Weekly Columns
A few years ago, I met a young lady named Sara Kruzan, who shared her story as a child sex trafficking victim. At only 11 years old, Sara was groomed for a life of sex slavery by a man she trusted. At 13, Sara's abuser forced her into sex work. After years of abuse at the hands of her trafficker, she escaped and later returned to retaliate against her abuser – killing him in the process.
Some of my earliest and favorite memories are on top of a mountain hunting or on a lake fishing in Arkansas with my family and friends. I know I am not alone in that. Hunting and fishing are two of the oldest and most valued pastimes for millions of Americans.
This week, the House voted on the bipartisan National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to continue supporting our military and defense capabilities in Fiscal Year 2024. Since 1961, Congress has worked together to pass the NDAA and maintain the U.S. as a global leader in military readiness.
This year’s NDAA delivered on many Republican priorities while saving taxpayer dollars and empowering a robust national defense by ensuring service men and women have the resources they need to protect our nation.
Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court ushered in two significant wins for American taxpayers and students.
As we gather with family and friends for Independence Day, it’s hard to ignore that Americans across the country are still dealing with the reality of record-high prices. The American Farm Bureau Federation reported this week that prices for groceries are still significantly higher than two years ago. No thanks to record-high inflation and wasteful government spending, the cost of food for a July 4th cookout this year will cost Americans 14% higher than in 2021.
This week marked one year since the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. The ruling rectified its mistaken 1973 decision by reversing Roe v. Wade and sent the issue of abortion back to state legislators, where it belongs.
For far too long, the executive branch has abused its regulatory power to advance its political agenda. In his first year as president, Biden finalized regulations adding over $200 billion in new regulatory costs – that’s more than 4x the costs added during President Obama’s first year. And then, in 2022, the Biden Administration proposed more than $2 trillion in new overreaching and burdensome regulations. According to a study by the Competitive Enterprise Institute, federal agency cost is $1.927 trillion annually. That’s nearly $15,000 per U.S.
When veterans who risked their lives in service to our country visit a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) facility to receive the care, benefits, and services they earned, they should not have to face political ideations and influence before they even walk through the front door.
Is your passport up to date? I encourage you to check and find out! U.S. Passport Services are continuing to see unprecedented demand for passports. During the pandemic, many people put their travel plans on hold. Well, now that most everywhere is back open and travel restrictions are being lifted, more and more people are traveling abroad.
In Fiscal Year 2023 alone, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) seized over 14,000 pounds of fentanyl coming across the southern border. That’s enough to kill the entire U.S. population ten times (3.1 BILLION people).