Say NO to Socialism 

The people of Cuba have taken to the streets in the biggest protest for freedom Cuba has seen in 60 years – they have no access to food, healthcare, or internet as a direct result of failed socialist policies and communist rule. While the world was focused on Cuba, Maduro attempted to kidnap President Juan Guaido outside his home. Just another day in socialist paradise. Let's not forget, the Castro Regime in Cuba executed over 20,000 people, took property, farms and businesses leading to the destruction of the Cuban economy and millions were forced to flee in exile.

The truth is ever since the 19th century, experiments with socialism have led to painful human tragedy like starvation, imprisonment, and mass murder  that  includes deaths of more than 100 million people worldwide.. As socialism is losing its traditional stigma in American society, it is critical to remind U.S. citizens why this form of economic management is both dangerous and patently anti-American.

Many of the greatest crimes in history were committed by socialist ideologists, including Vladimir Lenin, Joseph Stalin, Mao Zedong, Fidel Castro, Pol Pot, Kim Jong Il, Kim Jong Un, Daniel Ortega, Hugo Chavez, and Nicolas Maduro. Tens of millions died in the Bolshevik Revolution, at least 10 million people were sent to the gulags in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), and millions more starved in the Terror-Famine (Holodomor) in Ukraine. Between 15 and 55 million people starved to death in the famine caused by the Great Leap Forward in China. Over 1 million people were gruesomely murdered in the Killing Fields when the Khmer Rouge took power in Cambodia and 3.5 million people have starved in North Korea while South Korea has prospered. After its turn to socialism, Venezuela changed from being a promising nation to being the country with the highest inflation rate in the world topping 65,000% in 2018. Basic needs are unable to be met and the average Venezuelan has lost more than 15 pounds due to starvation.

America's founding political philosophy was freedom of the individual, clearly articulated in the writings of our Founding Fathers, which is utterly opposed to the collectivistic nature of socialism. 

This is why I joined my Republican colleagues in co-sponsoring a resolution denouncing the horrors of socialism.  Read the resolution, here. 

For those of you who may not know the Hyde Amendment is a legislative provision that bars the use of federal funds to pay for abortion except to save the life of the mother, or pregnancies derived from incest or rape. 

The original provision was passed in 1976 but before the Hyde Amendment took effect in 1980, an estimated 300,000 abortions were performed annually using taxpayer funds.

Fast-forward to today. President Biden introduced his budget earlier this year which reverses this decade-long ban on federal funding of abortions. This is a radical step, even for Democrats. Let's not forget President Biden used to support Hyde, as did many other Democrats. But now they cater to the most extreme pro-abortion elements in their party. Not to mention the American people don’t want this: overwhelmingly oppose subsidizing abortion at home and abroad. Take a look at this polling:

• https://www.foxnews.com/politics/majority-americans-taxpayer-funding-abortion-poll
• https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/poll-strong-majority-of-americans-back-the-hyde-amendment/
• https://www.sba-list.org/polling

Folks, plain and simple, abortion is WRONG. the Hyde Amendment has saved nearly 2.5 million American lives. It inspired a whole “family” of policies that protect the most vulnerable and keep taxpayers out of the abortion business.

House Republicans have been offering unanimous consent requests on the House floor, asking for immediate consideration of H.R. 18, the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act, that would codify Hyde and implement it government-wide. 

I stand with my Republican colleagues in urging Democrats to cease their attack on Hyde, and pass H.R. 18 to make Hyde permanent, across the government, once and for all.

Recent Co-Sponsored Legislation

• H.Con.Res. 33 - Supporting the Local Radio Freedom Act.
• H.Res. 519 - Amending the Rules of the House of Representatives to require the chair of a select commission established in the legislative branch to report each line item expense to the Clerk of the House of Representatives, and for other purposes.
• H.R. 3827 - Protect Speech Act
• H.R. 4201 - To transfer functions related to unaccompanied alien children to the Department of Homeland Security, and for other purposes.
• H.Res. 530 - Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the Department of Homeland Security and all its law enforcement agencies conduct critical operations to keep the United States safe and secure.

Don't Forget to Renew Your Passports

Many constituents have reported: in-person appointments being fully booked for several weeks out;  overall delays in service; and passport processing taking an unnecessarily protracted amount of time—even for expedited service. 

As a result of these shortcomings, several constituents have contacted my office to inquire about the status of their passports because they cannot reach passport workers.  Some constituents have even missed their planned trips because of the inordinate service delays. 

As such, I wrote a letter to U.S. Department of State Secretary, Antony Blinken, requesting and explanation and a remedy for returning to normal passport processing times.  

I will keep you updated! 

 PLEASE CHECK YOUR PASSPORTS

Before you make any travel plans, please remember to check the expiration date!  It is a little known fact that some countries won’t allow entry if the visitor’s passport expires in six months or less.  This effectively means that your passport may expire months before you think it does.  Please check your family’s passports and if any will expire in less than a year, begin the renewal process now. 

The Department of State is experiencing delays in receiving passport applications due to unprecedented mail volume and other COVID-19 impacts on both the U.S. Postal Service and local passport processing centers.

You can now apply for routine service and expect to receive a passport in 10-12 weeks*. You also hav e the option of paying an additional $60 for expedited service to receive your passport in 4-6 weeks.

These processing times apply to applications submitted by mail and in-person at an acceptance facility in your community. Most acceptance facilities such as post offices, clerks of court, and libraries are open and accepting passport applications. 

The Department of State encourages you to apply by mail when possible because it is a safe, contactless option for certain services. 

If you plan to expedite your passport application due to upcoming travel plans, we recommend that you send your application using USPS' Priority Mail Express.

All of the passport agencies and centers are processing passport applications. Because of increases in COVID-19 cases and changing local health conditions, agencies and centers offer extremely limited in-person services. 

Should you have any issues regarding applying for or renewing a passport for an upcoming trip, don't forget, my office is here to help.  

Bureaucracy often brings red tape, but we know how to cut through it, and we are proud to fight on your behalf.  Whether you need help with immigration, IRS, Medicare, Social Security, passports, stimulus checks, small business loans, VA claims, FEMA relief, or other assistance, please call us! 

We can also help with flags flown over the U.S. Capitol, nominations to the military academies, or tours in Washington D.C.  We welcome opportunities to serve you.  For assistance or more information, please call or go online or visit weber.house.gov

God Bless you and God Bless Texas!