Since day one in office, President Biden has waged war on American fossil fuels. This has led to 40-year high inflation and made everyday life more expensive for people across the board—from the gas pump to the grocery store. 

To cover up his failed “rush-to-green” agenda, President Biden is depleting our Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR). He has sold off more than 200 million barrels—nearly 40 percent of the stockpile—while in office. This is more than all the U.S. presidents in history combined. Nearly 60% of the SPR is in our Congressional District – TX14. 

As a result, the SPR is now at its lowest level since 1984 – and the administration has no plan to refill it. This week, his administration announced an additional 15 million barrels would be drained from the SPR to bailout Democrats ahead of the midterms, further surrendering both our energy security and national security to countries like Russia, China, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela. 

President Biden is depleting our strategic reserves at a record rate. We’re going to run dangerously low—and be unprepared for a true emergency—if his reckless actions continue.  

If President Biden was serious about lowering prices across the board—and not just interested in an election year gimmick—he would work with Republicans on solutions to flip the switch for more American energy production.  

This Halloween will be scarier than usual, with candy prices up over 13% and pumpkin prices up over 7% since last year. According to the National Retail Federation, America’s families could have the most expensive Halloween on record, with each adult spending an estimated average of $100.45 this year.

Americans are paying more for just about everything this Halloween because of inflation:

• Pumpkins are UP 7.5%
• Twix are UP 53%
• Skittles are UP 41%
• Reese’s are UP 35%
• Starbursts are UP 30%
• Kit Kats are UP 21%
• Snickers are UP 12%
• M&M’s are UP 12%
• Sour Patch Kids are UP 10%
• Butterfingers are UP 5%

Candy prices on average are up OVER 13% as of September.

In September, the CPI came in “hotter” than expected at 8.2% for the 12 months ending September. 

Inflation has outpaced workers’ wages for 18 months in a row under Joe Biden’s watch. 

The skyrocketing cost of goods and services will cost the average American household over $700 a month, which adds up to over $8,000 a year. 

This week, I joined Rep. Buddy Carter to introduce two pieces of legislation that would enforce the executive branch's budget deadlines by restricting pay and travel if the president is unable to meet budget deadlines. 

Without an enforcement mechanism in place, budget deadlines are mere suggestions. Like households and businesses across the country, the United States government cannot afford property without a budget - look no further than the $31 trillion in national debt for proof. But President Biden has ignored the budget deadline before, and his neglect to provide the taxpayers with his budget on time is unacceptable—especially when the taxpayers who fund the government in the first place are penalized financially for missing statutory deadlines. We will hold him accountable by withholding all political appointees' salary payments and any taxpayer funds for Presidential travel if President Biden fails to submit a timely budget.

President Biden’s historic border crisis is only getting worse. In September, there were 227,547 illegal crossings of our southern border—ending Fiscal Year 2022 with a new U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) record of over 2.37 MILLION illegal crossings.

Joe Biden and House Democrats’ open-border policies have created an invasion at our southern border. The American people have seen enough. When House Republicans earn the majority, we will secure our southern border and end the reckless policies that have left it wide open.

This week, I joined the Southeast Texas Transportation Summit with Reps. Brian Babin and Sylvia Garcia to discuss the federal dollars that are coming to the Houston region for transportation projects. The country and Texas need a robust transportation system—whether that is by rail, water or sky—to keep the economy running. I stopped by the Port of Galveston's public meeting to hear updates about traffic planning, port improvements, and long-range plan project. I had the honor of presenting a certificate of recognition to the Small Business Administration for all their efforts in helping small businesses during COVID. With the help of their Paycheck Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster Loans, small businesses were able to recover and prosper again. The programs have now closed, and SBA saved our district an estimated $14,050,111. 

• H.R. 8736 - GUARD VA Benefits Act
• H.R. 8913 - TCJA Permanency Act
• H.R. 9238 - To transfer certain amounts authorized to be appropriated for foreign assistance to the Department of Homeland Security for programs securing the southern border of the United States, and for other purposes.

It is a privilege to represent our district in Congress.  While we’ve faced many challenges in recent years, through strength and prayer, we have persevered. 

Please know that we are always a resource for you.  Call or stop by any of the offices (YOUR offices, we work for you), whenever you need assistance or want to talk about an issue before Congress.

For assistance or more information, please call or go online to visit us at weber.house.gov.

God Bless you and God Bless Texas!