Representative David Rouzer

Dear [salutation],

A week ago, the Cape Fear region experienced an unexpected and historic rainfall event resulting in flooding and damage across the area. Tropical Cyclone Eight flooded many homes and businesses, and roadways sustained serious damage in some areas. The State of North Carolina declared a State of Emergency for Bladen, Brunswick, Columbus, and New Hanover counties. Please continue reading for more information on assistance resources.

In Washington, House Republicans have been continuing the work of our majority to counter the radical agenda of the Biden-Harris Administration. Last week, we brought multiple bills to the floor that would establish transparency in the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC), counter Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) mandates, guarantee students' First Amendment rights in higher education, and protect the retirement plans of hardworking Americans from activist bureaucrats and political appointees focused on incentivizing adherence to their arbitrary DEI policy standards.

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Record-breaking Rainfall

The National Hurricane Service and National Weather Service provided great updates throughout the past week once the storm hit. With this rainfall came considerable flooding at the coast and inland. A number of roads were left impassable and many homes and businesses have sustained significant damage. The total loss is not yet known.

I want to thank the first responders across our area who faced dangerous conditions and went head-on into the floodwaters to save families, their pets, and property. The Wilmington Fire Department, New Hanover County Fire Rescue, and Leland Fire/Rescue saved more than 150 people and more than 20 pets. Our communities are safe because of these brave men and women as well as others who stepped in to help. Thank you!

For the homeowners, renters, and businesses affected, please take the following steps to assist in the recovery:

Document any property damage with photos and contact your insurance company for assistance and next steps.
Keep repair receipts.
Be aware of safety concerns and separate debris for collection as instructed by local officials.
Report any damage to local emergency management agency. A full list of county emergency managers can be found at Contact List for County and Emergency Managers | NC DPS.
Call 2-1-1 to potentially be connected with voluntary organizations which may be able to assist.

Free cleanup week at the Brunswick County Landfill is open and will be extended until September 28th.

If you need help cleaning, you can sign up by emailing the site, calling the site phone number or registering on the website:

Leland: 910-232-5141 or f.leland2024@ncmissions.org
Southport: 910-232-5149 or f.southport2024@ncmissions.org
Website: https://baptistsonmission.org/Mission-Projects/By-Mission-Type/Disaster-RElief/NC-Coastal-Flooding-REsponse/Homeowner-Assistance

At this time, aiding your counties in assessing damage and costs will help them better understand the extent of the storm's damage. This information is critical in seeking assistance from both state and federal agencies. This process is often lengthy as many of us know from the experience of previous storms. My team and I are readily available to assist you in any way we can.

This Week in DC

Standing Up to the Far Left Woke Agenda of the Biden-Harris Adminstration

During the entire time of the Biden-Harris Administration, they have prioritized their woke environmental and social priorities when writing new regulations. Here are some of the bills passed in the House this past week that highlight what has been taking place.

Prioritizing Economic Growth Over Woke Policies Act

Brings meaningful changes to the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) disclosure regulations by ensuring companies are only required to disclose material information - not if they adhere to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion policies - and requires the SEC to publicly list and explain any non-material disclosure demands.
Establishes a Public Company Advisory Committee within the SEC to enhance investor protection and market fairness.

End Woke Higher Education Act

Ensures accreditors' standards do not require, encourage, or coerce an institution to support or oppose specific partisan or political beliefs or viewpoints on social or political issues or support the disparate treatment of any individual or group.
Prohibits accreditors from assessing an institution's commitment to any ideology, belief, or viewpoint for the purposes of receiving accreditation for Higher Education Act funding.
Protects a college's religious mission and a religious accreditor's ability to require adherence with religious practices or codes of conduct.
Ensures that an accreditor cannot require, encourage, or coerce an institution to violate any right protected by the Constitution.
Ensures students are educated on their First Amendment rights.

Protecting Americans' Investments from Woke Policies Act

Clarifies that financial institutions must base decisions on an investment solely on economic factors.
Declares that race, color, religion, sex, or national origin may not be taken into consideration when selecting a fiduciary, counsel, employee, or service provider of an Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) plan.

Stay Informed

It is important to have multiple sources of information and potential alerts to protect yourself and your family. Make sure you have multiple ways to receive severe weather warnings, like a weather alert app on your phone or a NOAA weather radio in your home. Tune in to local TV news when severe weather threatens. Additionally, there are multiple websites with trusted sources of information on such events, including:

Before traveling, please check road conditions using DriveNC.gov. This excellent resource features a live with real-time updates regarding road closures from flooding.

This Week's Good News Story

For this week’s good news story, I'm highlighting the great work the Red Cross is providing in Carolina Beach. The Red Cross passed out free clean up kits to those impacted by the extreme rain and flooding. The kits included bleach, bug spray, wipes, and more. One person said, "In these packets they have just about everything you are going to need to clean up in your area." You can read more on WECT's website.

Closing Thoughts...

"Today I will do what other's won't, so tomorrow I will do what others can't" — Jerry Rice