Empowering Students with Secretary McMahon
Empowering Students with Secretary McMahon
As Chairman of the Education and Workforce Committee, I had the opportunity to host a hearing with Secretary of Education Linda McMahon and discuss the policies and priorities of the Department of Education. Under the Secretary’s leadership, the Trump administration is delivering on reforms that will make education less expensive, improve outcomes, and empower states and local communities to make the education decisions that are right for them. Last year, the Working Families Tax Cuts were signed into law, containing the most significant reforms to higher education in more than a decade, to lower college costs and debt burdens for students and families, hold schools accountable so they deliver programs that set students up for future success, and provide students and workers with new pathways to successful careers. I look forward to continuing to work with Secretary McMahon to create an education system that puts students, not bureaucracies, first.
Strengthening Care for Our Veterans
Our nation's veterans have sacrificed so much for our freedoms, and we must uphold our commitment to them. To ensure they receive the care they deserve, I supported legislation to fully fund veterans' benefits and health care programs and provide over $2 billion in funding for improvements to VA facilities and national cemeteries. This vital legislation also invests in military housing, childcare, and infrastructure to enhance the quality of life for servicemembers and their families and provides significant funding for military construction projects to strengthen our readiness and bolster our national security. Please know I remain committed to supporting our heroic veterans and servicemembers.
Protecting Our Communities
During this National Police Week, I joined my colleagues in recognizing the brave men and women who put on the badge and those who made the ultimate sacrifice in a vigil for our fallen law enforcement officers. I also had the opportunity to meet with the Police Officers Association of Michigan to discuss how we can equip our officers with the tools they need to protect our communities. To support our law enforcement officers in their efforts to keep our communities safe from crime, I voted for, and the House passed the Keeping Violent Offenders Off Our Streets Act and the Cashless Bail Reporting Act. These pieces of legislation would close loopholes and enhance transparency regarding bail policies that endanger our communities and help release dangerous offenders. House Republicans will continue to stand with our police officers in their efforts to curb crime.
Safeguarding the Great Lakes with Secretary Burgum
As Michiganders, we know the long-term health of our fisheries is critical to our fishing industry, economy, and way of life. However, aquatic invasive species pose a significant risk to the Great Lakes and jeopardize our country’s $230 billion recreational boating and sportfishing economy and more than 1.1 million American jobs. On Wednesday, I had the opportunity to discuss this issue with the Secretary of the Interior, Doug Burgum, so we can better conserve America's water and drive conservation and economic growth. Please know that I remain committed to preserving the health of the Great Lakes for future generations of Michiganders.
Supporting Workers
I recently had the opportunity to visit Jimmy John's in Brooklyn to hear how Republican policies are empowering Michigan workers and small business owners. Last year, I voted for the Working Families Tax Cuts, which support workers through policies like no tax on tips, which will boost the income of four million tipped workers by up to $1,300. If you’re putting in extra hours or working for tips, you deserve to keep more of your paycheck. No tax on tips will support our nation's food service workers, like those at Jimmy John's, by helping them keep more of their hard-earned money. To further support job creators, as Chairman of the House Education and Workforce Committee, I helped advance the Save Local Business Act, which would provide certainty to independent business owners and franchises that will encourage growth, support job creation, and protect workers and local employers from federal overreach.