Representative David Rouzer

Dear [salutation],

This past week was a district work period as many Members of Congress recognized the Jewish holiday, Rosh Hashanah. There are still plenty of updates from home though! Keep reading!

If you received this newsletter from a friend, and you would like to continue receiving these updates, you can subscribe here or connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

NC to Receive $1.15B in Emergency Relief

for Hurricane Helene Recovery

I’m excited to share some big news for North Carolina. The U.S. Department of Transportation just announced an extra $1.15 billion for our state to help fix the damage from Hurricane Helene. That is the biggest single allocation of Emergency Relief (ER) funding ever given to a state through the Federal Highway Administration. Altogether, North Carolina is getting almost $2 billion to help with these repairs.

Thanks to the leadership of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Federal Highway Administrator Sean McMaster, we’re making real progress getting the resources necessary to rebuild infrastructure damaged by Helene. Our roads and highways are important for everyone, whether it’s getting to work, school, or just around town. This funding is going to help the NC Department of Transportation get those roads fixed and safe again without having to divert funding from other critical projects around the state.

You can read Secretary Duffy's full statement here.

Political Violence at Dallas ICE Facility

Once again, we have another act of political violence. A shooting took place at a Dallas ICE facility this past Wednesday morning. At least one person is dead and two are injured. The shooter died of a self-inflicted wound. The investigation is ongoing, but we know for certain the shooter was a male in his twenties who had posted left-wing propaganda on his now-deleted Facebook profile.

I stand firmly in support of ICE agents and all members of law enforcement who serve and protect our communities. We must stand strong, defend our borders, and end all political violence. Anarchy cannot be tolerated. Please join me in praying for the victims at the Dallas ICE facility and their loved ones.

Backlog of Veterans Waiting for Veterans Affairs Benefits Down 45%

There is some good news out of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The backlog of veterans waiting for VA benefits is down 45%. When President Trump took office in January, the backlog of Veterans waiting more than 125 days for a decision on their VA disability benefits claim stood at more than 264,000. That number is now down 45%. Our veterans deserve the best care, and I look forward to continued progress getting that number down even further. Remember, the new Administration has only been in office since January 20th! There is much more we can accomplish under the leadership of Secretary Doug Collins and President Trump!

VA Resources

For any questions or requests, 1-800-MyVA411 (1-800-698-2411) is always the right number.
Veterans Crisis Line: 988 and press 1, Chat, or Text 838255
Vet Centers: 1-877-927-8387
Homeless Veteran Resources: 1-877-424-3838 or Chat
Ask VA
Schedule a 1-on-1 Appointment with a VA Benefits Expert
Find a VA facility near you

For non-urgent questions, you can reach VA using the VA Health & Benefits App or MyHealtheVet secure messaging to schedule an appointment, refill prescriptions, and access your medical records.

Update on the Continuing Resolution

Before the House left for a district work week, we passed H.R. 5371, the Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act of 2026. You can read the details in my last newsletter. Hours after the House passed H.R. 5371, the bill failed to get the votes necessary to be brought up in the Senate.

The Senate has until October 1st to pass the Continuing Resolution (CR) to avoid a costly government shutdown. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) is ready to pass this CR and keep America open for business. The Democrats want to use this as their opportunity to jam through a $1.5 trillion spending hike and reverse all the great policy adopted earlier this year.

While Republicans hold the majority in the Senate, any appropriations measure or CR must get 60 votes to end debate on the bill. This means Majority Leader Thune must find 7 Democrats to vote with the 53 Republicans assuming all vote in favor.

Schumer is worried about his left-flank with a likely tough primary coming up next year, which is why we appear headed straight for a shutdown. But I don’t anticipate the Schumer Shutdown will last terribly long (as in more than 20 days). With each passing day, a shutdown makes life more difficult for everyone — including Senator Schumer himself.

I will continue to provide updates throughout this process. Should you have any questions or concerns that arise from the potential shutdown, do not hesitate to contact my office.

Meeting with the North Carolina

Turkey Federation

It was great meeting with the National Turkey Federation and the North Carolina Poultry Federation. Agriculture is the cornerstone of our state’s economy. In fact, North Carolina ranks as one of top producers of turkeys in the country. On the Agriculture Committee, I will keep fighting for policies that support our farmers and rural communities as we continue to work on Farm Bill 2.0.

I appreciate our hard working farm families for all they do to feed America and the world. They are the backbone of our rural communities and our food security, which is critical to America’s prosperity and national security!

This Week's Good News Story

For this week's good news story, I'm highlighting Dusty Donaldson from High Point. She began a 12,000-mile trip to raise lung cancer awareness, starting in Wilmington. A 20-year lung cancer survivor, she leads LiveLung, a nonprofit educating about the disease.

Donaldson will make 50 stops in 45 days, sharing new screening and treatment advances. In Wilmington, she met with dozens of survivors.

Her next stop is Augusta, Georgia, and the trip ends in Charlotte on November 6. She urges those over 50 to get screened. You can read more here.

Closing Thoughts...

"The most difficult thing is the decision to act; the rest is merely tenacity." —Amelia Earhart