Tuesday, April 28: My weekend began with the annual Stand Up For America Parade in my hometown of Port Wentworth. While all parades are special, this one always brings back memories of my childhood as I can remember riding my bicycle in this parade as well as marching with my youth baseball teams when I was growing up here. Despite the inclement weather that shortened the day’s activities, the parade was a special event as usual.
Yesterday, I had the opportunity to attend the Savannah Rotary Club’s weekly meeting held at Bethesda Academy for their 275thanniversary kick-off. The work that has been done at this fine institution over the years has been a blessing for many young men and their families and is another example of how our community’s outpouring of love and support makes the First Congressional District such a special place to live.
I also had the opportunity to tour the Midtown Surgical Center with Dr. John Murrell and his staff to discuss surgical centers and their importance in our health care delivery system. Also yesterday afternoon I had a number of meetings at our district office on Abercorn Street.
After meeting with Steven Fischer with the National Association of Realtors, Robin Fowler with the Georgia Association of the Deaf and others, I spent the afternoon with the Tybee Island Republican Club at their monthly dinner meeting.
This morning, before boarding a flight back to Washington, I had the pleasure of appearing on “Mid-Morning Live” with Jody Chapin and Tim Guidera to discuss my first 100 days in Congress. Once back in Washington, my first meeting of the afternoon is with the Georgia Beer Wholesalers Association before we have our weekly staff meeting.
Next, I have the honor of traveling with other members of the Whip Team to tour the rehab units at Walter Reed Hospital and visit with some of our nation’s wounded warriors. These courageous young men and women are our country’s heroes and are truly inspirations to all of us. I was also extremely impressed with the staff at Walter Reed, especially the outstanding members involved in making prosthesis for our wounded warriors. Their ingenuity and determination to accommodate these wounded warriors is simply amazing. They will stop at nothing and help to improve the quality of life of our wounded warriors with their great work.
Once back at the Capitol, I head to the House Chamber for votes where we pass two bills before I finish the day with meetings with members from the Medical Association of Georgia and the Georgia Dental Association.
Wednesday, April 29: After a breakfast meeting with companies in the First Congressional District who utilize and depend on the Export-Import Bank, I attend a Republican conference meeting before heading to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform where we are questioning the Capitol Police, Secret Service and other agencies involved in the incident where a retired Postal worker landed a gyrocopter on the Capitol grounds a few weeks ago.
Next, I head back to my office to meet with representatives from the Georgia Farm Bureau, including my good friends, Pete Waller and Ed Zipperer. Afterwards, I head to the House Chamber to attend a joint session of Congress to hear from Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. My special guest for the address is Mickey Sakai from Savannah, who is the manager of the Fuji Oil plant in Savannah. Neither Mikey nor I are disappointed, as Prime Minister Abe delivers an outstanding address, conveying his country’s regrets for their participation in WW II and vowing that Japan will continue to be a friend of the U.S. and will do its part in helping keep peace in Asia and around the world.
At lunch I attend a meeting of the Republican Study Committee (RSC), a group of conservative members of the party, where we discuss the latest actions of the District of Columbia regarding the Religious Freedom Act. Afterwards, I head back to the House Chamber where we have our first votes of the day before returning to my office for a series of meetings with Hemophilia of Georgia, the St. Marys Kiwanis Club, AARP and Concerned Veterans for America (CVA). My good friends, Don Hodges and Marolyn Overton, are with the CVA group and are great advocates for this fine organization.
Later in the afternoon, we have a tele-town hall meeting where we call constituents in the district to discuss issues important to them and answer their questions. Afterwards, I head back to the House Chamber for our final votes of the day.
Thursday, April 30: My morning begins bright and early with a radio interview with Bill Edwards, Savannah radio’s conservative voice, before heading to a meeting with members of the National Restaurant Association. Afterwards, I head to a Oversight and Government Reform hearing on EPA mismanagement before heading to the House Chamber where I serve as speaker pro tem and preside over morning orders.
Next, I head back to my office to meet with members of the board of the Georgia Orthopedic Society and the Independent Community Bankers Association of Georgia before having lunch with my fellow Georgia Representatives and Senators to discuss issues affecting our state. Afterwards, I head to yet another Oversight and Government Reform meeting, this one on the Export-Import Bank. As is often the case, votes are called during our meeting, causing us to suspend and head to the House Chamber to vote.
Once we finish voting, I head back to Government Oversight where we spend most of the afternoon in that meeting. Our second vote series of the day is next and it is a long one as we vote on a total of 11 bills and amendments. After finishing that series, I head back to the office to meet with members of the Valdosta Chamber of Commerce and afterwards, with Col Joseph Locke of the 93 AGOW/CC at Moody Air Force Base.
Finally, at 10:40 p.m. we are called to the House chamber for our final vote series of the day where we vote on 14 more bills and amendments.
Friday, May 1: After attending a retirement breakfast for Win Shaw, longtime government relations director for Gulfstream, I head to the House Chamber for votes on eight more bills and amendments. Because of the sheer number of votes that are being taken now, I depend heavily on staff to give me a brief synopsis of the bills and their voting recommendations. We also meet before the votes and review each bill and discuss the pros and cons of the issues.
After an Oversight and Government Reform subcommittee meeting to discuss the railroad retirement system, staff and I meet with staff from the Congressional Research Service to learn more about upcoming issues that we will be facing.
