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This week, President Trump gave a State of the Union address in which he highlighted the economic prosperity and abounding opportunities for Americans. Since President Trump’s election, the U.S. economy has gained 5.3 million jobs, unemployment has reached historic lows and wages are rising. America is in the midst of the longest period of continuous jobs growth on record, with American workers and families reaping the benefits.
President Trump also emphasized the need for true border security and made a strong case for addressing this urgent issue. He recognizes that first and foremost we are a nation of laws, and we need to enforce those laws everywhere, including at the southern border. People on both sides of the aisle recognize this and are currently working on legislation to achieve this goal. Since the shutdown, over 60 Democrats have come out in support of border barriers in addition to technological improvements that the President has requested in the Homeland Security appropriations bill. Next week, we will see if the Democrat Leadership will allow their members to reach a compromise and cease obstruction on necessary national security objectives.
Additionally, President Trump put forth a vision for how to continue the positive trends in our economy and asked Congress to work with him on tackling the high cost of prescription drugs and improving our nation’s infrastructure. He also called on Congress to pass the Born Alive Abortion Survivor’s Protection Act. This bill would guarantee legal protection and medical care for infants who survive a botched abortion and impose criminal and financial penalties upon abortionists who intentionally or negligently deny health care to survivors of attempted abortions.
Every day since the State of the Union, Republicans in the House have called for a vote on this bill to protect babies outside the womb. Even though it passed the House with bipartisan support last Congress, Democrats have refused to bring it to the House floor. While their party leadership has embraced the agenda of pro-abortion extremists that want to strip both the unborn and now newborns of any rights to life, House Republicans will not become weary in defending the dignity and rights of all life. We will continue to fight for as long as it takes to deliver this bill to the President’s desk. Listen to my remarks on the House floor Tuesday, regarding the most recent attacks on life in New York and Virginia.
See my full response to the State of the Union here.
| Devastating Impact of a 107% Minimum Wage Hike |
Over the last several years, the far-left has begun to call for extreme policies that were, until recently, considered too radical for the mainstream. But as the far-left has become more frenetic, they have begun to demand headline-grabbing but unworkable policies like free college, universal health care, and a more than doubling of the federal minimum wage from $7.25 an hour to $15 an hour. Liberal activists claim that it will redistribute wealth and provide poor Americans with a “living wage.”
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2.3 percent of hourly workers are paid at or below minimum wage. Almost half of those workers are individuals under the age of 25 who are at the start of their careers or filling part-time or summer jobs. With Democrats’ one-size-fits all proposal, we run the risk of seeing these types of jobs eliminated altogether. Additionally, many job creators would be forced to reduce workers’ hours, let employees go, or close their doors for good. Economists project that this policy would cost North Carolina 91,802 jobs in 2020. This is not the future Americans want, and they deserve to know the truth.
In a hearing that lasted all day on Thursday, House Education and Labor Committee Democrats tried desperately to argue that an arbitrary hike of the minimum wage by 107 percent could go mainstream. However, when faced by witnesses who have already suffered the impact of similar legislation on the local-level, Democrats convinced no one. Read the highlights of the hearing here.
| Increasing Veterans' Access to Child Care |
Today, the House passed H.R. 840, the Veterans’ Access to Child Care Act which directs the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide child care assistance to veterans who receive qualifying medical services from the department. Especially with an increasing number of women serving in our armed forces, it is important to reduce barriers that prevent veterans from using their earned benefits and accessing necessary medical care. Unfortunately, the Democrats voted down a Republican motion that would have ensured employees of VA child care centers have not committed crimes that pose a threat to children in their care. Learn more about the Veterans’ Access to Child Care Act here.
Tuesday, Elan Carr was appointed to serve as the U.S. Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism. Carr serves our nation in the U.S. Army Reserve and has been deployed in Iraq where he was active in the American Jewish soldiers’ community, conducting religious services and even lighting Chanukah candles in what was once Saddam Hussein’s presidential palace. I applaud Carr’s appointment and the Trump Administration’s solidarity with the Jewish People, especially during a time with new, loud voices in the House using rhetoric that goes completely against the bipartisan consensus on policy toward Israel. The United States must continue its strong stance against anti-Semitism and fight this hatred wherever it exists. Carr’s appointment is a step in the right direction.
On Monday, I spoke to third graders at West Yadkin Elementary School. |
Niki Lyons |
On Thursday, I attended the National Prayer Breakfast with Todd Hampson. |
Superintendent of Mt. Airy City Schools, Dr. Morrison Kim, and niece Abbey Blackburn |
Next week, the House will consider legislation to continue funding for six government agencies and secure our borders.
Sincerely,
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