning nearly three decades. Throughout his career, he has prosecuted violent crime and drug trafficking, helped combat the opioid and fentanyl crisis, and worked to investigate and prosecute assault cases. He has led more than 100 jury trials and many complex criminal investigations.
Jon received the honor during a retirement celebration aboard the Battleship North Carolina, recognizing his longstanding commitment to public safety, crime victims, and the communities he has served.
Congratulations to Jon David on this well-deserved recognition and thank you for your decades of dedicated service to North Carolina! Read more about this recognition in WECT News.
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"Innovation really is the life blood of our American economy... looking back at the stories of Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, and the Wright Brothers, you look at emergence to technology innovation and what it has done for our economy. We need to continue that." - Dan Lipinski, former Member of Congress |
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