Dear Friend,

It seems like each new week brings another crisis. Inflation, Ukraine, unwarranted surveillance, and a rising fentanyl crisis stemming from a loss of control at our southern border. Even while we deal with uncertainty, the gears of Congress must keep moving. I’ve been working on legislation that will both address the major problems we face while also improving Americans’ quality of life.

Read on to learn more…

Another Disappointing Inflation Report

It’s no surprise to any of us who have filled up our cars (gas jumped ten cents a gallon last week) or shopped for groceries (bacon prices are up 18%) that prices are through the roof. Last week, Americans got more bad news when the Department of Labor released its monthly Consumer Price Index report, which showed prices rising 7.5% over the last year. This puts inflation at its highest level in forty years.

Inflation is a tax on every American. Our solutions to fix this crisis: promote an all-of-the-above domestic energy agenda instead of the Biden Administration’s “solar and wind-only” approach; rein in and reduce government spending; and support our job creators to help Americans get back to work.

Last week, I spoke on the House floor urging my colleagues to take action on this crisis. You can watch my speech in full here.

Stemming a Fentanyl Crisis  

It’s almost impossible to discuss America’s opioid epidemic—or our crisis at the southern border—without talking about fentanyl. Fentanyl is a uniquely dangerous substance: just a quarter of a milligram of fentanyl, an amount smaller than the tip of a pencil, is enough to kill. In fact, a shocking 64% of all overdose deaths in the United States can be attributed to the drug, and since fentanyl entered U.S., overdose deaths have more than doubled.  

America’s fentanyl crisis and border crisis are one and the same. Fentanyl is mass-produced in China, then smuggled across America’s southern border by Mexican cartels. The Biden Administration’s catch-and-release policies only empower the formation of distribution networks, which then funnel fentanyl into communities across the United States.

Last week, I joined 115 of my colleagues in the House of Representatives on a letter demanding that President Biden finally address this crisis. The longer he waits to take action, the more American lives will be lost to this deadly drug.

Advocating for Mental Health Care Access

Tragically, mental illness and substance abuse disorder (SUD) are all too common features of our criminal justice system. Not only are those with mental health concerns overrepresented in America’s inmate population, but those suffering from severe mental illness are 54% and SUD are 66% more likely to be re-incarcerated.

Concerningly, for individuals seeking mental health treatment, interactions with the criminal justice system can present interruptions to care. Last week, I introduced the bipartisan Due Process Continuity of Care Act. This legislation will allow pre-trial inmates, who have not been proven guilty of a crime, to continue to receive existing mental health and SUD treatment behind bars.

You can read more about this legislation here.

Upcoming Town Hall!

Town halls have always been one of my favorite ways of staying engaged with the residents of the Sixth Congressional District. We started to use telephone town halls as a means of staying connected during the COVID pandemic, and they remain an excellent avenue to connect constituents with experts on topics like education, healthcare, Social Security, and more.

I’m excited to announce that I will be hosting another telephone town hall on Thursday, February 17, at 7PM CT. Our guest will be Local Taxpay Advocate Wendy Rozinka with the Taxpayer Advocate Service. Wendy will be on hand to provide guidance and advice regarding filing your taxes for the 2021 tax season.

You can learn more about the event on my website, here. If you cannot attend, you can always share your opinions with me on my work in Washington.

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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,