Dear Friend,

The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the House Oversight and Accountability Committee recently kicked off their first hearings for the 118th Congress.

Investigating the wasteful pandemic spending spree

During the Oversight committee’s hearing, “Federal Pandemic Spending: A Prescription for Waste, Fraud and Abuse,” House Republicans sought answers from government witnesses as to how billions of taxpayer dollars from COVID-19 relief programs were lost to waste, fraud, and abuse.

We heard how rushing trillions of dollars in government spending left pandemic funds vulnerable to improper use.

When Congress considered legislation to provide trillions of dollars in pandemic funds two years ago, Republicans tried to offer amendments to help prevent the mismanagement of these funds. Democrats rejected those amendments.

Two examples of misused pandemic funds that are particularly shocking to me: Washington state and the city of Boston handed out $128 million and $1 million respectively in cash payments to illegal immigrants.

Further, we heard that the Biden administration redirected emergency pandemic funds to help those illegally crossing our southern border.

Moving forward, Congress must find a way to accurately track taxpayers’ hard-earned money.

Improving government efficiency

In addition to preventing waste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayer dollars, good governance requires making sure that Americans’ hard-earned money is well spent.

During the pandemic, all industries had to innovate and do more with less.

In my questioning of witnesses during the Oversight committee’s hearing, I asked whether government bureaucrats had also learned to innovate and do more with less.

WATCH HERE:

Easing regulatory and supply chain burdens for transportation workers

The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee also held its first hearing, “The State of Transportation Infrastructure and Supply Chain Challenges.”

Some of the issues we heard about were high prices made worse by inflation and the importance of reducing unnecessary roadblocks that keep our transportation workers from being able to do their jobs.

America’s transportation network is essential to our economy and quality of life. I look forward to working with my colleagues to help improve transportation and infrastructure issues affecting Western North Carolina and making sure taxpayer funds are spent responsibly.

Help name our new mobile office

My team and I are preparing to travel across Western North Carolina to meet with and help constituents who are unable to make it out to my main district office in Hendersonville.

Our mobile office is the only one in Congress and will travel to all 15 counties to help serve folks in the 11th District.

Help my team and I name our new mobile office by submitting your idea by February 28th at: https://edwards.house.gov/services/nameit

Spring internship applications now open!

My offices in Washington, DC, and Hendersonville, NC, are now hiring interns!

Interns will have the opportunity to gain valuable experience working in a congressional office, as well as seeing firsthand how Congress works.

Responsibilities in the Washington office include answering phones, conducting research, drafting written materials, attending hearings and briefings, giving tours of the Capitol, and participating in other projects and educational opportunities.

Responsibilities in the Hendersonville office include answering phones, conducting research, assisting with casework, participating in community outreach, drafting correspondence, and other projects and educational opportunities.

Interested applicants can send an email and resume to Lauren Radford at lauren.radford@mail.house.gov.