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Pfluger Fly-By Newsletter

Pfluger Fly-By: June 28, 2024

 

June 28, 2024

President Biden’s Leadership is Untenable

Last night, we saw President Biden and former President Trump lay out their vision for the next four years. President Biden’s policies have weakened our nation from every angle—on the border, the economy, foreign policy, and more.

We deserve better. I am fighting to restore a strong economy, a strong military, and a national security posture that protects Americans at home and abroad.

Supreme Court Overturns Chevron Deference

Today, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) overruled the Chevron Deference Doctrine—coined after the 1984 Chevron vs. Natural Resources Defense Council Supreme Court Case. For years, this doctrine has allowed unelected officials to run roughshod over Congress and implement harmful regulations.

Essentially, Chevron Deference allows executive branch agencies to take liberties and work off their interpretations of directives from Congress. This has spiraled out of control and resulted in a regulatory state where federal agencies have seized power and have overreached in many areas to the detriment of our businesses and national security.

The Supreme Court ruling is a huge win for American energy producers in the Permian Basin, small businesses, and the American people.

I am introducing legislation to provide immediate clarity to Americans about the exact statutes and rules that relied on the Chevron Deference. Read more here in The Texan.

Supreme Court Strikes Down EPA's Good Neighbor Rule

Another decision by the Supreme Court that came down this week struck down the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) harmful and egregious "Good Neighbor Rule" which ignored states and would have stifled manufacturing and energy production. This ruling is a win for individual states to control their own emission plans and a check on the blatant overreach of the EPA.

Rebranded DHS "Advisory Board" Is Blatant Political Bias

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently rebranded the politically-biased “Experts Group” into the "DHS Intelligence Board." This board is made up of corrupt operatives like John Brennan and John Clapper, who wrongly deemed Hunter Biden's laptop as Russian disinformation weeks before the 2020 election.

It is unacceptable that our own DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas is appointing partisan and politically motivated individuals to advise on matters of national security. I wrote a letter to Secretary Mayorkas with U.S. House Homeland Security Chairman Mark Green (R-TN) demanding answers for the creation of this board. You can read more in the Daily Caller here or below.

Oversight of DHS Office of Intelligence and Analysis

As Chairman of the U.S. House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Counterterrorism, Law Enforcement, and Intelligence, we held a hearing to conduct overdue oversight of the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Office of Intelligence and Analysis (I&A).

The U.S. continues to face a diverse range of threats from our adversaries like China, Russia, and Iran. The Office of I&A needs to remain laser-focused on its mission to detect threats to the U.S. Watch here or below for my full opening statement.

400 Immigrants Smuggled into the U.S. By ISIS-Linked Group

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) revealed this week that 400 illegal aliens have been smuggled into the country by an ISIS-affiliated smuggling network. At least 50 of these individuals are still at large and roaming freely in the United States.

As a fighter pilot, I fought against ISIS in Syria and Iraq. Now the Biden Administration has ceded control over our borders to these terrorists and the cartels.

I am demanding immediate action from the Administration to address these security gaps. The safety of our nation must always be our top priority.

Read more in Fox News here or below.

Addressing the Shortage of the Cyber Security Workforce

There are currently 500,000 unfilled cybersecurity jobs across the country, which has created a workforce gap and undermines our ability to protect Americans. I am proud to represent Angelo State University and thrilled to learn their bachelor's degree in computer science was recognized and validated by the National Security Agency (NSA) as an NSA Program of Study. Watch here or below for my full line of questioning.

2024 Congressional Art Competition Winner: Emily Parsons

It was a pleasure to meet with our 2024 Congressional Art Competition Winner: Emily Parsons and her family, who visited Washington, D.C. from Killeen for the Art Competition winners ceremony.

Emily's beautiful piece titled the "American Dream" will hang in the Nation's Capitol for one year where it will be viewed by Members of Congress and thousands of visitors.

2024 Congressional App Challenge

My office is now accepting submissions for the 2024 Congressional App Competition. The competition is open to all 6-12 grade students in the 11th Congressional District of Texas and is an opportunity for students to develop their skills in computer science and STEM.

The deadline is October 24th, 2024 at 12:00 pm ET. Students can register and upload their app here.

PRIZES

· The winner from the 11th Congressional District, chosen by a panel of expert judges, will be featured on the House of Representatives website,House.gov, as well as onCongressionalAppChallenge.us. The winning app will also be displayed in the U.S. Capitol among other winners from across the country. Additional sponsor prizes to be announced.

RULES

· Students will create an application (aka app) for PC, web, tablet, robot, mobile, etc Any programming such as C, C++, JavaScript, Python, Ruby, or "block code" will be accepted.

· There are NO LIMITS on the application theme or topic.

· Students may work individually or in teams made up of no more than four.

Students are highly encouraged to review the competition’s complete rules and regulations on the Congressional App Challenge's website. For more information, please visitcongressionalappchallenge.us/ or contact Kathy Keane in the San Angelo Office atKathy.Keane@mail.house.gov.


Thank you for reading. It is the honor of my lifetime to serve you in Congress. Please follow me onFacebook,Instagram, andTwitterfor daily updates.

Rep. August Pfluger

Member of Congress