Thank you for taking the time to read this update of what I have been working on in Washington, D.C. and Montana. Two weeks ago, I was busy confronting issues our nation is facing, such as the continued invasion at our southern border, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Freedom Convoy and vaccination requirements for essential travel between the U.S. and Canada, and the Biden administration's failure to prioritize the safety and wellbeing of American citizens.
Secure America's Borders First Act
Recently, I introduced the Secure America’s Borders First Act. This bill would prohibit the U.S. government from providing military and security assistance to Ukraine until the border wall system on the southern border is completed, and operational control of the southern border is achieved. It is far past time that America's foreign policy actually serves the interests of its citizens. The Biden administration is more concerned about securing the borders of an Eastern European country thousand of miles away than securing America's southern border. Since day one of the Biden administration, illegal aliens have been invading our border, thousands of pounds of illicit drugs have been smuggled through by the cartels, killing thousands of Americans, and tens of thousands of illegal aliens have been forced into indentured servitude or sex trafficking.
Click the photo below to watch my interview with Fox News about this legislation.
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Bipartisan Ban on Congressional Stock Ownership
For years, career politicians have abused their office to enrich themselves. Public servants must be served to a higher standard, and that is why I introduced the bicameral, Bipartisan Ban on Congressional Stock Ownership Act with Representative Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), and U.S. Senators Steve Daines (R-MT) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA). The public has lost confidence in our institutions, banning insider trading is a critical step to restore trust and ensure elected leaders place the interests of the American people before personal financial gain.
Click HERE to read a summary of the Bipartisan Ban on Congressional Stock Ownership.
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Rescind COVID-19 Cross-Border Vaccine Requirements
In recent weeks, protests in Ottawa, Canada regarding cross-border COVID-19 vaccine requirements for truckers has dominated the news cycle. Due to these restrictions, the Canadian Trucking Alliance could lose as many as 22,000 Canadian and 16,000 American truckers, causing America's delicate supply chain to crumble even more. In 2020, trucks carried more that 70.9% of the value of surface trade exchanged between the U.S. and Canada. Last week, I led a letter to President Biden signed by 63 of my House Republican colleagues, offering support for the protesting truck drivers subject to the COVID-19 vaccine mandates and urging the Biden administration to work with the Canadian government to lift the mandates. Truckers are the lifeblood of our nation, and this mandate on essential travel hurts our truckers' ability to provide for their families and will prevent Americans from obtaining essential products they need.
Click HERE to read the letter I sent to President Biden.
Click HERE to read the Washington Times article based on my letter.
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Pentagon Audit Finds Failures in Vetting Afghan Refugees
On February 15th, the Department of Defense Inspector General found that Afghan evacuees were not properly vetted using all available data, that Afghan nationals with "potentially significant security concerns" were brought to America, that many of these dangerous Afghans are unaccounted for, and that Afghan parolees left U.S.-based "safe havens" prior to the completion of security screening.
For months, I have warned the Biden administration's evacuation and resettlement of tens of thousands of unvetted Afghan nationals puts our national security and the safety of our communities at risk. In October 2021, an Afghan parolee was arrested in Missoula and charged for the rape of an 18-year-old girl, showing the clear danger in bringing unvetted Afghans into our communities.
Dangerous Afghan nationals now freely roam our country, completely unaccounted for. American citizens are in danger because of this administration's neglect and incompetence. These Afghans must be removed from the United States immediately.
Click HERE to read more on my statement on the Pentagon Audit.
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Visit To Eastern Montana
Last week, I visited Eastern Montana, meeting with local businesses, listening to the comments and concerns of constituents.
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On Monday, I joined KCGM Radio in Scobey to discuss my work in Congress relating to grizzly bears, USA beef labeling, and forest management.
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I was also able to visit with one of my service academy nominees, Dalton Sand, and his parents. Dalton is a Senior at Glasgow High School and will be attending the Naval Academy Prep School, then he plans on attending the U.S. Naval Academy. I know he will make Montana proud.
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I visited Glasgow Stockyards, which pride themselves on being the number one livestock auction market in northeastern Montana, providing livestock producers with a strong, competitive auction market since 1946.
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I hosted a roundtable in Miles City with members of the Montana Farm Bureau Federation to discuss issues facing Montana ranchers, including drought, crushing federal regulations, anti-competitive practices by the big meatpackers, and concerns with federal intervention in greater-sage grouse management.
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I met with Dahl Memorial Healthcare CEO Ryan Tooke and toured their new facility. Dahl Memorial Healthcare is a critical access hospital and health clinic in Ekalaka, offering high quality healthcare services to folks throughout southeastern Montana.
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I met with Miles Community College President Ron Slinger and members of MCC’s board of directors to discuss some of their technical education programs, including for meat processing, Commercial Drivers Licenses (CDL), and Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA). MCC is doing impressive work to ensure eastern Montanans are ready to enter the workforce in high-demand fields. |
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