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Today, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released its March Jobs Report which shows that last month 196,000 jobs were created around the country! These jobs build on the over 5.5 million jobs that have been created as a result of Republicans’ pro-growth tax cuts and regulatory reform. For the 13th straight month, unemployment is less than 4%. Meanwhile, Democrats want to increase taxes and spend trillions on programs they claim will achieve these results (i.e. Medicare for All and the Green New Deal). This week, they even refused to present their budget, as is the custom at this time of the fiscal year in Congress. Looks like instead of adopting policies proven to work, House Democrats would rather champion a socialist agenda and hide the cost.
| Another Phony Bill for Women |
This week, House Democrats continued what has become a common theme for their party this Congress—playing politics with legislation for women. The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), originally enacted in 1994, was reauthorized twice with broad bipartisan support to implement programs that help victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse. House Republicans tried to reauthorize VAWA months ago so that victims could receive the attention and protection they need while Congress negotiates a long-term reauthorization. Democrats squelched this good-faith offer of a clean extension. Instead, they opted to bring a bill to the floor that would advance their extreme liberal agenda in an attempt to falsely paint Republicans as “anti-women.”
This VAWA reauthorization was a Christmas tree of radical policies that could not achieve bipartisan support and will never be passed in the Senate. I’ve heard personally from women who have been victims of violence and those working to help them. And as Republican Leader of the House Education and Labor Committee, I know they have never asked for a government study on student loan repayment. Yet, Democrats used VAWA to divert more money and resources to such government studies and bloated programs that do nothing to help women faced with violence and abuse.
Additionally, it would legally mandate gender identity protections, stating a transgender person’s sex is that with which they identify. This means women who are incarcerated or are victims of abuse could be placed in confinement or shelters with biological men with no guarantee of privacy. It also restricts the Second Amendment and takes a big brother approach to law enforcement, tying the hands of police officers on state and local levels by conditioning grant money on their policies for victim testimony. Finally, it overhauls housing policies and increases the scope of the federal government in such a manner that fails to account for state and local regulations.
Sadly, despite years of work through local, state and federal efforts, domestic and sexual violence remain serious problems. I supported the 2006 reauthorization and will always stand for the protection of women. Any reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act should do the same. Republicans have been ready and willing to work in a bipartisan fashion, but unfortunately, Democrats are more interested in playing politics than passing legislation to actually protect women.
| Born-Alive Discharge Petition |
Every day of legislative business for over a month, pro-life Members of Congress, including myself, have called for a vote on the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act. This bill would guarantee legal protection and medical care for infants who survive a botched abortion. Each time, Democrats have blocked it from even being considered. After calling for a vote on 25 separate occasions, on Tuesday, House Republicans filed what’s called a discharge petition to bring this life-saving legislation to the floor. If this petition receives 218 signatures, it will automatically make the Born-Alive bill eligible for a vote in the House, bypassing the Speaker’s control over what legislation is brought to the floor.
It should be commonly accepted that nothing warrants the evil of infanticide. And make no mistake, willfully leaving a newborn baby to die is infanticide and is indefensible. Considering the abhorrent actions recently taken by legislators in New York, Virginia and Vermont to legalize late-term abortions, it is more important now than ever to fix shortcomings in current federal laws to protect children born alive after an attempted abortion. These children deserve to receive the same quality of medical care, exercised by the same degree of professional diligence, as any other baby welcomed into the world by his or her parents.
The discharge petition for the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act is only one battle along the way to securing the right to life for all children. You can follow the daily actions we are taking to fight for life in Congress at https://republicanleader.house.gov/life/.
On Thursday, I received the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Spirit of Enterprise Award for my voting record in support of pro-growth policies and small businesses in the 115th Congress.
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Met with Nicole Sullivan (NC DPS), Raphael Ginsburg (UNC) and Levar Smith on postsecondary education for prisoners.
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Celebrated Theater in our Schools Month with the Educational Theater Association and the cast of Aaron Sorkin’s To Kill a Mockingbird—a truly great American novel that transcends generations.
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The House will debate legislation that threatens a free and open internet and bucks finding a solution to our government’s fiscal crisis. As Congress returns next week, I look forward to debating both H.R. 1644, pertaining to the open internet order, and H.R. 2021, a bill to lift our spending caps in lieu of producing a Congressional budget. Have a blessed weekend.
Sincerely,
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