Good afternoon and welcome to our Weekend Update.

Before I begin, I want to wish you and your family a Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving. It is important to take a moment and reflect on how fortunate we live in the greatest nation in the history of the world.

While we are thankful, families can’t help but notice that the price we are paying for our annual holiday, the food, fuel, travel, etc., are all much higher than it has been in many, many years. That is absolutely a result of the horrific policies implemented by the Biden administration and the Democrat Congressional majorities. Inflation is at a 30-year high. The price of gasoline is up 61% from a year ago.

Good afternoon and welcome to our Weekend Update.

On Veterans Day, we paused to remember all those who have served our nation in the military. We live in a free and prosperous society in the United States because of our veterans. During my time in Congress, I have and will continue to ensure our veterans receive the respect, care, and dignity they have earned. 

Shelley and I were proud to attend the Carbon County Veterans Day Parade in Jim Thorpe last weekend. (Shelley and I pictured below.)

On Veterans Day, I had the honor of speaking with the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 131 in Berks County. We have over 48,000 veterans in the 9^thDistrict, and we are forever indebted to them for their sacrifice and service.

Good afternoon and welcome to our Weekend Update.

On Tuesday, Pennsylvanians went to the polls and overwhelmingly elected Republican candidates for judge, mayor, council member, school board director, and other offices up and down the ballot. In addition, we are very fortunate that the people elected strong conservative statewide Republican Constitutional Judges. Congratulations to Supreme Court Justice-elect Kevin Brobson, Superior Court Judge-elect Megan Sullivan, and Commonwealth Court Judge-elect Stacy Wallace. Commonwealth Court Judge Drew Crompton’s election has yet to be decided. We are hopeful he will be victorious once the process is completed. (Pictured below with Supreme Court Justice-elect Kevin. Brobson.)

Good evening and welcome to our Weekend Update.

I hope you and your family have had a Happy Halloween.

While it is not uncommon to see ghosts and goblins are walking the streets this time of year, the real scares are coming from far-left Democrats who are making it scary for hardworking Americans. Many across the country are struggling under the Biden administration and the Democrat leadership’s excessive tax-and-spend agenda that is causing record inflation, lower wages, supply-chain issues, and skyrocketing gas prices.

While the Biden administration continues its attempts to pass the “Build Back Better” agenda to address the growing disasters they created, the reality is that the result will only make things worse by dramatically increasing the size of government and spending. It would be more aptly named the “Build Back Broke” agenda. The New York Post details how the Biden administration’s “Build Back Better” agenda is the same socialist, far-left agenda drafted by Senator Bernie Sanders… just with a new name. Click here to read.  

Good afternoon and welcome to our Weekend Update.

Border crisis, supply chain disaster, rising crime, high gas prices, out-of-control inflation, a lack of workers, and vaccine mandates… just another week in Washington, D.C.

While the Biden administration’s agenda and policies have led us directly into these issues, they are short on answers and have offered no real solutions. Biden held a nationally televised town hall with CNN. It was a friendly venue with softball questions. However, Biden was still unable to answer questions in a meaningful way. When asked about the crisis at the border, Biden lies about being at the border (no one can verify he has ever been there during his 50-year career) and admits he “should go down.” When asked about high gas prices, Biden says he has no solutions and guesses that gas prices may go down next year.  It’s not just Biden who has lied and made excuses that don’t square with reality… his press secretary was asked about Biden’s falling approval ratings, and she pushed the blame on the unvaccinated and said that people are just tired of them and the Covid-19 pandemic.

This week, the Washington Post released an op-ed that stated Americans shouldn’t rant about short-staffed stores and supply chain issues. Instead, they said Americans should lower their expectations. For the first time, I must credit the Washington Post as they have accurately summed up the Biden administration thus far… Joe Biden’s America - Lower your expectations.

Good afternoon and welcome to our Weekend Update.

This week, the far-left Democrat House voted to increase the debt ceiling. I voted against the measure and spoke out against their efforts to increase our debt. It's reckless and an attempt to continue their push for a radical $5 trillion government spending package. They are pursuing a reconciliation bill as part of the Biden administration’s Build Back Better agenda, which will lead to higher taxes and lower wages crippling Main Street USA. There is no way to sell the Democrats’ disastrous tax and spend agenda to the American people, no matter how hard they try.

I joined Newsmax’s Wake Up America to discuss the Democrats’ plans to push through their $5 trillion spending plan as a means of implementing their socialist, big-government agenda. Click here or below to watch.

Good afternoon and welcome to our Weekend Update.

While the U.S. Senate pushed through a deal to increase the debt ceiling for a few months, much of the conversation in Washington continued to center on the Democrat’s big government reconciliation package. It's impossible to negotiate a long-term deal on the debt ceiling without knowing the true cost of the increased spending Biden and the Democrats are attempting to implement. Unfortunately, the mixed messages from the Biden administration are making this more difficult to pin down. While the administration is requesting an increase of $3.5 trillion to the debt ceiling to handle the increased spending, Biden tells the American people the reconciliation plan costs nothing.

While the Democrat Party remains split on how much they should spend on the reconciliation bill, no one is asking the right questions… what is in the bill and what are we trying to accomplish. This bill is truly a discussion about America’s future. Do we want big-government socialism or free-market capitalism? Full stop. End of sentence. Period.

If we follow the facts, it is clear our nation does not need another stimulus plan. After all, our federal government spent $5.6 trillion last year, in a bipartisan manner, to bolster the economy during the first stages of the pandemic. We have allocated $1.9 trillion since Biden has been in office. Most of that money has not been spent.

Good afternoon and welcome to our Weekend Update.

Again, I spent the week in Washington, D.C., where most of the discussion focused on spending… from raising debt ceilings… massive spending bills… and a transportation and infrastructure bill that is being held hostage in a battle between the liberal and moderate factions of the Democratic Party.

Last week, I wrote that Democrats don’t have a debt ceiling. In their “perfect” world, they would do away with the debt ceiling and ask the American people to give them a credit card with no spending limit. But, unfortunately, America’s credit cards are maxed out. So, rather than seriously begin focusing on reducing our nation’s debt to address a problem created by R’s and D’s, Democrats are seeking ways to accelerate the problem drastically.

I joined several media outlets to discuss the Democrat’s $3.5 trillion spending spree and the massive tax increases accompanying the bill. The Biden administration claims this proposal is revenue neutral and will be paid for by the massive tax increases on hard-working Americans.