Dear Friend,
This week is bookended by two important milestones.
One month ago, Santa Fe experienced the unimaginable, a shooting in their high school. On Monday, I drove by the school on my way home. It still takes my breath away. In one, neat row stand 10 crosses, surrounded by teddy bears, flowers, candles, and photos. Ribbons in the school colors of green and gold are tied to every lamp post and street sign for miles.
Affected families are engulfed in unwavering support from their friends, neighbors, and total strangers alike. Santa Fe and surrounding communities hosted dozens of vigils, dinners, benefits. I attended many of these events, and the way this community rallied together to show their support for one another is truly remarkable. Texans will always be there to help our neighbors. In Santa Fe's time of need, the outpouring of love is overwhelming. We are Santa Fe Strong – today, tomorrow, always.
Today marks the sixth month since the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act went into effect. Since then, unemployment is down (3.8 percent!), consumer confidence is at a 17-year high, and companies created one million new jobs. More than 600 companies have announced additional bonuses and wage hikes totaling $4 billion, going to nearly 4 million American workers.
Small business owners are optimistic, and families are excited. Tax reform is making a difference for the American people, and this is only the beginning!
Blessings.
Sincerely,
Randy K. Weber
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| Juneteenth & Jack Johnson |
General Granger and his Union troops rode into Galveston on June 19, 1865 with a powerful message, “The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are freed.” Long overdue, this message changed the course of history.
Juneteenth is a day of national signficance. The strength and spirit displayed at each passing anniversary of Juneteenth is remarkable.
We must never forget our nation’s past. The evils and oppression of slavery have no place in society – not then and not now. Therefore, we must remember the moments like Juneteenth, that changed our nation for the better. We must grow from here and strive to always celebrate life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness – the unalienable rights that are the foundation of our nation.
Last week, I introduced a House Resolution, calling for Juneteenth to be nationally observed. A day of such significance to our nation's history deserves as much.
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Jack Johnson
Jack Johnson was born on March 31, 1878 in Galveston, Texas. During the span of his boxing career, he won many fights and is awarded the distinction of being the first African American World Heavyweight Boxing Champion.
In 1912, Johnson was arrested and charged with violating the Mann Act, which forbade traveling across state lines with a woman for immoral purposes. Johnson was traveling across state lines with Lucille Cameron, the woman he was seeing at the time. He would go on to serve nearly a year in federal prison.
Johnson passed away on June 10, 1946 after a car accident near Raleigh, North Carolina. On May 24, 2018 – nearly 72 years after his death – President Donald Trump granted Jack Johnson a full, posthumous pardon.
Jack Johnson is known as the "Galveston Giant." His contributions to the community and to history are numerous. Johnson saw many hardships and adversities in life, and he was not afraid to step into the ring to face a challenge. His conviction under the Mann Act was utterly wrong. Having just commemorated the 140th anniversary of his birth, it is truly historic to see this legendary Texan pardoned.
Galveston Island is home to Jack Johnson Park. This year's Juneteenth celebration carried on to the park, where we celebrated the presidential pardon of Jack Johnson.
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| CONFRONTING opioids |
The House passed the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act (H.R. 6), which is the culminating bill designed to address the opioid crisis. Opioid addiction is a problem that reaches every corner of our nation. The numbers are staggering, and the pain is real. Addiction hurts everyone involved – the individuals, the families, the friends, the community. SUPPORT addresses critical moments in the cycle of addiction. Our aim is always to protect our communities. In doing so, we are compelled to address and combat the opioid crisis.
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| FARM BILL |
The Farm Bill (H.R. 2) allows for a five-year reauthorization of appropriations for federal agriculture, conservation, and nutrition programs. It strengthens our agricultural economy, providing farmers certainty and stability. In addition, it reforms the nation’s nutrition programs by establishing substantive work requirements for work-capable adults. The value in a hard day’s work and the satisfaction it brings is undeniable. The reforms to nutrition programs and increased work requirements in this bill provide a hand up instead of a hand out. For work-capable adults age 18 to 59, the bill provides critical training to help people develop the necessary skills to gain well-paying jobs, self-sufficiency, and better futures for themselves and their families. This hand up gives our neighbors the tools they need to achieve their dreams. The trap of poverty and welfare is cyclical, and this is one step toward ending that cycle.
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