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Dear Mr. xxxxxx,
Count the Crimes to Cut Passes the House
Last week, I was honored to have my bill, H.R. 2159, the Count the Crimes to Cut Act, pass on the floor of the House. This legislation requires the Department of Justice to produce a public report and database outlining all federal criminal statutory offenses and directs federal agencies to do the same for all criminal regulatory offenses.
Rep. Roy on passage of H.R. 2159: “I am proud that the House of Representatives passed the Count the Crimes to Cut Act on a bipartisan basis. There are at least hundreds of thousands of criminal federal laws and regulations on the books, but no one even knows how many we actually have. And many of these laws and regulations are outdated and unnecessary, if not outright ridiculous. At any time, someone could be held criminally liable for something they don’t even know about — this is absurd and it’s far past time we get a full understanding of the federal criminal tapestry to ensure no American is caught in the crosshairs of overcriminalization. I urge the Senate to take up this bill as soon as possible so we can get to work counting the crimes.”
Specifically, my legislation requires the Attorney General, in cooperation with agency heads, to produce a full report of all federal criminal statutes and federal regulations with criminal penalties. For each offense, the report is required to provide the following details: the elements of each offense. the potential penalties for each offense, the number of prosecutions brought in the last 15 years for each offense, and the mens rea required for each offense.
Representatives Lucy McBath (GA-06), Andy Biggs (AZ-05), and Steve Cohen (TN-09) joined me as original cosponsors. The legislation is endorsed by the Due Process Institute, the National District Attorneys Association, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Families Against Mandatory Minimums, the R Street Institute, and Right on Crime.
You can read the full text of the Count the Crimes to Cut Act here.
The SCORE Act - Federal Regulation of College Sports
Last Monday, the House Rules Committee took testimony on H.R. 4312, the SCORE Act. This legislation seeks to implement a regulation scheme for College Athletics. I voiced my opposition to the bill in the Committee, and House leadership ultimately pulled the bill from consideration on the floor. As a former college student-athlete myself, I understand the need for a proper and complete assessment of college sports regulations, and this legislation falls short.
Rep. Roy on the SCORE Act: “If we’re going to intervene, maybe we should fully intervene. Maybe we should fix the mess so we don’t have 16 teams in the SEC and 17 teams in the ACC and 19 teams in the BIG 10 and Stanford in the Atlantic Coast Conference.”
"We don't have college athletics. It's a joke. We've destroyed college athletics. We have minor league sports masquerading as collegiate."
"I mean, why are we allowing coaches to walk out and be paid not to coach for years? It's insane. I mean, what we just saw unfold with Lane Kiffin is just an absolute abomination... Yes, college sports can compete with other leagues for entertainment dollars, but this is not supposed to be NFL-lite."
"We're going to go try to slap a band aid on a broken college athletic system. And I'm still going to end up with a crappy playoff structure, with a crappy system that doesn't even really work very well, that destroys the very fabric of the conferences that were so great, that built up the traditions and the rivalries that are now just blown up because of money and because of TV contracts.... Respectfully, I'm against the [the SCORE Act].”
The major components of the SCORE Act are antitrust exemptions for the NCAA and conferences, prevention of student-athletes from being legally classified as employees under labor law, federal preemption of state law to prevent states from issuing their own regulations, and a regulation scheme for Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals. As mostly taxpayer-funded entities, Universities should not be receiving federal carve-outs and exemptions. These government-subsidized schools have already broken the college athletics system, leading to allegations of ‘pay-for-play’; this system needs a complete reevaluation, not a band-aid.
You can read the text of H.R. 4312 here and watch my comments to the committee here.
Ten Commandments Amicus Brief
On Thursday, I joined Senator Cruz and House Speaker Johnson in filing an Amicus brief to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in support of Texas’s law to mandate public schools display the Ten Commandments. We were proud to be joined by 43 other members of Congress in supporting the legal defense of religious liberty and American heritage.
Rep. Roy on defending the Ten Commandments: “America was founded as a nation grounded in a distinctly Christian understanding, and the Ten Commandments are intertwined with America’s legal, moral, and historical heritage. Christianity and the rule of law have been under attack by radical progressives who dare to upend Western civilization and steer America’s youth away from the morals that made our country great. Placing the Ten Commandments in every classroom in Texas affirms that we are a Judeo-Christian nation, upholding our historical and moral heritage and proclaiming the Ten Commandments as a guiding path for a righteous way of life.”
You can read the full Amicus Brief here.
My Letter to AMPYR Energy to Protect the Hill Country
Last week, I sent a letter to AMPYR Energy expressing my concerns about the proposed development of an energy storage and solar facility near Willow City in Gillespie County, TX. As the Representative for Gillespie County and the Texas Hill Country, I take my duty of stewardship seriously for the land my constituents and I call home.
Rep. Roy to AMPYR Energy: “A huge fire in March 2025 covered the exact swath of land that you’ve secured for your project. Please research the Crabapple Fire and the immense state and local resources required to contain it. It burned almost 10,000 acres, jumping across State Highway 16 and reaching FM 1631. This was without the presence of lithium batteries that are even more difficult to extinguish after they catch fire. The Willow City Volunteer Fire Department is the closest to your property. They are not equipped to handle lithium battery fires. The next closest fire department is in Fredericksburg, also staffed mostly by volunteers.
Naturally, residents of Gillespie County are concerned about the environmental risks BESS and solar facilities pose to one of most vulnerable areas in Texas, among other things.”
You can read my full letter here.
Trump Echoes the Need for the PAUSE Act
After the horrific shooting of Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom and Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, two National Guard troops stationed in Washington, D.C., by an Afghan immigrant, President Trump announced his intention to pause all immigration from third-world countries into the United States. Specialist Beckstrom tragically passed away on Thanksgiving with her family by her side, and Sgt. Wolfe is still fighting for his life in the hospital. The incident was rightly labelled a radical Islamist terrorist attack after the Afghan assailant was allowed to come into America under the Biden administration’s ‘Operation Allies Welcome’.
Days later, federal and state authorities uncovered a massive welfare fraud scheme committed by Somali immigrants in Minnesota. Totaling in the billions of dollars, this fraud scheme saw Somalian immigrants abuse housing assistance, SNAP, and COVID benefits to enrich themselves – even funneling money back home to Somalia, which allegedly ended up in the hands of Al-Shabab, a U.S.-recognized terrorist organization. In response, President Trump vowed to crack down and prosecute the fraudsters and reiterated his support for a near-total immigration pause.
President Trump’s comments follow days after the introduction of my bill, H.R. 6225, the PAUSE Act. This legislation pauses all immigration into the U.S. until we can ensure that no Islamists enter this country and end all welfare benefits for immigrants, among other things. I proudly echo President Trump’s sentiments and encourage Congress to act quickly to pass my legislation and keep Americans safe.
Rep. Roy on the PAUSE Act: "The problem isn’t just illegal immigration; it’s also legal immigration. While the Biden administration opened our borders and allowed millions to flood into our country, they also rubber-stamped millions more arriving through convoluted legal schemes, completely overwhelming the system.”
You can view the text of the PAUSE Act here and my interview with Benny Johnson here.
Weaponization of Justice and Healthcare Reform
On Wednesday, I joined Maria Bartiromo of "Mornings with Maria" on Fox Business to break down a GAO report exposing widespread Obamacare tax credit fraud and warn of growing government overreach as Republicans push for accountability.
Rep. Roy on Mornings with Maria: "Jim Jordan is right to subpoena Jack Smith. The amount of abuse is egregious. It's the biggest scandal, certainly in modern times, if not in American history. If you look at the depth and the breadth of the abuse of power by the Biden administration… We need to hold them accountable. We need to expose it to the American people, because it's real. You cannot have an empowered federal government that is abusing power, targeting people for their political beliefs and values. President Trump is the face of that, and he's bringing it to light. God bless him for it."
We need to deliver for the American people. And if we do that, we'll be fine next November, but we've got to back up the president. Congress needs to actually get on offense on health care. Get on offense on housing affordability. Why do we have foreign interest owning housing stock? Why don't we stop that? Why do we have big corporations owning houses in America? Let's stop that. Let's stop enriching insurance companies, and let's give power to American families to afford health care."
You can watch my full conversation with Maria here.
National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day
We are privileged to live in a country that our brave forefathers risked everything to protect. As President Roosevelt said, “Yesterday, December 7, 1941—a date which will live in infamy—the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan. Eighty-four years later we remember and honor the 2,403 Americans who were killed during the viscous attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7. Their heroism shall echo through the ages, the stories shall endure, and their sacrifice shall never be forgotten.
Rep. Roy’s on our WWII Veterans: “Today we honor those who gave the last full measure of devotion and the millions of Americans who stood up to fight and destroy tyranny in response.”
You can read President Trump’s National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day Proclamation here.
National Museum of the Pacific War Gallery Reopening
To honor the legacy of those lost in the attack on Pearl Harbor 84 years ago and the men who bravely avenged them, Team Roy joined WW2 veterans, George P. Bush, Chairman John Nau, and the FBG community to celebrate the grand reopening of the George H.W. Bush gallery at the National Museum of the Pacific War.
Service Academy Board Interviews
Service Academy Board interviews were held this past Saturday at Alamo Heights Junior High - thankful for our staff and board members guiding the next generation of leaders.
Spring Intern Applications
My office is looking for spring interns in our Washington D.C. office. If you’re interested or know someone who might be, I encourage you to apply or reach out to my office for more information!
Please contact [email protected] for more information or to submit an application.
Sincerely,
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