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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Ken Calvert (CA-42)

Today, Congressman Ken Calvert issued the following statement regarding the murder of Charlie Kirk:

“Charlie Kirk was murdered today because of his thoughts and beliefs. Today, like so many times before, Charlie was sharing those opinions with students on a college campus, having an open dialogue about America’s path forward. Our country was founded to provide people like Charlie, as well as anyone who might disagree with him, the right to stand in the public square and express themselves. I’m heartbroken that we, as a country, failed to protect Charlie’s liberties today. We have to do better. We have to be able to speak, listen, and disagree with our friends, neighbors, and fellow Americans without resorting to hatred and violence. My prayers are with Charlie’s wife Erika, his two small children, as well his family and friends who have lost an American patriot.”

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steve Scalise (1st District of Louisiana)

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) joined CBS News’ CBS Mornings following the assassination of Charlie Kirk. Leader Scalise stressed that Americans cannot turn to political violence, but instead should follow Charlie’s example and turn to civil debate and the ballot box.

Click here or the image above to view Leader Scalise’s full interview. 
On engaging in civil discourse:“It’s so sad for so many reasons. Charlie was somebody we all respected. Charlie was somebody that inspired young people, and not just young people, millions of people to get involved in politics, even people who didn’t agree with him. But it was partly because he did engage with people, as you mentioned, in discourse. Even if people disagreed with him, he wasn’t calling them names. He would engage and talk about the differences. We’ve got to get back to that. We cannot let what happened yesterday be the norm. Unfortunately, we’ve seen politics degrading, where some people feel if they disagree with you politically, they’ve got to try to go and eliminate those people. That is not what America is. We solve our differences at the ballot box. It’s just sad that what happened yesterday in Utah did happen. I sure support law enforcement in their efforts to catch the shooter, and I’m confident they will. But it’s just such a sad loss for our country.”On Leader Scalise’s personal experience with violence:“Yesterday was a tough day. I mean, as I’m processing what happened to Charlie, and he hadn’t passed away yet, but you could see from the videos that were out there, it was a bad shot. I’m praying for his family, and I think we all need to keep Charlie’s family, my gosh, that beautiful young family in our prayers. But then we had votes on the House floor, and we were on the House floor for about an hour and a half. It was hard to focus because my mind just kept going back to Charlie and his family.“Surely went back to 2017 and the shooting where a crazed gunman tried to kill me and about a dozen other members of Congress because of our political beliefs. You just don’t want, and this can’t be allowed to be acceptable. We all have to denounce what happened yesterday and all resolve to do better. Our friends that we know that maybe get more vitriolic. You can be angry about politics, but you don’t express that violently.”On denouncing political violence:“What we all need to do is, number one, recognize one of the greatest things in America is that we do have differences and that we can express them. There are countries where you can’t. You’ll be executed in the street for disagreeing with your government. So number one, celebrate the fact that we have differences and we can freely express them. And don’t allow anybody to try to threaten somebody, to try to physically attack somebody for their differences. And that’s not just all of us in politics. We clearly need to do better. I share that with my colleagues all the time. We’re going to have differences. Don’t make them personal. Don’t try to demonize. You almost make somebody a character, a meme, instead of a human being. That’s what we all are, and that’s what Charlie was.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steve Scalise (1st District of Louisiana)

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) joined Fox News’ Special Report with Bret Baier to discuss the horrific assassination of conservative leader Charlie Kirk. Leader Scalise highlighted Charlie’s enduring legacy and how he led by example – engaging in thoughtful discourse, never violence.

Click here or the image above to view Leader Scalise’s full interview. 
Excerpts from Leader Scalise’s interview: 
On the assassination of Charlie Kirk:“Sad day, a lot of anger, frankly. My prayers are with the family of Charlie. I mean, he’s got a wife, young kids, obviously, his parents, close friends. Charlie was such an inspirational person. I mean, you saw that brought thousands of people out on the college campus there at Utah Valley [University], would do that all around the country. And somebody who really talked about a civil discourse. Let’s go debate. You might think differently than me, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Let’s talk it out. And you just go prove your point. I’m going to talk about what I believe in. And that’s what America is about. And I think, Bret, that’s the biggest concern is that there are some people that think that political violence is a way to shut other people down. That is not what America is, and it can’t ever become that.”On condemning violence:“It’s clear that it was, as the governor depicted, a political assassination. When you have somebody at a distance on a rooftop, whether it was 200 yards away, but clearly a high-powered rifle in one shot, meaning they were intending to take out Charlie. It’s alarming. Again, it angers you, it disgusts you, but there’s no doubt that was the intention. We will find out more. I’m glad the FBI is working so closely with law enforcement, and they’re moving swiftly to get answers and ultimately to bring those responsible to justice.“Well, the message should be, number one, let’s look in the mirror for sure. Everybody ought to know what makes our country great is that we do have political differences and we can express them. But how do you express them, Bret? You express them vocally. You can vote, by the way. Part of the most powerful way you can express differences is by voting. But violence is not the answer. Any kind of violence, whether it’s shooting, stabbing, hitting somebody, that’s not the way we resolve our differences. Everybody ought to denounce that, Bret. I think that’s the first thing we all should do is denounce what just happened to Charlie Kirk, regardless of what you think of his politics, that nobody should think that’s okay. For anybody who’s thinking of doing something like that, go just check what the foundation in this country is really about, and it’s not that.”On Charlie’s legacy:“He’s a one of one. Charlie was an inspirational person. Charlie was a visionary. Charlie really saw as a student, he recognized as a student on a college campus that something’s going wrong on college campuses where they’re trying to indoctrinate, not educate people. Ultimately, he walked away from that because he didn’t feel like it was worth his time to stay there. He wanted to go and do something about it. That’s when he started Turning Point USA. He actually started a movement. How many young people do that? Not many. Takes a very special person, frankly, a person that is able to inspire other people, which Charlie did, to bring people into that movement. He brought them first by the tens and then by the hundreds and ultimately by the thousands in campuses all across this country. Charlie’s gone, and it’s going hurt all of us. But his legacy will never be forgotten. We can’t let that movement die because it’s so important that young people feel attached to what they believe in and not be afraid to express it, whether it’s on a college campus or supporting a candidate of their choice.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steve Scalise (1st District of Louisiana)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) released the following statement after the passing of Charlie Kirk:“I am incredibly sad and disgusted to hear of the passing of Charlie Kirk. Charlie was a loving father, husband, and conservative warrior. He was a man of deep faith and dedicated his life to educating people about civil dialogue while passionately articulating conservative values. “Charlie built a movement by traveling across the country and encouraging young people to engage in thoughtful, peaceful political discourse. He never shied from disagreement; instead, he shared with students the value of having civil conversations with people who hold different opinions – something we need more of today. To see his life taken by political violence is absolutely heartbreaking.“Political violence is NEVER acceptable. The perpetrator of this horrific act must be held accountable, and I strongly support all of our law enforcement officials as they continue their investigation. It’s past time for the incendiary rhetoric to come to an end, and we must see universal condemnation of this gruesome act.“Charlie has inspired a generation of young people by challenging the status quo and standing up for his beliefs. His legacy will live on in his friends, family, countless followers, and in the movement he built and energized. “We are praying for the Kirk family and America as we grieve this horrific loss.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steve Scalise (1st District of Louisiana)

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) joined Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain (R-Mich.), and Congressman Tom Barrett (R-Mich.) to discuss the work House Republicans are doing to make American cities safe again, despite Democrats prioritizing their hatred of President Trump over the protection of their own citizens. Leader Scalise highlighted legislation the House Oversight Committee is taking up to combat soft-on-crime measures in DC. Additionally, Leader Scalise touted the NDAA on the House Floor this week, which will strengthen America’s national defense and bolster President Trump’s Peace Through Strength agenda.

Click here or the image above to view Leader Scalise’s full remarks. 
On House Republicans strengthening our military:“This is another busy week in the Republican Majority House, where we’re going to continue to do the people’s work. It’s so important that we get the National Defense Authorization Act passed, where we come together and debate the priorities of our nation’s defense. And if you look at this bill, and I think [Whip] Tom [Emmer] did a great job of talking about some of those important reforms that are in the bill, some of the important priorities, we’re giving a pay raise to our troops, our men and women in uniform, to continue to address something that Chairman Rogers has been focused on for a long time, and that is to increase morale and to focus on making sure we’re taking care of our men and women who take care and defend our freedoms here and abroad. “We’re going to continue to allow President Trump to have the tools that he needs to show peace through strength around the globe as he’s doing. The only reason he’s been able to get so many peace accords with other countries is because he has the military might to back it up. You don’t ever want to have to use it, but if you don’t have it, the bad guys around the world see that weakness, and they’ve exploited it in the past. When we’ve had weak leaders, like we did with the previous administration, the bad guys around the world took advantage of that. It doesn’t just hurt America. It hurts our friends and our allies all around the world. So it’s critical that we refocus our military on its main mission. And part of that refocusing means getting rid of a lot of the wokeness in the military that used to be there. And this bill continues to advance those efforts.”On the House Oversight Committee taking action against DC’s soft-on-crime policies:“Something else you’re going to see here in the House tomorrow, the Oversight Committee is going to be taking up all the DC crime bills. We’ve talked about this in the past. You’ve seen it. You can walk around the city, and it’s actually safer today because of President Trump’s action, bringing in National Guard troops. But we’ve seen and identified many flaws with DC ordinances. When people complain about the revolving door of crime, why is it that some young kid can come and commit a carjacking at gunpoint and walk free the next day? It’s because that’s what the ordinances in DC allow. They actually allow soft-on-crime measures, so we’re reversing that.“We’re going to be bringing bills through committee tomorrow and ultimately to the House floor in the weeks ahead, where we will make DC safe again. We will get rid of all of these ridiculous laws and limitations on law enforcement. No cash bail. Right now, if you’re under 25, you can be treated as a 14-year-old if you commit a violent crime. Crimes at gunpoint, you can walk free the next day if you’re under 25 years old, which, by the way, are the ages of most of the violent criminals here in DC, and so you wonder why there’s a revolving door. We, as House Republicans, are going to address it. I call on every Democrat to join with us and give up their defund the police soft-on-crime mantra. We’ll see if they finally listen to what the voters of this country want. I’m not holding my breath. Luckily, we’re going to do it on our own if they’re not going to join with us. But we’re going to show the American people that we’re not going to sit idly by.”On Democrat governors defending criminals:“You see President Trump talking about making other cities safe. And the Whip talked about Governor Walz. You see Governor Pritzker. You see so many other governors trying to defend criminals, trying to criticize President Trump for stopping murders in their own cities. Those governors should be working with President Trump to figure out ways to stop murders. If Governor Pritzker, instead of trying to come up with tweets to criticize President Trump, he could deploy the National Guard himself in Chicago and stop the seven or eight murders every weekend if he cared about it, but he doesn’t. They want crime to continue. They want to continue defunding the police and try to have it both ways. President Trump is tired of that game because he’s tired of watching people be hurt. There’s no reason for this violent crime wave that we see in so many cities. So we’re going to continue to have the President’s back and, frankly, have the American people’s back. Regardless of their party, regardless of what city they live in, everybody deserves to be safe. And Republicans are going to continue to push policies to help put that in place.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steve Scalise (1st District of Louisiana)

NEW ORLEANS, La.—Yesterday, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) joined Fox News’ The Big Weekend Show to discuss how President Trump is taking action to prioritize Americans’ safety by cracking down on drug cartels and by cleaning up crime-ridden cities. Additionally, Leader Scalise countered Democrat lies by highlighting how Republicans’ Working Families Tax Cut promotes economic growth, secures the border, and unleashes American energy production.

Click here or the image above to view Leader Scalise’s full interview. 
On protecting Americans from foreign drug cartels:“Well, of course, we’ve seen the results of the cartels bringing drugs into America. It’s about 150 dead young people in America every single day. I mean, this is something that’s been going on for too long. President Trump said he would do something about it. It’s not just pictures of drugs that are going to stop these narco-terrorists. It’s going to be the image of the boat being blown up and the idea that if you send another boat, the next boat, and all the people you bring on it with all the drugs is also going to be blown up. That’s going to stop the infiltration of drugs into the United States. “It’s been a war, but it’s been a one-sided war. The narcos have been sending drugs into our country, laden with fentanyl made in China, for decades now. It’s gotten worse the last few years when Biden opened up the border. We saw the flow of illegal drugs and things like fentanyl coming into our country even more, killing people every single day. It’s primarily young people that it’s killing. I mean, literally a plane load of people getting blown up every day would shock the world. Yet it was happening every day by drugs, and everybody was looking the other way. President Trump doesn’t operate like that. He’s not looking the other way. He’s angry, like we all should be, about the deaths of those young people, and he’s doing something about it.”On President Trump prioritizing safety: “You’ve been seeing this for years as the Democrat Party shifted to the socialist left. As they’re about to elect a Marxist in New York, they’ve literally turned their backs on cops. They want to defund the police. They’ve turned their backs on people who want safe communities. Democrat or Republican, it doesn’t matter what your party affiliation is; everybody deserves safe communities. President Trump is trying to keep communities safe. He did it in DC. Finally, the mayor even said, ‘You know what? It’s working. We appreciate it.’ You look at Chicago, some of these other cities where he’s talking about bringing help, and you got the mayors and the governors of some of those places saying that they don’t want to keep their own citizens safe. It’s mind-boggling. Why would you want more murders when you can have less murders of your own people? At least President Trump cares about crime and safety and reducing it. Most people in America do. The Democrat Party is just way out of touch with mainstream America.”On Republicans unleashing economic growth through the Working Families Tax Cut:“The Democrat Party, as usual, seems to be rooting against the success of America just because they hate Donald Trump. But that’s been their playbook for a long time. And look, we’ve got a saying. If they’re going to keep lying about our bill, we’re going to start telling the truth about the bill. The more you tell the truth about what’s in that bill, there are no new tax cuts for the millionaires and billionaires like they lie about. The tax cuts that are new in this bill are for working families, waiters and waitresses, no tax on tips, people that work overtime. Those are shift workers. These are all people that are making less than $100,000 a year that are going to see $1,700 or more in their pockets of new money. Those are people who really could use that money. Every Democrat voted no. Every Democrat voted to keep that money in Washington and grow government. That’s the difference. Democrats want power and control in government. Republicans want to give hardworking families more of their tax money so they can control their own destiny, so they can have better opportunity and a real shot at the American dream that was taken away from them during the Biden years.“I don’t [know any millionaires or billionaires that work for overtime or tips]. And they love using Elon Musk and all these other billionaires. None of those people get paid overtime. But by the way, the average overtime worker, the no-tax-on-tips worker, you go to any local restaurant, your local waiters and waitresses, the average pay is $32,000 a year. And we just said they can have an extra $1,700 in their pocket, and every Democrat said ‘no.’ They lied and talked about billionaires, but the people that they really denied opportunity to were the waiters and waitresses who make $32,000 a year. They’re going to have a hard time explaining that next year and why they voted against border security, why Democrats voted against energy security. We opened up energy from Alaska all the way to the Gulf of America so we can create jobs and lower costs at the pump. That matters to families, by the way. Billionaires, if the price of gasoline goes up a dollar a gallon, it’s not going to affect a billionaire. You know what it affects? It affects those hardworking families who were getting crushed under Biden, under inflation, higher costs. We’re working on lowering all of those costs so that families can have more money in their pockets.”On the Biden Administration’s abuse of the autopen:“Jason, there needs to be real accountability, and you’ll be proud. Your former committee that you chaired, Oversight Committee, Chairman Comer is doing a phenomenal job at getting to the facts, and the facts are not boding well for the Biden Administration, especially Joe Biden.“Autopen is a great example of the abuses… there was one day, just hours before Biden left office, where almost 2,500 people were pardoned in a day by the autopen machine, not by any people signing. There were recommendations by a lot of people in the White House that a pardon of anybody ought to be signed by the President. Instead, they used autopen, and Biden went on TV and defended it and said, ‘Don’t worry, it was all these nonviolent offenders.’ It turned out they found people who murdered people who were pardoned by the autopen. Biden didn’t even know about that, yet it was used, whether it was authorized by anybody of power or not. It wasn’t signed by the President himself, Jason. We’re digging into this. I think the American people, the more they hear, they’re disgusted by it. Who was it that was signing off on the use of an autopen to make major decisions for the government? Major decisions that should have been made only by the President of the United States.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09)

MEMPHIS – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) today responded to President Trump’s decision to deploy the National Guard in Memphis with the following statement:

“First, I had hoped the National Guard would not be deployed here. Mayor Young told me earlier this week that it was a possibility and that, if Governor Lee decided to send them, he would work to use them in a manner that is secondary and supportive of the police. 

“Memphis is not ‘a troubled city,’ as President Trump has said. We have a crime problem. We do have problems that may be ‘endemic,’ but they are the result of centuries of racial discrimination, including slavery that separated families without educational opportunities. Even after they were freed, they faced Jim Crow discrimination in the South. These are the historical facts. What Memphis needs is consistent federal investment in police protection with additional, permanent patrols and community policing to establish relationships. We need programs like the Minority Business Development Center that Trump’s Commerce Department just eliminated which helped create jobs and capital accumulation.

“In the short run, the Guard can help the police in a supportive role. In the long run, Memphis needs federal dollars invested in proven programs.

“D.C. has been my second home for 19 years. I have a condo and a car, and I live in the city after work (not in my office). I do not perceive any change in the level of safety since Trump’s deployment of the National Guard in D.C. The president recently went out to a restaurant in D.C. and said that it is now the safest town in the world, and that it is safe to walk anywhere. That’s not true. There have not been ‘many arrests of very bad people,’ as he puts it. Most of the arrests are for low-level offenses. While D.C. crime is bad, it was declining and doesn’t differ much from national trends. 

“For Memphis, major investments in proven programs will make a difference; deploying the National Guard through a short publicity stunt will not. I certainly hope this not a facade for increased ICE enforcement in Memphis. That’s what I think this is about, and that would harm our local economy, particularly the tourist and construction industries. This is all about Trump showing the world that he’s a tough guy. This is the Trump Show 2.0.”

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09)

At Helsinki Commission hearing, asks about role of American-sponsored media in promoting freedom

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09)

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) wrote to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem for a third time Tuesday seeking answers about the Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s policies and priorities and the accuracy of its public statements about them.

Congressman Cohen said that the department’s stated goal of deporting “the worst of the worst” – those convicted of murder, rape or sexual abuse of children — doesn’t appear to be the practice since only 8 percent of detainees by one estimate have ever been convicted of violent crimes. “I find your rhetoric misleading,” the letter says in part.

Congressman Cohen said he returned to Washington after the August recess to discover that the longtime maintenance man in his building had been arrested by ICE. Residents and others have raised more than $56,000 in a GoFundMe campaign for his legal assistance and his family’s support.

“To the best of my knowledge, and that of many of my neighbors, he was never involved in any criminal activity — simply a hard-working man trying to support his American citizen children. There when I left, gone when I came back,” the letter says.

Congressman Cohen reiterated his questions in letters dated February 13 and March 28, for which he has not received a reply, asking for the number of unauthorized immigrants ICE has apprehended since January 20 and how many of those were convicted of crimes and in what jurisdictions.

See the entire letter here.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09)

WASHINGTON — Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) today reintroduced legislation to address the epidemic of childhood obesity in America. Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey plans to introduce a companion bill in the Senate. The measure, the Reducing Obesity in Youth Act, would create incentives to improve the future health of American children and affect future national health care costs and national security. 

One in three American teens and children is overweight or obese, placing them at risk of a host of cardiovascular diseases, including heart disease, stroke and diabetes. September is National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month.

Congressman Cohen made the following statement: 

“I have long been concerned that Tennessee has one of the highest childhood obesity rates in the nation. The national childhood obesity rate is dangerously high but, in recent years, Tennessee has trended even higher than the national average. The Reducing Obesity in Youth Act I am introducing with Senator Booker would help to reverse this trend and improve the health and well-being of America’s children. Research shows that early childhood is an important time for developing positive dietary and physical activity behaviors. The House and Senate bills being introduced would create a competitive grant program to incentivize the development of earlier health and nutrition education environments for our children. That kind of healthy start will lead to healthy lives.”

Senator Booker made the following statement:

“The childhood obesity epidemic is a growing health crisis leading to higher risks of chronic diseases, stroke, and heart conditions. This bicameral bill will create a grant program and enable local and state entities to promote healthy habits for our nation’s children so we can start to build a healthier America.”

In previous Congresses, the Reducing Obesity in Youth Act has been endorsed by the Association of State Public Health Nutritionists, Better Children’s Diets, Curricula Concepts, Inc., First Focus Campaign for Children, Florida Chapter for the American Academy of Pediatrics, Health Council of Southeast Florida, Jump in for Healthy Kids, Kids Forward, Laurie M. Trisch Center for Food, Education, and Policy, Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, Mary Ann Liebert Inc., Nemours Children’s Health System, Pennington Biomedical Research Foundation, Save the Children, and the Society of Behavioral Medicine.

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