This week in Washington included everything from an address to Congress by the Prime Minister of India, to a visit with cadets from the Hendersonville High School JROTC, to speaking at a pro-life workshop with friends from the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) of the Southern Baptist Church. Before you start your weekend plans, I wanted to share these other quick updates from the week that has passed:
Saying NO to a Costly Carbon Tax
Last month, we received the worst jobs report in nearly 6 years – a measly 38,000 net new jobs were created nationwide. Despite this, some Democrats are still pushing for a new carbon tax. Such a tax would increase energy prices on everything from gasoline for your car to heat for your home, and it would hit low-income Americans the hardest. This is the exact opposite of what Congress should be doing to jumpstart our economy and spur job growth. That is why the House took action today by passing H. Con. Res. 89; a resolution condemning any efforts to enact a carbon tax – now or in the future. I was proud to lead the debate on the House floor in support of this resolution. You can watch a video of my remarks HERE. I’m proud to report that our resolution passed with bipartisan support.
A Band-Aid on a Larger Problem
Yesterday, I voted no on H.R. 5278, the much-discussed Puerto Rico debt bill. As you may know, Puerto Rico faces a $70 billion debt crisis and is up against a looming payment deadline in July. While I am pleased that the House bill was not a taxpayer-funded bailout of Puerto Rico, I still believe the legislation is ultimately a Band-Aid on a larger problem. The bill will help Puerto Rico avoid a default on its debts in the near term, but it failed to include the pro-growth reforms needed to make the island more fiscally solvent moving forward. You can read more about the legislation and why I voted against it HERE.
Continuing The Fight for Life
This week, I attended a special event at the Family Research Council to provide an update on the work of our Select Investigative Panel on Infant Lives. I am proud to be one of only eight Republican members on this panel created last fall to conduct a thorough fact-finding mission on the abortion industry’s compliance with federal laws and the health and safety of unborn lives in the United States. As I shared with the pro-life advocates in attendance, our panel has uncovered startling evidence of unlawful activity by StemExpress a major partner in Planned Parenthood’s fetal tissue “research,” and is working to investigate LeRoy Carhart, an infamous late-term abortionist who has consistently endangered women’s lives. In my remarks, I also debunked some of the false, pro-abortion attacks against our panel and explained why I will fight back against every attempt to thwart our efforts.
