Happy Mother's Day
Friends,
As we celebrated Mother's Day on Sunday, I want to first say thank you to all the moms across our community for all you do all year long. I am blessed to have a great mom who is a retired Cabarrus County school teacher and who taught me important values like public service. I'm also thankful everyday for my wife, Renee, who is an incredible mom to our son.
Last week, we also marked another important day: National Military Spouse Appreciation Day. Military spouses face unique challenges, especially when it comes to their careers. Too often, they face employers who don't appreciate the value they can bring or offer the flexibility they need when their loved one is deployed. I am working on solutions to this very real problem. May is recognized as Military Appreciation Month. As Fort Bragg's Congressman, I am thankful for all of our troops, as well as their spouses and families.
On Tuesday, I was in Concord to help open a GM Defense facility that will create good paying jobs and support our troops at Fort Bragg and around the world.
GM Defense will now begin producing Infantry Squad Vehicles for the U.S. Army. These vehicles will help mobilize our troops and keep them safe, and their chassis are designed by my friends at Hendrick Motorsports. I was able to test drive one of the new vehicles that will soon head to Fort Bragg and I was really impressed.
This is vital for our troops and a great example of the strength of our community. This Concord facility is easily accessible to great transportation infrastructure. The site is close to a pipeline of talent from my alma mater UNC Charlotte, where over 3,000 students are currently enrolled in the college of engineering. It also provides a great opportunity for collaboration with our motorsports industry. And finally, this draws on our state's strong military and defense presence.
As the representative from Concord to Fort Bragg, I know firsthand how this facility can impact our entire region. I also couldn't think of a better way to kick off Military Appreciation Month than to provide our brave men and women with safe and effective resources from right here in North Carolina. We are forever indebted to our service members and their families, and let's honor them throughout the month.
In addition to the opening of GM Defense's facility, last week also brought signs of a return to normalcy.
For the first time in 614 days, Minor League Baseball returned to Kannapolis! I enjoyed being there for the Cannon Ballers' Opening Day at the new Atrium Health Ballpark. I am hopeful that baseball's return last week was a great sign for the return of our way of life.
Last Wednesday, I was also able to honor a group of talented students as part of my annual Congressional Art Competition. It's an honor to host this competition each year to highlight the talent of high school students throughout our region. After holding a virtual competition last year, I was thrilled to once again host students and parents at the Gibson Mill in Concord.
This year, we received 25 total pieces of art from 16 high school students. Students came from 8 different schools across 4 counties in our region.
On Wednesday, I thanked the students, parents, teachers and judges from the Cabarrus Arts Council who made the competition a success. I also announced the winners who will now have their work on display in the U.S. Capitol, our office in Washington, and our district offices.
Neerali Parika from Concord High School won first place with her work "Michelle Obama." Knox Barringer from Cabarrus County won second place with his work "Skull in Fabric." Andrea Jean from Terry Sanford High School won third place with her work "Sleepless." Additionally, Ava Rackoff from Concord High School won the fan favorite award with the most likes on my Facebook page for her work "Prince of Grasses." Congratulations to these talented students!
Events like the art competition, a baseball game, and the opening of a new factory are all signs that our economy and country are coming back stronger than ever. As vaccines continue to become more available for those who want them, I am hopeful we can put this pandemic completely behind us.
However, issues still remain. There is too much partisanship in Washington. I'm concerned that the CDC hasn't prioritized getting schools fully reopened. And the Biden administration continues to push for reckless spending as they ignore the crisis on our border. As I head back to serve you in Washington this week, rest assured I will continue to focus on the issues that matter to you like reopening and growing our economy, securing our border, and always supporting our military and veterans.
Until next week,
Richard Hudson
Member of Congress