The United States Must Stand with the Brave Cubans Protesting for Freedom
Historic protests are taking place all over Cuba. For over sixty years, this nation, sitting only 90 miles from our shore, has been oppressed by the worst impulses of a rough regime and the failed promises of communist propaganda. The people have had enough. We must stand with the people of Cuba as they fight to finally rid themselves of this hegemon of the oppression of people, enterprise, and ideas this regime has perpetuated for decades.
Radical leftists, and even some mainstream Democrats, have been reluctant to denounce the communist regime, choosing to drag their feet and stay silent instead of lending support to the pro-democracy movement on the island and those brave enough to stand up.
The truth is clear. The United States remains the beacon of freedom and democracy around the world, and we must do everything within our power to support and defend those valiantly standing up for liberty, and we must do it at home.
Instead of throwing the doors open to drug and human traffickers on our southern border, President Biden must take decisive action to bolster the pro-democracy movement and support the brave Cubans fleeing communist oppression.
Legislation to Rename San Angelo VA Clinic After Col. Powell and JoAnne
Recently, I introduced legislation that would rename the Department of Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient clinic in San Angelo, Texas, the "Colonel Charles and JoAnne Powell VA Clinic" in honor of Colonel Charles Powell, former Wing Commander at Goodfellow Air Force Base, and his wife JoAnne, a cherished congressional staff member in my office who served the 11th District of Texas for over 35 years.
Colonel Powell and JoAnne served our country and this community with character and dignity—living their lives completely devoted to the service of others. Renaming the VA Clinic in San Angelo after these two legends could not be more fitting, as they both passionately supported our military members throughout their entire lives.
Our Nation is a better place because of their unparalleled patriotism and love for our country, but nowhere is the impact of their service felt more than right here in San Angelo.
I look forward to shepherding this initiative through the legislative process so that every veteran who walks in for care at the clinic, and every person in the community who drives by, will be reminded of, and inspired by the service of Charles and JoAnne
Last week I held a press conference announcing the legislation in the O.C. Fisher Federal Building in San Angelo, the same building that JoAnne was based out of for her 35 years of congressional service.
It was an honor to be joined by Goodfellow Air Force Base Wing Commander Colonel Nazario, and ASU President Gen. Ronnie D. Hawkins Jr., who gave remarks in support of JoAnne, as well as Colonel Powell and JoAnne’s daughter Terri Powell McKinney and grandson Colin McKinney.
You can watch the remarks given by myself, Colonel Nazario, and General Hawkins here or below.
Video Credit: Senora Scott of KSAN/Concho Valley Homepage
Introduced a Bill to Reform the Endangered Species Act
Last week, I introduced the Listing Reform Act, a bill that would modernize the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and prevent the ESA from being used as a weapon against critical agriculture and energy industries.
Extreme environmental groups regularly wield the outdated Endangered Species Act as a weapon against the agriculture and energy industries. We have seen this play out numerous times in the Permian Basin, with past attempts to list the Sagebrush Lizard, and current threats from the Biden Administration to list the Lesser Prairie Chicken.
This legislation reforms the ESA to deliver reasonable, common-sense protections for endangered species while preventing overbearing regulations coming from Washington, DC. Notably, the bill also requires the federal government to analyze the actual costs that ESA listings impose on our communities and critical industries.
We can protect important species without devastating our local and rural economies.
(Left to right) U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs Specialist William Hatton, ASU President Gen. Ronnie Hawkins Jr., Colin McKinney, GFAB Former Wing Commander Col. Nazario, Terri Powell McKinney, Rep. Pfluger
Visited TX-11 Agriculture Producing Sites
It was an honor to tour local agriculture businesses and visit with our producers in and around Comanche County with the Texas Farm Bureau.
I had the opportunity to hear directly from Texas-11 producers like the Volleman and Adams families.
The Volleman's employ nearly 100 individuals and produce milk sold throughout the entire State of Texas. Larry and Sheri Adams own the K-Bar Ranch and raise cattle, pecans, and corn—the same corn that serves as feed for the 5,000 Holstein cows at Volleman’s Dairy.
Both sites are impressive examples of some of the many fantastic agriculture operations in our district. Meeting with them allowed me to better understand the needs and concerns facing farmers and ranchers.
I was also thankful for the opportunity to survey damages from feral hogs and discuss predator control efforts. Predators cause hundreds-of-millions worth of agriculture related damages in a year alone—this has been a continued problem for Texas agriculture producers. I will continue to champion policies that protect the important tools we currently have and allow for the development of more efficient methods to control invasive species.
Attended Change of Command Ceremony at Goodfellow Air Force Base
Camille and I had the privilege of attending the Change of Command Ceremony at Goodfellow Air Force Base, as Colonel Nazario successfully completed his term and relinquished command of the wing to Colonel Matthew Reilman.
For the past two years, Colonel Nazario served Goodfellow Air Force Base, San Angelo, and our Nation with distinction as the Base Commander of Goodfellow. Our community is truly a better place because of his leadership, kind spirit, and sharp work-ethic.
We are extremely lucky to be led by extremely talented and qualified public servants both past and present. I look forward to working closely with Colonel Reilman to support Goodfellow as they educate the next generation of intelligence analysts for this Nation.
Thank you for reading. It is the honor of my lifetime to serve you in Congress. Please follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for daily updates.
Hosted an Agriculture Round Table
It was an honor to be hosted by the Texas Farm Bureau for a round table in Comanche last week. I could not be more proud to represent agriculture-centered communities that produce critical food, fiber, and clothing for Texas and beyond.
I remain committed to pushing back against policies that undercut our rural communities. Instead of raising taxes, we should be focused on expanding rural broadband, cutting bureaucratic red tape for producers and small businesses alike, and promoting the pro-growth, America-first economic policies that were championed under President Trump.
