I often say that a vote is one of the most powerful tools an American citizen has. We each get one vote, regardless of our wealth, social standing, or influence. The most powerful and wealthiest individuals in the country can cast the same number of votes as the meekest and lowliest among us: one. On Tuesday, Tennesseans exercised our rights and responsibilities as citizens and voted for leaders to represent us in our cities and counties, in our state legislature, and in Washington, D.C. Over th... Read more

Before COVID-19 reached our shores, we had one of the greatest economies our country had ever seen. As we work to defeat the coronavirus, House Republicans and the Trump administration are working to rebuild our economy and ensure that our country comes back stronger than ever. It’s no secret that COVID-19 has affected almost every facet of our economy. Workers have lost their jobs, small business owners have seen their dreams threatened, and businesses everywhere have faced incredible challenge... Read more

This year has been tumultuous in many ways. Our lives have been upended by COVID-19, and we’ve seen violence and unrest in cities across our country. It’s understandable to be pessimistic during these times, but there are reasons to be hopeful. We all want to restore our way of life, and the Trump administration and House Republicans are working hard to do so and get America back on its feet. One of the most straightforward ways to defeat COVID-19 and return our lives to a sense of normal is to ... Read more

Earlier this year, the Trump administration launched an all-hands-on-deck initiative called Operation Warp Speed to defeat COVID-19. Operation Warp Speed is a public-private partnership that is harnessing the full power of American ingenuity to produce coronavirus treatments, tests, and hundreds of millions of doses of a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine. We have already made great strides in our ability to respond to the threat of COVID-19. We have learned the best practices to prevent the sp... Read more

Long before COVID-19, America was grappling with another deadly affliction – veteran suicide. Every day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, for two decades and counting, an average of 20 servicemembers and veterans die by suicide. That amounts to 140 lives lost every week, 7,280 lives lost every year, and 145,600 lives lost since 2000. Each one of those deaths is a tragedy and, recently, that tragedy hit close to home for those of us in East Tennessee with the loss of one of our own – U.S. Army... Read more

The United States Postal Service (USPS) plays a vital role in our country. Millions of Americans rely on USPS to deliver important mail like Social Security checks and bills. As Ranking Member of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, I certainly understand how important USPS is to veterans. The Department of Veterans Affairs mails between six and seven million prescriptions to veterans every month, 90 percent of which go through USPS. I am thankful for the men and women of the USPS who are dedi... Read more

Congress and the Trump administration are currently negotiating additional coronavirus relief. We have already seen the tremendous impact that legislation like that CARES Act has had on our country, and any additional aid needs to likewise help Americans as we fight this invisible enemy. CARES Act programs like the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) have saved millions of jobs nationwide, and over 86,000 jobs in Northeast Tennessee specifically. The CARES Act also authorized $1,200 relief payment... Read more

Earlier this year, the Trump administration launched a partnership between the federal government, scientific community and private sector called Operation Warp Speed. The goal of this partnership is to develop 300 million doses of a safe, effective vaccine by January 2021 to fight the COVID-19 coronavirus. Congress has already provided nearly $10 billion to develop a vaccine through emergency legislation like the CARES Act, which I proudly supported, and thanks to the Trump administration’s lea... Read more

Anyone who knows me knows I am an avid hiker who loves being outside and enjoying God’s creation. Last year, on a trip to Yellowstone National Park, I was dismayed by the state of disrepair in some areas of the park. One trail in particular was in such bad shape that parts of it were literally falling to pieces, and I was worried the disrepair could injure someone. And it’s not just Yellowstone – too many of our nation’s most prominent parks simply don’t have the resources to maintain – or, bett... Read more

Next week, Congress will return to Washington to begin consideration of additional coronavirus relief packages. Already, we have seen the tremendous impact that programs like the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) have had on our district. The PPP issues forgivable loans to businesses to help them keep their employees on the payroll during the coronavirus crisis. According to data released by the Treasury Department, PPP loans have already helped businesses in the First Congressional District ret... Read more