Dear Friend,

From reining in attempts to censor Americans’ free speech to empowering parents to have a voice in their child’s education – the work to secure a freer, safer and stronger nation for Americans continues.

Below are highlights from my work in Congress to protect the principles that make our nation great, as well as some exciting reports from our district.

Protecting free speech

I’m working with my House colleagues to pass legislation that would prevent the censorship and suppression of free speech that is protected by the First Amendment.

One of the greatest threats today to our constitutional rights is the suppression of free speech by the media, including social media. The House Oversight and Accountability Committee recently issued subpoenas to four past Twitter executives. Under oath, they admitted to coordinating with the FBI to remove social media posts that were generally supported by conservatives.

The result of this hearing was the introduction of H.R. 140, the Protecting Speech from Government Interference Act. Under this act, which I cosponsored and spoke about on the House floor (see below), federal employees - who should be fair and just public servants - would be barred from using their positions to censor lawful speech on private social media platforms.

The weaponization of these platforms has become a troubling problem for all Americans, and as a member of the Oversight Committee, I look forward to continuing to work with my committee colleagues to protect Americans’ constitutional right to the freedom of speech.

You can view my remarks on the House floor below.

WATCH: Edwards on House Floor: Protect Free Speech

Keeping our nation’s capital safe

In a shocking turn of political events, President Biden announced that he would not veto a joint resolution preventing crime and overhauling the D.C. criminal code.

Crime has skyrocketed in Washington, D.C. Citizens cannot visit or view our nation’s monuments without risk of becoming a crime victim, and yet some continue to push for softened punishments for violent crime and promote anti-police rhetoric.

The reason we are a civilized nation is because of law and order. It is the job of government to protect both citizens and their property. The D.C. City Council has failed to do either, so Congress will act to make sure that America’s capital is safe, and our citizens are protected.

I voted for H.J. Res. 26 because one of my highest priorities is making sure people in our communities - from Western North Carolina to the rest of our great country - are safe, and I will continue to vote for such policies. This bipartisan joint resolution passed in both the House and the Senate, and I urge President Biden to quickly sign it.

Oversight over our nation’s largest employer

While the rest of America is back to work, federal bureacrats continue to take advantage of lax remote-work policies.

As someone who has worked in business for decades, I understood the need to improve efficiency during the pandemic, when businesses and workers across the country had to do more with less. However, the federal government kept expanding instead of learning to use Americans’ hard-earned taxpayer money more efficiently.

Shouldn’t our nation’s largest employer, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM), which pays more than 2 million civilian federal workers with American tax dollars, know the number of employees who continue to work remotely and the cost for them to do so?

Watch my questioning of witnesses at the Oversight and Accountability Committee’s hearing titled, “Oversight of Our Nation’s Largest Employer: Reviewing the U.S. Office of Personnel Management” below.

WATCH: Edwards Oversight Committee remarks on OPM's telework policies

Once a Scout, always a Scout

The Boy Scouts of America has prepared young men, including me, for the future since 1922. As a former Boy Scout and in celebration of the BSA’s 113th anniversary this year, I am glad to join this House Resolution that would designate “Boy Scouts of America Day.”

Scouting helps develop leadership, civil involvement, and moral development in 1 million young folks in my district and across the country.

READ: House passes resolution supporting the BSA

“We the Parents” Bill of Rights

Perhaps the greatest threat today to the preservation of our freedoms is what is being taught in our schools.

Parents deserve to know what their children are learning and should have a say in their child’s education. Currently, students across our country are being indoctrinated with radical Marxist ideology and are often taught to hate their country and its history. Students, even in elementary school, are being exposed to vulgar pornographic material in public schools and are being force-fed a political agenda from hyper-partisan academics.

I recently signed the “We the Parents” Bill of Rights to empower parents to make educational decisions that are best for their children and allow every student to reach their fullest potential.

Our nation’s youth must be protected.

Parents have been sidelined in their children’s education for far too long, and this list of rights will make it clear to both parents and schools what the parents’ rights are.

Through the Parents Bill of Rights, House Republicans are committed to supporting every parent and their:

1. Right to know what’s being taught in schools and to see reading material
2. Right to be heard
3. Right to see schools’ budgets and spending
4. Right to protect their child’s privacy
5. Right to be updated on any violent activity at school

MORE: Add your name to the Parents Bill of Rights

Blue Ridge Parkway visitors topped 15 million in 2022

The Blue Ridge Parkway continues to stand as one of the nation’s most visited national parks. A recent report from the Independent Tribune listed that “out of 464 national parks, only three had more than 10 million visitors last year.”

This is excellent news for Western North Carolina and the 11th District. The parkway is the circulatory system of our region, allowing commerce and tourism to prosper. As your representative, I will continue to support our magnificent national parks, both big and small.

READ: Blue Ridge Parkway visitors topped 15 million last year

Now accepting entries for the 2023 Congressional Art Competition

Attention: The 2023 Congressional Art Competition is underway! Interested high school students in NC-11 can submit their artwork to my Hendersonville district office on or before April 17. The winning artwork will be displayed in the U.S. Capitol for a year.

My office will also hold a “Facebook Favorite” competition, where all submitted artwork will be posted for the public to vote on between April 17-21. The winning “Facebook Favorite” artwork will be displayed in my district office.

Details about the competition are linked below.

READ: 2023 Congressional Art Competition Instructions

Constituent Highlights

I’m always excited to see the people of our mountains visit our nation’s capital and show their engagement with the federal government. The following are just a few of the patriots that recently visited my office. See photos from our meetings below.

Jack Teague of Asheville, members of the American Dental Association, and Congressman Chuck Edwards

Pratik Bhakta, Members of the Asian American Hotel Owners Association, and Congressman Chuck Edwards

Lydia Jeffries and Lisa Fogalia of Asheville, members of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and Congressman Chuck Edwards

Ken Patterson of Swannanoa with RESULTS and Congressman Chuck Edwards

Carolina Cruiser – Coming to a town near you!

Our newly named mobile office, the Carolina Cruiser, is on the move. The Carolina Cruiser will be visiting cities and towns across the district so folks in Western North Carolina can receive quality constituent services and assistance with casework.

It has been a tremendous privilege to travel across the district and discuss the problems and issues facing citizens. It is my goal as your congressman to be as accessible as possible by bringing the power of the federal government to you, and for you.

To keep up with where the Carolina Cruiser will be next, please visit the Outreach page on my website at: https://edwards.house.gov/about/events or follow our Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram page where we will post announcements.

Now Hiring Interns

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. Interns are also paid.

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.