Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the hard work of the students and faculty at Flat Rock Middle School in Tyrone, Georgia.

Four years ago, Dr. Monica Reckley decided to found a STEM program at Flat Rock to give her students more than just a traditional classroom experience. She hoped to show them how science, technology, math, and engineering could lead to future careers.

Today, the program has 150 students spread over 6th, 7th, and 8th grades, and it is helping students develop an interest that could lead them to new professional opportunities. The program introduces students to STEM, brings in speakers from these fields, and allows students to participate in related competitions.

Last month, 10 students from the program participated in the Georgia Tech InVenture Challenge and had several inventions showcased. These inventions included a bulletproof vest designed specifically for female police officers, a wireless vital signs monitoring device for elderly patients, a dental floss guard to make flossing easier, and an extension cord and power outlet combination that reduces the number of electrical outlets needed in a home.

I am so proud of these students and the opportunities this school district has provided to encourage young people to explore careers in the 21st century.

I am a proud supporter of career and technical education programs because they prepare students and young people for work and careers in the modern workforce.

Mr. Speaker, I would first like to thank the gentleman from Washington for organizing this event for us to thank the brave men and women who keep our community safe day in and day out. Like him, I have the honor and privilege of serving with Sheriff Rutherford and Chief Demings. It is quite an honor to be with both of them in the 115th Congress.

The men and women of law enforcement are moms and dads, sons and daughters, siblings and friends to the very people who they serve. We ask these brave men and women to uphold the law, but so often this seemingly straightforward mandate sends them into the most difficult and tragic situations that our society faces: terrible accidents, domestic disputes, and the strife that threatens the hearts of our towns and communities. Their bravery and courage is unimaginable to someone like me. The complexity of their jobs and the tolls that it takes on their lives is often underestimated.

Having a safe community offers our citizens more than just peace of mind. It offers them a place to live, grow their businesses, provide a living for their family, and to be not only economically secure but socially secure. Law enforcement officers play a very critical role in community development.

Each generation of our law enforcement community evolves as society changes and their technology and training improve. This allows them to police our communities more responsibly, effectively, and sometimes even to right wrongs of the past generation.

I want to highlight one specific example in my district, Georgia's Third District.

Nearly eight decades ago, an African-American man named Austin Callaway was lynched in the town of LaGrange, Georgia. This terrible crime has been a dark part of the town's history for a long time. Recently, law enforcement officials have taken steps to begin the reconciliation process.

LaGrange Chief Louis Dekmar partnered with the president of the county NAACP chapter, Ernest Ward, to facilitate an official apology to the Callaway family from the police force for failing to investigate the lynching nearly 77 years prior.

I commend Chief Dekmar and Mr. Ward for their actions to begin to heal this old wound. I am proud to represent this community that has engaged in the hard work of reconciliation.

Police officers like Chief Dekmar do so much more than enforce the law. They work actively every single day to bring the communities they serve together. I am so proud that there are such great examples of law enforcement in the Third District of Georgia.

Law enforcement officers do more than just keep us safe. They help our communities, they show love and compassion, they bring us together. We owe them a debt of gratitude. I am proud that there are such brave men and women willing to serve in all of our communities and hometowns. I want to extend my deep gratitude for the hard work of these brave men and women and offer a special thanks and special prayer to their families.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 35) authorizing the use of the Capitol Grounds for the National Peace Officers Memorial Service and the National Honor Guard and Pipe Band Exhibition.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H. Con. Res. 35.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, H. Con. Res. 35 authorizes the use of the Capitol Grounds for the annual National Police Officers' Memorial Service and the National Honor Guard and Pipe Band Exhibition. These events are held each year as part of Police Week to honor the men and women who sacrificed their lives in the line of duty. This use of the Capitol Grounds is a worthy recognition of the honorable sacrifice of our Nation's brave first responders and their families.

This year, 234 fallen officers will be honored, which is 100 more than last year. Ten of these officers are from my home State of Georgia, and 70 died from 9/11-related cancer. This year, we will also remember five officers of the Dallas Police Department for their courage in the line of fire while responding to the shootings in Dallas at last July's protest.

This is a clear reminder of the sacrifices that our men and women in law enforcement make every day as they put their lives on the line to maintain safe communities for us and our loved ones. We must do all we can to support these brave men and women and their families.

Mr. Speaker, I urge support of this resolution, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 36) authorizing the use of the Capitol Grounds for the Greater Washington Soap Box Derby.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on H. Con. Res. 36.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume.

H. Con. Res. 36 authorizes the use of the Capitol Grounds for the annual Greater Washington Soap Box Derby in June.

Since the first official All-American Soap Box Derby in 1934, the mission of the soapbox derby has been to build knowledge and character and to teach fair and honest competition. This tradition also allows children to demonstrate their dedication and creativity.

Winners from this local competition will join those from other races, including from my home State of Georgia, in competing at the world championship in Akron, Ohio.

Mr. Speaker, I urge support of this resolution, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 455) to designate the United States courthouse located at 501 East Court Street in Jackson, Mississippi, as the ``R. Jess Brown United States Courthouse''.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on H.R. 455.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

H.R. 455 would designate the United States courthouse located at 501 East Court Street in Jackson, Mississippi, as the R. Jess Brown United States Courthouse.

Mr. Brown, a native of Oklahoma, attended Illinois State University, Indiana University, and the Texas Southern University law school.

In the 1960s, R. Jess Brown was one of only four African-American lawyers licensed to practice in Mississippi. In 1962, Mr. Brown took on his most famous case, where he worked on behalf of James Meredith, an African-American student who sought enrollment at the University of Mississippi. Mr. Brown's successful lawsuit broke the color barrier at the University of Mississippi and helped set the tone for future litigation in the civil rights movement.

Although the Meredith case may be his most famous trial, Mr. Brown already had established a history of litigating for civil rights stretching back to 1948, when he sued on behalf of Black teachers in Jackson, Mississippi, who sought salaries on par with their White colleagues.

R. Jess Brown helped to break down barriers and set historical precedent that has shaped our Nation for the better. It is only appropriate that we honor the work of Mr. Brown by naming this courthouse after him.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to start by saying that, for the last 25 years, I practiced dentistry in Georgia's Third District and I experienced a healthcare system that was broken and in desperate need of repair to reduce costs and increase access to care.

After the Affordable Care Act was signed into law, I saw my patients, my friends, my neighbors forced away from doctors who had treated them for their entire lives. Instead of decreasing costs, patients saw their costs skyrocket and their access to care limited.

As a medical practitioner, I want what is best for my patients. Those are the people that I am fighting for: my neighbors and constituents who saw their premiums skyrocket, their quality and access to care limited or determined by a government bureaucrat. I committed to them that I would repeal ObamaCare and undo the damage that it has done to our healthcare system.

The legislation we are currently considering in the House, the American Health Care Act, is just the beginning of keeping that promise.

This is not a choice between a broken healthcare system that existed before ObamaCare. It is a new direction that reflects an understanding of what works and what does not work. The legislation will enact many reforms that directly impact Americans by lowering costs and improving access to care.

Tonight, my colleagues and I are going to share with you in great detail what that legislation does. We have all been very open in our opposition to the Affordable Care Act, but it is also important that we share with our constituents what we stand for and what we are working to do to reform this broken system.

We stand for patient-centered health care that meets the needs of our constituents in an affordable way. We stand for market-driven healthcare solutions and an industry that prioritizes personal freedom over government mandates. We stand for the biggest entitlement reform in a generation to ensure that we protect our most vulnerable populations.

This is just a short list of the goals we are working towards, and I am excited to be joined by a number of my colleagues tonight to help me explain more to the American people what is happening with our healthcare system.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Arrington). He served in the George W. Bush administration. He has worked with the FDIC, and he has been a public servant in Lubbock, Texas, at Texas Tech University. He serves on the House Agriculture Committee, the Budget Committee, and the House Veterans' Affairs Committee.

Mr. Speaker, the gentleman from Texas touched on some very important issues. One that he talked about was the process here, that this is just the beginning of a long journey that we must take to rebuild our American healthcare system.

This has been an open legislative process. More than 8 months ago, even before I was a Member of this great House, the Republican caucus here released A Better Way agenda, which detailed a consensus vision for patient-centered healthcare reform. Our bill, the American Health Care Act, is built on that framework.

These ideas are not new. They are not unvetted. They are a product of many conversations, debates, and work. Unlike the drafting of ObamaCare, we want our constituents to know what is in this legislation before we pass it. That is why every American can go to readthebill.gop and look at this legislation for themselves. In fact, I encourage anyone who hasn't taken time to look at this legislation yet to go to readthebill.gop and read more about the American Health Care Act.

At no point in this process have I felt closed out of it. As a matter of fact, as a freshman, I can tell you that I have had my voice heard, I have been asked for input, and I have seen many of the ideas that I have spoken about be included in this bill.

This bill has not been crafted behind closed doors. It has not been kept in the shadows. As a matter of fact, it has been just the opposite. As a freshman Member sitting in conference, leadership has been very straightforward about the intentions of the bill, the basic framework of the bill, and I am excited to see that, as this process has gone through regular order, we have seen many amendments added to it, and we are continuing that process.

Regular order means that we have done something very unique here. We haven't just taken a bill and passed it and then get to read what is in it. We have taken a bill, and we have taken it through the committee process. Our colleagues on the Committee on Energy and Commerce and Committee on

Ways and Means have worked through some many long nights debating amendments in an open process.

Tomorrow the House Committee on the Budget will take up this business. I am a member on that committee, and I am looking forward to the process of going through the debate tomorrow. I am sure that it will be long, and I am sure many amendments will be debated; but I am excited about the opportunity that we have to move a piece of legislation forward, make it better, make it more conservative, but, most importantly, make sure that Americans have great health care, access to that health care at an affordable price.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Bacon).

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Bacon) for his remarks.

He touched on something that is very important, and that is the driving down of cost and how this is accomplished. Truly, when the patient is in control of their health care, they are also in control of the cost. We are fighting for consumer choice in a patient-driven healthcare system. We understand, and I certainly understand, that patients and doctors need to be at the center of the healthcare conversation, not bureaucrats and not insurance clerks.

Our plan includes provisions to expand choice and give consumers more control over their healthcare dollars. The American Health Care Act significantly increases the amount individuals and families can contribute to their personal health savings accounts each year, allowing them to save more to pay for future healthcare expenses and the flexibility to use their healthcare dollars as they choose.

It also allows them to spend those healthcare dollars where they think that it will best benefit their families. It allows them to have the most intimate conversations with their healthcare providers and make sure that they are making the right decisions and using their dollars wisely. If the first question always is ``does my insurance company pay for it?'' you are always going to get the most expensive answer. However, if the patient has contributed to this process, the patient then will be able to make some informed decisions through good conversations with their doctors, and they can better manage their own health care.

We are fighting for a system that puts patients first and allows Georgians in the Third District and all across this Nation to make their own healthcare decisions. That starts with a conversation between the doctor and the patient.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Rutherford). He is a former three-term sheriff from Florida, representing the greater Jacksonville area.

Mr. Speaker, my colleague from Florida touched on something that is very important, and that is fairness in the marketplace. I can tell you, as a small-business owner, I did not receive the same favorable tax treatment as the major corporations did under the Affordable Care Act. Once this bill took effect, I had to move into the individual market. I had to begin buying health insurance with post-tax dollars, and I was unable to afford the coverage not only for my family, but for the people that I had the pleasure of working with every single day in my business.

What Mr. Rutherford talked about is leveling the playing field, and that is something that we need to do. It will increase innovation. It increases jobs. It increases success. It is so frustrating for Americans as they begin to build their small businesses and they begin to grow, and every single time that they take a step forward, the government takes more and more out of their pocket. Now we have a healthcare system that continues to rob them of their success.

Make no mistake; the healthcare system that we had prior to the Affordable Care Act was certainly not successful and not headed in the right way, but we have made it worse with this. What we have done is we have not only disenfranchised many small businesses and people who are growing their businesses and finding success, but we have also, quite candidly, done a poor job of maintaining our safety net. What we are fighting for is to increase affordable health care for all Americans, and this has meant listening to a lot of the feedback from our families and our constituents back home.

What we need to recognize is that, under our plan, dependents can continue to stay on their parents' insurance until age 26 and they are fully on their feet, if that is the right thing for their families to do. Americans told us that they like this flexibility, and we have listened to them.

Our plan will also ensure that those who have preexisting conditions can't be charged more for the health coverage they need. It also includes incentives, not mandates, to encourage Americans to have continuous coverage. This is good for the marketplace, and it will keep costs down for all Americans. Our portable tax credits will also increase access to coverage by assisting lower income individuals to purchase the health insurance that they need.

What is more, the American Health Care Act includes a Patient and State Stability Fund to help States expand the number of vulnerable patients who have access to health care. We know that States know how to best meet the unique needs of their citizens, and this is going to give them the flexibility to do that. Therefore, as these funds are flexible, they allow things like cutting out-of-pocket expenses for patients, promoting access to preventive services, or increasing available options in the marketplace--all things that are needed.

These reforms will help drive down costs and increase access to care. This is good news for patients who are worried about affordable coverage. Unlike ObamaCare, though, it means that their coverage provides them with meaningful access to care.

It does you no good to have an insurance plan that you cannot afford to use. Time and time again, I have patients, I have small-business owners, I have constituents from all over Georgia's Third District that come to me and say: Just because I have this new insurance plan doesn't mean that my family is getting better care.

One such example was a gentleman that came into my district office just this past week. Three years ago, his health insurance for his family with four children was about $900, and he had a $3,000 family deductible. Last year, his premium had risen to $1,700 a month. And this year, he laid in front of me on my desk in the district office a bill for his health insurance that was $2,400 a month, and a $7,000 deductible. He is a small-business owner with nine employees. It is absolutely crushing his family expenses, and that is not fair.

What we have done is we have created an environment where we have tried unsuccessfully to expand access; and in doing so, we have risen costs on men and women across this Nation that are trying to do their best to move into the middle class. We have seen it destroy family finances. We have seen it create a situation where many families now pay more for their health insurance than they do for their own homes.

Mr. Speaker, in my case, that is the exact same thing. My insurance payment is more than my house payment, and that simply doesn't seem right.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Tenney). She has proven to be a great Member of Congress. I have enjoyed working with her thoroughly. Ms. Tenney has some very revealing remarks going forward.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from New York for her very candid remarks. As you can see, she touched on many important issues--the unfairness of the system that we have now, but also the importance of protecting our Medicaid safety net.

What we have seen under the Affordable Care Act is that we have seen our safety nets eroded. We are diverting resources away from the people that need them the most--the poor, the elderly, the blind, the disabled, children, and pregnant women--and we are pushing those resources to able-bodied men and women who do have the ability to work.

It is important to recognize that our legislation is probably the largest entitlement reform program in a generation. Our legislation puts Medicaid back on a budget for the first time in history. It provides enhanced flexibility to the States to allow them to design effective and financially sound programs to meet their population's unique needs.

Our plan also ensures that Medicaid prioritizes care for the most vulnerable, who it was originally intended for. We must do this because there are so many Americans, unfortunately, that have to depend on this safety net for their health care.

I understand this. In my hometown, in my dental practice, I treated patients who relied on Medicaid for their healthcare coverage. It was an honor to take care of them and to have very real discussions about their healthcare needs. I understand this vulnerable population because they were a vital part of my practice, and it was truly my pleasure to take care of them. I understand the unique circumstances that cause many of these individuals to be on Medicaid and to need this valuable safety net.

But we have to have an honest conversation about that. We have to be able to provide that safety net. And as we put more and more able- bodied men and women without children on that safety net, it is diverting resources away from those that need it the most. That is not right and that is not the American way. We are fighting to protect and strengthen this Nation's healthcare safety net.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Marshall). Dr. Marshall knows firsthand about health care. He was a practicing OB/GYN, a board chairman of a hospital, and he has served our Nation in the United States Army.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Dr. Marshall for his strong remarks and pointing out and highlighting several important things.

You know, one of the biggest things that we are fighting for as part of repealing ObamaCare is that we are fighting for our personal freedom. Right now, Americans have the ``choice'' of purchasing a government-mandated, one-size-fits-all product or paying a government- mandated penalty. In almost a third of all U.S. counties, and many in my home State of Georgia, consumers don't even have the choice between insurances to purchase. This is not a choice.

With the passage of the American Health Care Act, no longer will the Federal Government mandate that Americans purchase a product that they don't want, because we believe that individuals should have the freedom to make their own choices. We understand the unique dignity of every human being. This dignity calls for self-determination and personal freedom, and we are fighting for that freedom. It is important.

I want to thank all of my colleagues who have joined me tonight to share with our constituents more about what we are fighting for.

First off, our legislation promotes personal freedom by eliminating the individual and employer mandates. Purchasing decisions should be left up to the consumer, not the Federal Government. Under our plan, no American is mandated to purchase a product that he or she does not want and cannot afford.

As I have shared, I have personal experience with how important the conversation between the patient and their doctor is. By almost doubling the cap on how much individuals can contribute to their personal health savings accounts each year and expanding where those dollars can be used, our plan puts patients back at the center of the conversation with their doctor, and they remove all of the government bureaucrats from the middle of that conversation.

Health care is personal. It should belong to the patient and their healthcare provider--and no one else. That is where the most important decisions are made.

We are also working to strengthen our safety net to ensure that our vulnerable populations have continued access to health care. Our plan returns power to the States with the biggest entitlement reform in a generation. Our legislation also protects Americans with preexisting conditions, ensuring that no one is unable to purchase insurance because of an illness.

ObamaCare is a complex tangle of regulations and Federal overreach. With every day that passes, Americans and businesses feel the growing weight of a healthcare system that is failing. But it is also irresponsible to return to a broken healthcare system that brought us ObamaCare.

Tomorrow, we will take the next step in the open legislative process as my colleagues and I on the Budget Committee do our part to send the American Health Care Act to the floor of the House for a vote. I am excited to take this step, but I want to be clear that this is only one part of repeal and reform. We are doing all that we can, and we are going to continue to push for conservative solutions with this bill. But it is not the final vote that we will take. There are many steps to go.

While it will take time and patience, I made a promise to repeal the Affordable Care Act and improve our healthcare system for all Americans. I am committed to this difficult road of building this healthcare system that puts patients first. The American people deserve the hard work and political will it will take to do this the right way.

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to have been joined by my colleagues tonight and glad to hear their comments, and I know that you have been as well. I want to point out that my colleagues have done an outstanding job tonight, and I believe that they have made some very, very salient points, and articulated reasons why we must step forward and do all that we can to reform our American healthcare system.

We have to control the cost. We have to do the things necessary to put patients back in control. And, Mr. Speaker, I have confidence that this body, along with our President and our colleagues in the Senate, can do that.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the American Health Care Act. For 25 years, I practiced dentistry in Georgia's Third District, and I saw firsthand a healthcare system in need of reform to reduce costs and increase access to care.

After ObamaCare was signed into law, these problems only got worse. I saw my patients, friends, and neighbors forced away from their doctors that they trusted. Instead of decreasing costs, patients saw their premiums skyrocket, their deductibles skyrocket, and their access to care limited. As a healthcare provider, I want to do what is best for my patients. I committed to them that I would come to Congress to repeal ObamaCare and undo the damage that it has done to our healthcare system.

The legislation we are currently considering in the House, the American Health Care Act, is just the first step toward keeping that promise. By passing this legislation, we begin to move the ball down the field and gain yardage rather than continuing to lose ground. This is not our only play. It is the first step in beginning to drive down costs and increasing access to care for patients.

This legislation will keep our promise to repeal ObamaCare and eliminate the government mandates that force people to purchase a product that they don't want. It will allow patients the freedom to make their own healthcare decisions and drive down their costs.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.J. Res. 57. Voting in support of this resolution ensures that the Federal Government will stay out of our children's classrooms and give the power back to the local authorities to make good, solid education decisions.

Throughout my congressional campaign, the people of the Third District of Georgia of all backgrounds and income continued to express their frustration that the Federal Government continued to get involved in policies that should be the domain of local and State governments.

I have spoken with education leaders in the Third District of Georgia, in places like Troup County and Fayette County, and they were very pleased with the bipartisan effort of the Every Student Succeeds Act passed last Congress. They told me that they felt hopeful with the new flexibility written into the law granting the power to the States and the local leaders to decide what accountability measures work best for their students. However, as time went on, they expressed great concern as the Department of Education began writing this new accountability regulation.

The accountability measures that will work for my home State of Georgia and my home district won't always work best for students elsewhere. Trying to educate students in the Third District of Georgia the exact same way you do students in Detroit, Michigan, or Spokane, Washington, or Prescott, Arizona, just simply will not work.

Every child deserves access to quality education, but imposing a nationwide standard will only hamper this goal with burdensome regulations, and we have seen that failed policy under the No Child Left Behind Act. This resolution pulls back the Federal overreach, ensuring that the decisions will remain at the local level, and that is why I support H.J. Res. 57 today.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the fiscal year 2017 budget resolution.

The need for this process can best be explained by a story I have been telling my colleagues.

A little over 6 years ago, I lived in a pretty decent house. One day I heard a knock on the door, and before I knew

it, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle had let a goat loose in my house. Now, for 6 years that goat has been messing in and destroying my house. I want to renovate my house, but before I can, I have to get the goat out of the house before it does any more damage. It makes no sense to start fixing up my house until I can get the goat out. Voting for the fiscal year `17 budget resolution gets this goat out of my house.

Mr. Chairman, make no mistake: we must renovate our house; we must undo the Affordable Care Act. We can no longer as a nation hold on to policies that rob us of our freedom of choice, that destroy family finances, that rob people of their jobs, and leave the most vulnerable with substandard care.

Now is the time for a 21st century healthcare system that puts patients and doctors first and sends government regulators and rulemakers to the back row. No more 32 percent increase in Georgia premiums; no more having your doctor pulled away from you; and no more government mandates.

This is not a return to the pre-ObamaCare status quo, but is a new approach to putting consumers in the driver's seat. The first step in this process is to gut ObamaCare with this resolution, and I am honored to support it.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to deliver my first remarks on the House floor.

Before I became mayor of West Point, I watched my hometown almost fall completely apart. I saw what happened when bad Washington policies almost destroyed my hometown by creating the environment for manufacturing jobs to go overseas. I watched Federal programs that were failing to meet the needs of my friends and neighbors try to take the place of good jobs.

The Federal programs weren't fixing the underlying programs in my hometown. They were simply catching people in the cycle of poverty, and we surely didn't want a handout. We wanted jobs.

I was faced with a choice of whether or not to move my dental practice and my family away from my hometown to a more profitable community or get involved and be part of the solution. I chose to get involved and work to better the lives of my neighbors and my hometown.

Instead of being satisfied with one-size-fits-all government programs that simply perpetuated the existing problems, we worked to bring manufacturing jobs back to West Point, Georgia, by making targeted investments in economic development and infrastructure.

We attracted a Kia Motors manufacturing plant, and the automotive industry brought with it suppliers and other related businesses that produced over 15,000 jobs in just a few years.

The city of West Point and the surrounding area today is revitalized not because of Federal Government programs or regulations, but because we worked at the local level to find solutions to meet the needs of our area.

I ran for Congress so that I could apply these lessons at the Federal level. We need policies that make America the most competitive place in the world to do business instead of creating policies that incentivize companies to take their jobs overseas. We need policies that help get people out of poverty instead of trapping them in a multigenerational cycle of property.

I know firsthand that more government programs do not make communities, schools, or individuals great. In fact, I have lived through and governed out of the dependence created by bad D.C. policy and government programs that continue to trap people in poverty.

What we have collectively done to those in poverty with these policies is morally wrong. There is a better way, and we will do right by our fellow Americans. I am excited to work with my colleagues to craft and enact these policies that will improve the lives of our citizens.