Dear Friend,

Below you will find a recap of my visit to the ongoing crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border, along with other updates.

Additionally, I encourage you to visit my revamped website, designed to provide you with easy access to constituent services and the most up to date information you may need.

Receiving a briefing from border patrol agents.

This past week, I had the honor of participating in the USO service project on Capitol Hill where we assembled care packages for deployed service members.  It was a privilege to take part in this small gesture of gratitude, and I thank all the brave men and women in uniform who sacrifice so much to keep our country safe!

Making a care package for our deployed service members.

I was humbled to be honored as a “Hero of Main Street” by the National Retail Federation for my support of the retail industry and America's small businesses.  The overwhelming majority of retailers are small businesses, with more than 98 percent of all retail companies employing fewer than 50 people.

Our small businesses are the backbone of Southeastern North Carolina's economy, and I’ll continue to push for policies beneficial for their growth and job creation.

Receiving the "Hero of Main Street" award from the National Retail Federation.

As we celebrate the economic impact of our retailers and small businesses, we must also acknowledge the challenges they currently face with record inflation.

To highlight these challenges, my friends at the National Retail Federation created the infographic below outlining the costly journey of every day, household items.  Everything from supply chain delays, labor shortages, and increasing energy costs are impacting the price you pay for products at the store while slowing economic recovery and growth. 

Just this past week, the government announced what every American has been anticipating for months: we are officially in a recession.  To get inflation under control and reboot our economy, we must increase American energy production, secure our supply chain by incentivizing companies to move their operations to America, put in place a regulatory structure that allows for mining of critical minerals here rather than China where they use child and slave labor, and put in place policies that incentivize work and productivity

Click here or on the image below to explore inflationland, courtesy of the National Retail Federation.

For this week's good news story, I would like to congratulate Donnie Lassiter of Johnston County for receiving the Honorary State FFA Degree at the 93rd State FFA Convention.  According to the Johnston County Report, "the Honorary State FFA Degree is the highest honorary degree awarded by the North Carolina FFA Association and is presented at the annual State FFA Convention." Congratulations, Donnie!

“Some regard private enterprise as a predatory tiger to be shot. Others look on it as a cow they can milk. Only a handful see it for what it really is—the strong and willing horse that pulls the whole cart along.” – Winston Churchill