News from Congressman Scott Fitzgerald

Thank you for reading my newsletter. Here's a summary of last week:

Message from Congressman Scott Fitzgerald

Good morning! I hope you had a wonderful Mother's Day Weekend spent with family or friends. Let me update you on a few of the most important happenings from last week.

House Republicans delivered on our commitment to deliver solutions to the ongoing border crisis by passing H.R. 2, the Secure the Border Act. This legislation is the most significant immigration and border security reform package passed in the House in over a decade. Since coming to Congress, I have visited our southern border several times and experienced the crisis firsthand. Our border patrol and immigration officers are overwhelmed and suffering from low morale all while criminal cartels are making a fortune through human and drug trafficking. I'm proud to support this legislation and hope the Senate will consider the proposal.

A few other legislative highlights of the week include the Judiciary Committee's markup of several of my bills and the introduction of legislation to protect our law enforcement officers. Both my NDO Fairness Act and Separation of Powers Restoration Act were both passed by the committee favorably and I introduced the Law Enforcement Innovate to De-Escalate Act to ensure our officers have access to top-notch equipment to keep us safe.

My week in Washington was a busy one, but I'm grateful for the opportunity to work on legislation to hold the Biden administration accountable and meet with constituents and community stakeholders. It's an honor to continue fighting on your behalf.

- Scott

Key Votes

H.R. 2 the Secure the Border Act - YES

H.R. 1163 the Protecting Taxpayers and Victims of Unemployment Fraud Act - YES

H.R. 2 the Secure the Border Act

Since President Biden took office, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) have estimated over 5 million individuals have been apprehended at our southern border, with an additional 1.3 million known successful "gotaways."

On top of this, a record amount of illicit drugs, like fentanyl, have been seized by Border Patrol. Unfortunately, what CBP has intercepted represents only a fraction of what is successfully smuggled into our country. This administration's open-border policies are to blame for this historic crisis.

The Secure the Border Act will do the following:

- Force the Biden administration to restart construction of the border wall.
- Deploy technology to the southern and northern border.
- Increase the number of Border Patrol agents by 22,000 and provide bonus pay.
- Require transparency regarding illegal crossings from the Dept. of Homeland Security.
- Strengthen current law to protect unaccompanied children from human trafficking.
- End the "catch and release" policy.
- End abuse of parole authority.
- Strengthen and streamline the asylum process.

Watch my floor remarks in support of H.R. 2, the Secure the Border Act

Judiciary Committee: NDO Fairness Act/ SOPRA Act Legislation Markup

The House Judiciary Committee passed two of my bills. I’m proud of the work being done by the Judiciary Committee and thank Chairman Jordan for his leadership.

First, the Non-Disclosure Order Fairness Act. Under current law, the government can access U.S. citizens’ data without letting them know. This bipartisan legislation protects Americans’ data privacy by preventing abuse of “gag” orders by requiring the federal gov. to notify those under investigation.

Second, the Separation of Powers Restoration Act. A 1984 precedent called Chevron requires courts to defer to agency interpretations of ambiguous statutes, rather than how Congress wrote them. This bill restores congressional intent and stops executive branch overreach.

Watch My Opening Statement on the NDO Fairness Act

Introduced the Law Enforcement Innovate to De-Escalate Act

Law enforcement relies on less-than-lethal weapons to protect themselves in dangerous situations. Technology has progressed quickly and it’s important the law evolves to ensure departments across the country can access the critical equipment they need to keep us safe.

I introduced the Law Enforcement Innovate to De-Escalate Act to update the Gun Control Act of 1968 (GCA) to ensure modern devices, such as TASERS, can be more accessible for law enforcement.