Representative David Rouzer

Dear [salutation],

Over the past couple of weeks, Republicans in Washington have continued to deliver on promises made to the American people. The House has passed several pieces of common sense legislation, and I know the work we're doing will lead to a safer, more prosperous America. More details below.

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Reintroducing the Disaster

Assistance Fairness Act

Recently, I reintroduced the Disaster Assistance Fairness Act alongside Congressman Jerry Nadler (D-NY-12), to provide residential communities with the same assistance after disasters as all others.

Last year’s hurricane season reminded us natural disasters do not discriminate among neighborhoods, location, or housing arrangements. No matter your living situation, every individual deserves the same access and support during recovery from natural disasters. However, under FEMA’s current eligibility rules, individuals in condos, co-ops, and homeowner associations do not have access to Individual Assistance to cover the damage of common elements, increasing their share of the costs to rebuild. The Disaster Assistance Fairness Act allows these individuals to receive the same assistance as everyone else.

New Committee and Subcommittee Assignments

For the 119th Congress, I was appointed to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, in addition to continuing my service on the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure as well as the Committee on Agriculture.

On the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, I have been appointed chairman of the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit. This subcommittee is responsible for creating policies to construct, maintain, and improve all aspects of highway and transit. I will continue to serve as a member of the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials.

In addition, I have been appointed vice chairman of the House Agriculture Committee’s Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities, Risk Management, and Credit. This subcommittee oversees policies related to row crops as well as risk management, agricultural credit, and farm safety net programs. I will also serve on the Subcommittee on Forestry as well as the Subcommittee on Commodity Markets, Digital Assets, and Rural Development.

This will be my first Congress serving on the Committee on Space, Science, and Technology. The committee oversees agency budgets totaling more than $42 billion, including NASA, the National Weather Service, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology. On this Committee, I have been selected to serve on the Subcommittee on Research and Technology and the Subcommittee on Environment.

House Passes the Halt Fentanyl Act

This past Thursday, with my support, the House passed H.R. 27, the Halt All Lethal Trafficking (HALT) Fentanyl Act, to permanently classify fentanyl-like substances as Schedule 1 drugs. This designation provides law enforcement with the necessary tools to keep these highly dangerous drugs off our streets. The HALT Fentanyl Act also takes precautions to protect medical research of fentanyl-related substances to gain a better understanding of their overall impact on human health and their use in the medical field.

Thursday's vote is a critical step to protect our communities from the deadly dangers of fentanyl and related drugs. The HALT Fentanyl Act strengthens law enforcement’s ability to get these deadly drugs off our streets and protects the ability to enhance our understanding of its impact on Americans. One overdose death is too many, and 100,000 is completely unacceptable. American families deserve action to end the fentanyl crisis!

Facts on Fentanyl:

In 2023, more than 107,000 people died of drug overdoses; roughly 75,000 of whom died from synthetic opioids — largely illicit fentanyl or fentanyl-related substances.
Illicit fentanyl poisoning deaths among teens accounted for 77% of adolescent overdose deaths in 2021.
Illicit fentanyl poisonings are now the number one cause of death among adults age 18-49 — more than cancer, heart disease, and car accidents.
Fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances can be 50-100 times more potent than morphine

A temporary scheduling of fentanyl-related substances is set to expire at the end of March. Without action by Congress, the fentanyl crisis will only get worse. The Halt Fentanyl Act previously passed the House in May 2023 with bipartisan support, but the Senate failed to bring up the legislation for consideration.

House Passes the Protecting

American Energy Protection Act

This past Friday, with my full support, the House passed H.R. 26, the Protecting American Energy Production Act. H.R. 26 ensures states maintain control over hydraulic fracturing (commonly known as fracking) regulation on state and private lands. It also prevents the Executive branch from independently imposing a ban on fracking without Congressional approval, so domestic energy production can move forward uninterrupted unless there is legitimate cause to cease production.

The passage marked a victory for American energy independence. We’re now one step closer to empowering our nation, boosting jobs, and ensuring the future of energy is truly American-made. This is the first step to rolling back the Biden-Harris Administration’s Green New Deal disaster.

This Week's Good News Story

For this week’s good news story, I want to highlight and celebrate University of North Carolina Wilmington's Ali Zelaya, who was named Ann Meyers Drysdale National Player of the Week. This title, bestowed on her by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association, is in recognition of her hard work and achievements on the court. She is among the nation’s elite rebounders and shot blockers. Congratulations on this great achievement and recognition! You can read her stats here!

Closing Thoughts...

"Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving." ―Albert Einstein