Dear Friend,

We’re back in Washington this week for another week of votes. Last week I opposed legislation that failed to keep the United States competitive with China and sent a letter to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on the crisis at our southern border.

Read on to hear about my work during the first week of February…

Skyrocketing National Debt

On February 1, our nation hit another concerning benchmark. America’s national debt hit $30 trillion—and we’re already paying the bill. Households across America are grappling with the highest rates of inflation in 40 years.

To make matters worse, relying on debt financed by rival powers like China leaves us vulnerable to their whims. As of last year, federal debt held by foreign investors topped $7.5 trillion. Simply put: debt is a threat to both America’s prosperity and our national security.

For America to remain a superpower, we have no choice but to curb federal spending and ensure that the money our government does spend is used properly.

Over the past two years, Congress has spent $5.7 trillion on COVID relief spending. Hundreds of billions remain uncommitted or unspent. I’ve offered amendments to provide oversight to these funds, but my Democrat colleagues voted them down at every turn. I’ve also consistently stood in opposition to irresponsible and unsustainable debt ceiling increases.

Congress is now staring down another major deadline when government funding runs out on February 18th. You can read more about my work to rein in government spending here.

Protecting Student Data Privacy

Over the last two years, an average school day has dramatically changed for families across the country. But when the kitchen table became the classroom, the lines of student privacy blurred. Suddenly, third-party educational vendors gained access to unprecedented levels of student data.

Student data can be collected from seemingly private interactions between families and schools. For example, an app for parents to review a child’s schedule can also be collecting location data or their entire contact list.

Current regulations are ill-equipped to address this issue. The law governing student privacy, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, was enacted in 1974. We must update our data protections to address a new technological reality.

Last week, I wrote a letter to Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona urging his department to address this concerning oversight. You can read more about my letter here.

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Until next week, if you are in need of assistance or would like to share your thoughts with me, please write me an e-mail here.

To keep up with what we’re doing in Washington, follow me on Twitter and Facebook for more updates!

Sincerely,