Another partisan week in Washington and a threat to your Second Amendment

Friends,

You elected me to Congress to solve problems, work across the aisle and stay focused on the issues that matter. I have remained committed to doing just that every day since I've had the honor of being your representative. But like you, I am frustrated by Washington.

Following up on their ‘COVID relief' bill which devoted just 9% of $1.9 trillion to combating the virus, last week Democrats jammed two partisan bills through the House that don't solve any of the problems they are supposed to address.

The first was a 791-page piece of legislation they call the "For the People Act." The bill would overhaul our elections and enact radical reforms to voting laws, campaign finance laws, and ethics practices.

Here are a few examples:

1. Publicly funded campaigns for politicians. This bill creates public subsidies for campaigns through a six-to-one taxpayer match on contributions of up to $200. So for every $200 raised, the federal government will pay $1,200 of taxpayer dollars to a congressional or presidential campaign. This means that whether you support them or not, your tax dollars will go to fund campaigns for politicians like Nancy Pelosi.

2. More Mail-In Voting. In 2020, state after state expanded "no-excuse" mail-in voting programs in the name of public safety—and to the detriment of election security. Everyone has a friend or relative who accidentally received a ballot in the mail for someone else. Those kinds of irregularities must be stopped, not supercharged with a universal law like H.R. 1.

3. More "Found" Ballots. It took 94 days to decide a New York Congressional race (which Republican Claudia Tenney won). But it's called Election Day—not Election Month—for a reason. Democrats' H.R. 1 would mandate counting ballots that turn up as much as 10 days after Election Day.

4. Fewer Voter ID Safeguards. 36 states currently have some form of ID requirement to prove you are who you say you are before you vote. Novel idea, right? If the Democrats have their way with H.R. 1, states would be required to accept ballots from everyone, even if you show up without a photo ID. All they need is a signature.

We do not need to nationalize the mistakes of states from the 2020 election. Instead, we should strengthen election integrity so that we can restore voters' faith in our democracy.

In addition to these election changes, House Democrats also voted on a bill to defund the police. Their policing bill doesn't focus on common sense solutions like improving training, enhancing transparency, or reinforcing accountability. Instead, it forces mountains of new regulations on police departments without providing any money to comply.

Following the tragic death of George Floyd, who was born in Fayetteville, I vowed to his family and our community that I would work on common sense proposals to expand justice for everyone and support law enforcement. I believe this issue should not be a partisan one, however, it must be done in a commonsense way that supports good police officers who put their lives on the line every day to protect us.

If Democrats were serious about meaningful reform, they would have come together with Republicans to pass bipartisan measures that protect American citizens and our law enforcement. Instead of partisan bills like we saw this week, I will continue to stay focused on solutions that deliver real results.

Unfortunately, last week I was also deeply troubled by news reports that illegal immigrants released by Border Patrol in Texas and who have tested positive for COVID-19 have plans to travel to North Carolina. This is wrong and hypocritical.

In response to these reports, I immediately sent a letter to Governor Cooper demanding he take action to stop these individuals, as well as get them the health care they need, to protect the safety of our state and uphold the rule of law.

I will continue seeking answers to this issue in the coming week. Also this week, House Democrats plan to bring universal background check legislation for a vote that tramples over the Second Amendment rights of millions of Americans.

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While I share the desire to end tragic gun violence, I find it hypocritical and counterproductive to advance gun control measures that would have done nothing to prevent tragic mass shootings and only serve to punish law-abiding citizens.

This week, I will be leading efforts against this gun-grabbing legislation and championing alternatives that will actually make schools safer, support mental health and address gun violence. Rest assured, I will always fight for our shared values and common-sense solutions.