Our men and women in uniform are committed to defending our freedoms and deserve our full support. On Wednesday, the House passed the National Defense Authorization Act, which provides resources to improve the livelihoods of America’s brave servicemembers by giving them a well-deserved 3.8% pay raise and ensuring our military is capable and ready. The legislation also restores peace through strength by including funding for defense priorities like the Golden Dome and investments in Made-in-America military equipment. The United States must have both the economic strength and the military power to deter our foreign adversaries and protect our security interests worldwide.
Lowering Energy Prices
This week, House Republicans passed three permitting reform bills that will help to secure our grid, lower energy prices, and ensure reliable power for American families. Under the Biden administration’s misguided energy agenda, we furthered our reliance on foreign adversaries like China. To reverse course and ensure hardworking families have access to reliable power, we passed the Electric Supply Chain Act to help address supply chain vulnerabilities within our power system, and the State Planning for Reliability and Affordability Act to ensure the strength of our grid. We also passed the Improving Interagency Coordination for Pipeline Reviews Act to modernize the federal permitting process so we can cut red tape and lower energy costs for Americans.
Making College More Transparent and Accessible
It is no secret that public trust in postsecondary education continues to wane. Postsecondary education is a promise: that students who invest their time and money will receive an education worth it. As Chairman of the Education and Workforce Committee, I helped usher through four bills this week to benefit students as they continue their journey to enter the workforce. The bills would ensure homeschoolers have the same access to higher education as everyone else, help students from U.S. territories get in-state tuition rates at public colleges and universities, and improve price transparency for students. Under my leadership, we'll continue to work to restore trust in postsecondary education.
I recently had the opportunity to stop by Twin Maple Orchard to discuss how we can support our local farmers. Earlier this year, we passed vital legislation to empower farmers by lowering taxes for farmers by over $10 billion. It would also provide critical relief for farmers by protecting against agricultural losses, and doubling funding for the USDA’s trade promotion programs. To build on this historic legislation, this week, President Trump announced a $12 billion Farmer Bridge Assistance (FBA) program, which will help rebuild our farm economy and ensure our farmers have reliable and consistent support.
Making Homeownership More Affordable
It was great to meet with the Jackson Area Association of Realtors and discuss how the Working Families Tax Cuts legislation incentivizes homeownership through a permanent tax code that provides certainty and financial relief for hardworking Michiganders. The historic legislation expands Opportunity Zones in economically disadvantaged communities to spur development and reinstates the Mortgage Insurance Premium tax deduction to save first-time homebuyers thousands of dollars a year on their taxes.
