I voted in favor of H. Res. 1367, Establishing the Task Force on the Attempted Assassination of Donald J. Trump, which would fully examine all actions related to the attempted assassination.
Our nation was shaken by the assassination attempt on President Trump, which tragically took the life of Corey Comperatore.
It has become clear since then that numerous security flaws and failures made it possible for the gunman to open fire on President Trump.
The American people deserve transparency and accountability. We must make sure that what happened at the rally in Butler, Pennsylvania does not happen again.
Kimberly Cheatle, who just resigned as director of the United States Secret Service, refused to voluntarily provide answers that would allow us to figure out what went wrong. The United States Secret Service has a no-fail mission, but it failed when the shooter attempted to assassinate President Trump, took the life of an innocent victim and harmed others.
A comprehensive investigation is necessary to understand what went wrong that day so we can learn how to prevent this from happening in the future.
While obvious security gaps were present, I commend the bravery of the individual Secret Service agents, local law enforcement, and Emergency Medical Services, who took immediate action to protect and care for President Trump.
America stands with Israel
As Israel continues to fight for its right to exist, I remain committed to supporting one of our staunchest Middle Eastern allies.
Last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed a joint meeting of Congress where he eloquently and directly addressed the world on why Israel has the right and must defend itself and what the implications are for world peace and stability.
While the House of Representatives has stood with Israel, many on the radical left have turned their back on Israel. They have chosen to withhold critical military aid that is necessary for Israel to defend itself and defeat the terrorist organization, Hamas, and have instead sided with pro-Hamas leftists.
As an embarrassment to the traditions of joint sessions of Congress, Vice President Kamala Harris skipped Netanyahu’s at a time when it has never been more critical to show the world that America stands firmly with our ally.
Some of the major bills I helped pass in support of Israel following the terrorist attacks of Oct. 7 include measures to:
- Provide an additional $14.1 billion in emergency appropriations in support of Israel’s efforts to defend itself against Iran and Iran’s terrorist proxies, and to replenish U.S. defense assets in the region.
- Strengthen U.S. sanctions against Iran.
- Condemn the International Criminal Court’s decision to file applications for arrest warrants against Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
- Create a legal definition of antisemitism to protect Jewish people and students on college campuses facing discrimination.
U.S.-Israel relations are not only vital to providing stability in perhaps the most volatile region of the world, but our principles and values are closely aligned, and the U.S. must not waver in our ironclad support for Israel.
WNC wins in WRDA 2024
Even more positive news for our district: The House passed the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2024, which includes two of my bills, the National Dam Safety Program Amendment Act and the Low-Head Dam Inventory Act.
The passage of this legislation benefits Western North Carolina by strengthening dam safety for the more than 750 dams in our district and providing funding to improve water and wastewater infrastructure.
The following projects are included in WRDA 2024:
- Authorization of $41 million for water and wastewater infrastructure, including stormwater management in Canton
- Authorization of more than $3 million for water and wastewater infrastructure in Robbinsville
- Authorization of $4 million for water and wastewater infrastructure in Weaverville
- Authorization of $1.5 million for water and wastewater infrastructure, including water supply in Murphy
- Army Corps of Engineers study on flood risk management, including riverbank stabilization, along the Catawba River in Marion
- Army Corps of Engineers study on flood risk management along the Pigeon River in Clyde and Canton
Military Veteran Stand Down Celebration
Veterans have made great sacrifices to defend our freedom, and it is only right that we now serve them by supporting their transition to civilian life.
I was blown away by the turnout and involvement of everyone who participated in the Military Veteran Stand Down Celebration that I hosted with Henderson County.
More than 130 folks attended the event, and 21 resource vendors were available to share how they can assist veterans.
I appreciate all who showed up for our veterans and military families who have made great sacrifices to serve and protect us.
Attention: Military Service Academy Day is on August 17
My office will be hosting a Military Service Academy Day on August 17 in Haywood County for WNC high school students to learn about the application and nomination process for military service academies. I look forward to meeting students who are interested in learning how they can advance their academic and professional careers while serving our great nation.
Representatives from the service academies and members of my team will be at the event to answer any questions.
Visit my website for more information here.
