Congressman Edwards with members of Lithuania Parliament, Emanuelis Zingeris (left) and Deputy Speaker Dr. Paulius Saudargas (right), outside the KGB Museum in Vilnius where in its basement, 1,035 countrymen were executed one by one during Soviet occupation until the 1960s.

Congressman Edwards and Green Thumb Award winner Jessie Frank

Dear Friend,

As a member of the House Appropriations State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Subcommittee, I recently traveled with a small delegation to the Baltic States of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, then Poland. There we met with those nations' top military and political leaders and diplomats. Throughout this trip I was constantly reminded of the evil that has reigned our earth for centuries.

In the U.S. we are somewhat isolated geographically. In this volatile region they live under the constant reminder of their struggles for freedom and despicable acts of centuries of occupation, depopulation, repopulation, and genocide. Daily, these critical NATO allies are exposed to Putin’s verbal threats as well as living in the fear of regular cyber and terrorist attacks.

More importantly, those in the Baltics are watching the reality of Russian aggression, cruelty, and massacres play out in their own backyard today. They saw the barbaric act of Putin bombing a children’s hospital. They saw that over 20,000 Ukrainian children have been kidnapped and moved to Russia as part of their history’s reputation for depopulating those they dominate.

The leaders in this region talked with me because of their close proximity to Russia and Belarus about their constant fear that they could be annihilated within seconds, and might never see it coming. They know that Putin is ruthless enough and has the thirst for power and land to do it.

We don’t see these pressures from our secure vantage point in the U.S., outside of our new threats created by Joe Biden’s lackadaisical policies over our own border. However, these European partners feel a daily struggle to cling to their democracy and freedom.

Each of these vulnerable countries are doing their part. Each of them contributes well over 2 percent of their GDP toward their own defense, knowing they’ll likely have to face another Russian invasion of their homeland some day. Additionally, they are contributing to the military and humanitarian needs in Ukraine.

But one thing became very clear to me on this trip. None of them have the size, the economy, nor the military capability to preserve freedom and democracy on their own. Their existence is dependent on all of our NATO partners.

Only U.S. citizens should have influence on U.S. elections

The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act that I co-sponsored and helped the House pass protects and preserves the right of American citizens to vote.

This legislation would require states to obtain proof of citizenship in person when registering an individual to vote in federal elections and requires states to remove non-citizens from existing voter rolls.

Foreign election interference is made possible because of our lax voter registration laws that allow noncitizens to register and vote in federal elections. With the ongoing crisis at our southern border, this piece of legislation is essential to safeguard the integrity of American elections.

The SAVE Act will close the loopholes that allow noncitizen registration, and thereby voting, to improve election security, minimize the risk of foreign interference and restore Americans’ confidence in U.S. elections.

“Unplugged” Town Hall in Yancey County

Reminder: Join my next in-person town hall in Yancey County on Tuesday, July 16. The town hall will take place from 6:00-7:30 p.m. at the Yancey County Courthouse, 110 Town Sq., Burnsville, NC.

I’m looking forward to sharing an update about the latest legislative opportunities and challenges in Congress and answering questions about the issues that matter to you.

DC office’s first Green Thumb Award winner

Congratulations, Jessie Frank, for winning our DC office’s first ever Green Thumb Award.

These DC Longworth building offices are drab. To add a little life, spirit, and ambiance to our office, for the past 90 days our team was challenged to keep the area around their workspace green and vibrant. I appreciate my entire team’s enthusiasm and light-hearted competition to make our office green and alive. Jessie received the award, but we all benefited with a more pleasant place to work.

With my warmest regards,

Chuck Edwards
Member of Congress