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Eliminating sanctuary cities and Planned Parenthood funding
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U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter

In the wake of the tragic terrorist attack in Chattanooga, I cosponsored H.R. 3115, the Enhancing Safety at Military Installations Act, to allow military personnel with firearms training to carry firearms on military bases and other installations, including recruitment centers.

I asked you this week on buddycarter.house.gov to see if you agree that servicemembers should be allowed to carry firearms on military installations. More than 95 percent of respondents agreed.

We cannot continue to allow the brave men and women who defend our nation to be sitting ducks here at home. Military personnel must be armed and able to defend themselves at all times.

Defunding Planned Parenthood

By now, I am sure you have all seen the disturbing and horrific undercover videos alleging that Planned Parenthood has been harvesting and selling infant organs and body parts. These videos are nothing short of atrocious and they give us a direct look into the reprehensible culture at Planned Parenthood. Precious taxpayer funds should never be used on abortions and it is especially unacceptable when these illegal and horrific practices are going on.

To ensure taxpayer funds are not going to Planned Parenthood, I signed on as an original cosponsor of H.R. 3134 to place an immediate moratorium on all federal funding streams to planned parenthood, including Medicaid, while Congress conducts a thorough investigation. A 2015 Government Accountability Office report revealed that Planned Parenthood received $1.2 billion in funding from Medicaid alone over a three-year period. I am also a cosponsor of H.R. 217 to eliminate funding for abortion providers through Title X. Title X has historically been a major source of federal funding for Planned Parenthood.

I will continue to fight diligently to ensure that federal funding does not go to Planned Parenthood or any other abortion provider.

Eliminating sanctuary cities

This week, the House passed H.R. 3009 with my support to eliminate specific federal grants for so-called sanctuary cities which refuse to enforce or cooperate with federal immigration law.

This is Congress’ first step toward addressing this serious issue and I’m going to make sure it is not the last. As a former mayor, I find it appalling that anyone serving in public office would create a safe haven for dangerous illegal aliens who will take the lives of others like Kate Steinle who was murdered in a sanctuary city allegedly by an illegal alien who is a seven-time felon.

While the legislation passed this week is a step in the right direction, federal funding should be completely prohibited if these cities continue to refuse to cooperate in the interest of public safety. These cities are not just imperiling their own citizens, they are putting at risk the safety of citizens at home in Georgia and across the country.

Taxpayers should not be on the hook to subsidize these misguided and dangerous policies and I will not waver in my fight to completely eliminate federal funding.

From our nation’s Capitol

Monday, July 20: One of the greatest honors of being a Member of Congress is to participate in ceremonies recognizing our military. This past weekend, I had the privilege of attending the Savannah Area Military Officers Association meeting where we honored Vietnam Veterans on the 50th anniversary of the war.

This special group of men and women never received the proper homecoming they deserved making this ceremony even more significant as we show our gratitude for their service. Saturday evening, I had the opportunity of welcoming the Southern Legislative Conference to Savannah for their 69th annual meeting. This gathering of state legislators from the South is a great opportunity to share ideas and innovations across state lines. Today is a travel day, and as I arrive in Washington, I am able to meet with staff for our weekly staff briefing to review our agenda and prepare for the upcoming week.

Tuesday, July 21: Today is a special day as I am able to join some of my fellow freshman members of Congress on a tour of the Air Combat Command at Langley Air Force Base (AFB) in Langley, Va. Before departure, we are joined by Maj. Gen. Linda Urrutia-Varhall, the assistant deputy chief of staff, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance. After departing from Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland aboard a KC-135, we arrive at Langley AFB and are greeted by Vice Commander Maj. Gen. Jerry Harris Jr., who leads us in a mission brief detailing the work done at this fine facility. After visiting with the officers and enlisted troops, we tour the 1st Fighter Wing and have the opportunity to view the F-22, one of the finest flying machines in our military.

Following a tour of the 497th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group and the Distributed Common Ground System, where we had a chance to witness the extensive cyber-security monitoring and surveillance done around the world from this base, we re-board the KC-135 for our trip back to Andrews AFB.

During our flight back, we divert to the North Carolina coast to participate in an air refueling of an F-15. Two at a time, lying on our stomachs in the rear of this massive airplane 10,000 feet in the air, we watch some of our country’s finest troops lower a boom to the F-15 flying below us and refuel it while we are flying.

This impressive tour helped remind me how fortunate we are to be served by such fine men and woman in our military.
Upon arriving back at the Capitol, I immediately head to a meeting of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform before heading to our weekly Whip Team meeting to discuss this week’s legislative agenda.
Afterwards, I head to the House chamber where we have our first and only vote series of the day and observe a moment of silence in honor of the five Marines murdered in Chattanooga, Tenn., last week.

Wednesday, July 22: After our weekly Republican Conference meeting, I head over to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform where we are marking up and voting on a number of bills, including H.R. 598, the Taxpayers Right-To-Know Act.

Next, I head to a meeting of the Committee on Education and the Workforce where we are marking up and voting on H.R. 511, the Tribal Labor Sovereignty Act, before heading back to the office to meet with Brigadier General Hubert Hegtvedt, the commander of the 442 Fighter Wing at Whiteman AFB in Missouri. The 442nd has troops stationed at Moody AFB in Valdosta, and many of the wing’s citizen airmen are members of the 476th Fighter Group at Moody AFB.

Next, I head back to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform where we have a Member’s only briefing concerning upcoming hearings before heading to a meeting of the Republican Study Committee, a group focused on promoting conservative issues.

After walking to the House chamber for our first vote series of the day, I remain in the chamber as we take the official photograph of the 114th Congress. Next, I meet with representatives from SNF Holding Company in Riceboro, who are visiting the Capitol this week, before meeting with the National Park Service to receive an update on the three National Parks in the First Congressional District, Cumberland Island, Fort Pulaski, and Fort Frederica. Afterwards, I head back to the House chamber where we have our second and final vote series of the day.

Thursday, July 23: My day starts with a meeting of the Subcommittee on Transportation Security of the Homeland Security Committee where we mark up and vote on three bills. After returning to the office, I meet with representatives from the Georgia Agribusiness Council. Agriculture remains the number one industry in Georgia, and we are blessed to have a strong ag community in the First Congressional District.

We are also fortunate to have an ag fellow interning in our Washington office this summer. Katelin Benkoski from Madison is a senior Animal Science and Ag Business major at the University of Georgia and has done a great job in our office this summer.

After heading to the House chamber for our first vote series of the day, I meet with former Georgia Economic Development Commissioner Chris Cummiskey, who is now working with Southern Company and is in town for a short visit. Our second and final vote of the day is next and afterwards I preside over the house as Speaker Pro-tem during Special Orders before heading back to the office for a tele-town hall meeting.

The tele-town hall meetings provide us with a great opportunity to keep constituents of the First Congressional District informed of the news in Washington as well as giving them the opportunity to ask questions and keeping me informed of the issues that are important to them.