This week our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Ukraine.

The harrowing images and videos of Russian forces indiscriminately attacking Ukrainian cities are a stark reminder of what happens when the world lacks strong American leadership. Make no mistake, this is a brutal assault on a sovereign nation by a petty dictator to destroy the democratic nation of Ukraine. Russian President Putin and his cronies must be held accountable for their crimes.

I have been proud to serve our country, including in times of war, and I know firsthand the horrors of combat. In the coming days I will be taking aggressive steps to demand that President Biden reverse course to finally impose crippling costs on Vladimir Putin and prevent further death and destruction in Ukraine; to fully defend the United States and our allies from malign actors and enemies.

Now is the time for strength, not weakness.

We need a leader who is willing to stand up to Putin and defend the United States – one that will provide real solutions. We need President Biden to vocally commit to unleashing American energy producers to secure our country and our allies. Additionally, we need to re-open North American pipelines, approve all LNG facility permits, and to pass my Midland Over Moscow bill – which will strengthen U.S. energy independence and make American allies less dependent on Russian oil & gas.

As Russian tanks roll into Ukraine, President Biden is still working to decimate American oil and gas production—even though we produce the cleanest energy in the world. Texas, and specifically the Permian Basin, is essential in defending democracy. As the largest oil producing region in the nation, our district will play a key role in providing fuel as Putin threatens a chokehold on the world’s energy supply.

We must stand strong and reaffirm our commitment to American-made oil, and American national security. Yet President Biden’s anti-American energy policies made our allies more dependent on Russian oil and gas than ever before. This, coupled with the sequence of failures at home and abroad, created an environment of weakness and opportunity for Putin to strike. The United States and her allies should not be reliant on our enemies for energy. It is far past time to put Midland over Moscow!

My bill, the Midland Over Moscow Act, will strengthen U.S. energy independence and make American allies less dependent on Russian oil & gas. It will force the Biden Administration to develop an energy security strategy and fuel the world with American—not Russian—energy.

You can read more about my Midland Over Moscow bill in my Op-Ed in the Washington Times here or below.

Border Security is National Security Customs and Border Protection recently released data showing our failing Border security. In January alone, the Biden Administration’s Department of Homeland Security released 62,573 illegal migrants into the U.S. Border security is national security—and that begins here at home. Time and time again, Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas has failed to provide our border patrol agents with the tools and resources they need to secure our border. Last month, there were 153,941 border encounters, more than the last two January totals combined. In fact, last month’s total was the highest number of January border encounters since 2000, and it is higher than the final three Januarys of the Trump Administration combined. We need real solutions. This is why I have called for Secretary Mayorkas’ resignation – and I will continue calling for change until we have accountability and transparency for the American people.

Honoring Mary Lou Hand

Mary Lou Hand of Wall, TX served in World War II as a nurse and recently celebrated her 100th Birthday.

Mary Lou Hand served the United States during World War II as an Army nurse caring for those who were critically wounded. While serving in England, she met her husband and longtime sweetheart, Bob. Together, they raised six children and are blessed with 13 grandchildren, 25 great-grandchildren, and 3 great-great grandchildren. 

Recently, I spoke on the House Floor commending Mrs. Hand for her service to our country and congratulating her on her century of life well lived. You can watch my remarks here.

This week, I was able to meet Mary Lou and surprise her with a flag flown over the U.S. Capitol in her honor.

Thank you, Mary Lou, for your inspiring life of service to our country. I am proud to have wonderful leaders like you in our district!

Town Halls throughout our District

It was an honor to host Town Halls throughout our district this past week. Thank you to everyone who came and joined us this week in Goldthwaite, Brady, San Saba, Garden City, Midland, and Coke County.

With everything going on in the world, it is just as important as ever to stay informed and engaged. I am grateful to everyone who showed up for our Town Halls and engaged with me in important discussions about the state of our district and our nation.

I am already looking forward to the next Town Hall tour!