Meeting Michigan's Energy Needs

I introduced legislation this week which would prevent President Biden from punitively shutting down safe and existing energy pipelines like Line 5 without Congressional approval. Across the country, hardworking families are facing skyrocketing heating costs this winter, and further constraining American energy will only make the crisis worse. Congressional approval should be required before the President unilaterally cancels a permit and blocks energy supplies that keep our homes warm and grow our economy. I continue to urge the Biden Administration to put the needs of Michigan families first.

Recently, I held a community gathering at the Frenchtown Township Hall in Monroe County. Topics of concern ranged from the rising cost of living, the ongoing border crisis, and rural broadband access. The Consumer Price Index data for November came out this week, and it showed that inflation surged by 6.8% and is at the highest level we've seen in nearly 40 years. We cannot afford to continue down this path of unchecked spending that is making life more expensive.

The Communications and Technology Subcommittee recently held a hearing on Big Tech accountability. I spoke about the impact Big Tech is having on children, especially those experiencing cyberbullying and mental health issues from interactions on these platforms. I also highlighted my bipartisan bill, the PROTECT Kids Act, which makes necessary updates to our digital privacy laws to better safeguard children and their personal data online.

This week, I voted for the final House-Senate agreement on the National Defense Authorization Act, which will support our military, give our troops a well-deserved pay raise, and keep the American people safe. I am pleased this bipartisan legislation included an amendment I authored to allow for greater accountability for the bungled withdrawal from Afghanistan and the stunning amount of U.S. military equipment left behind. While I expressed concerns with language in the earlier version of this legislation, this final agreement went through the conference process between the House and Senate does not contain those problematic provisions.

Each year, too many lives are cut short because of drug overdoses. Fentanyl and its analogues are compounding this crisis, flooding over the southern border, and devastating communities across the country. The problem could get even worse as the DEA's emergency class-wide scheduling order for fentanyl-related substances is set to expire in February. While Speaker Pelosi is on the verge of recessing Congress for the remainder of the year, this deadline is rapidly approaching and we must act immediately. This week, I helped introduce legislation, the HALT Fentanyl Act, to make that scheduling permanent and ensure law enforcement has the tools it needs to combat this crisis.