Happy Independence Day, and welcome to our Weekend Update.

I hppe everyone had an amazing Happy Independence Day as we marked the momentous occasion of our 250th anniversary and is still enjoying this weekend.

Our forefathers met in Philadelphia and signed the Declaration of Independence, asserting that all people have the right to "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

As President Donald J. Trump said, "With a single sheet of parchment and 56 signatures, America began the greatest political journey in human history."

This week, I attended an event at the White House to kick off America 250 celebrations. President Trump and his team have put together an amazing celebration of our nation to mark this histroic milestone. I was honored to attend this event, hosted by the President, with so many of my colleagues, including Speaker Mike Johnson and Majority Leader Steve Scalise.

The Pennsylvania pavilion at the Great American State Fair is open, filled with visitors from Pennsylvania and across the country and exhibits that showcase our Commonwealth’s unique place in American history and its continued contributions today.

Josh Shapiro’s decision to keep Pennsylvania from participating in this event was a political and deliberate choice that demeaned our Commonwealth in the eyes of Americans and, more importantly, Pennsylvanians; all in a weak attempt to score political points.

So many Pennsylvanians came together to fill the void left by this political gamesmanship. GT Thompson got on top of this. Our Treasurer, Stacy Garrity, said this would not stand, and, as we saw, Senator Dave McCormick was very adamant about correcting this, as was I. Once the word got out to Pennsylvania businesses, they jumped at the opportunity to participate because they are proud Pennsylvanians, including Knoebel’s Amusement Resort among many others like Crayola and Utz who sent truckloads of products to the fair.

There were so many things to highlight, but I am pleased to have contributed displays that exemplify Pennsylvania to the pavilion, including a drill bit used in the exploration and development of natural gas in the Marcellus Shale region, anthracite coal mined in Schuylkill County, Little League World Series baseballs, a fresh PA dairy sign, and a model of the Chinook helicopter produced at Boeing’s facility in Ridley Park and flown at Ft. Indiantown Gap. Our summer interns, Bennie, Alex, and Christian, also spent the afternoon there, lending a hand and supporting the event.

Thanks to a full Team Pennsylvania effort, we came together to give Pennsylvanians the representation they deserve as we celebrate the historic occasion of America’s 250th Anniversary.

It’s simple: only American citizens should be voting in American elections. That’s why House Republicans passed the SAVE America Act to secure our elections and preserve American democracy.

Now, it’s time for the Senate to rally around commonsense voter ID legislation.

Watch my interview this morning with Maria Bartiromo on Fox Business, where I emphasize the need for Congress to break the legislative logjam, recap President Trump’s recent event at the Mack Truck plant in Pennsylvania and discuss my recent meeting with new Federal Reserve Chairman, Kevin Warsh. Click here or below to watch.

House Republicans have passed the SAVE Act three times to secure our elections by implementing commonsense and popular voter integrity reforms like presenting an ID to cast a ballot and providing proof of citizenship. Now, it’s time for the Senate to do its part by passing these important protections.

I conducted an interview on Newsmax where I discussed the importance of election integrity and Pennsylvania’s pavilion at the Great American State Fair.

Josh Shapiro’s decision to keep Pennsylvania from participating was deeply disappointing and a sad attempt to score political points. So many great Pennsylvanians collaborated to fill the void and ensure that our Commonwealth was well represented at the event. Click here or below to watch.

IN NEWS YOU WON’T READ IN THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA: President Trump and Congressional Republicans Are Bringing Back American Jobs And Lowering Costs, Reversing Bidenflation

PRESIDENT TRUMP REBUILDS THE ECONOMY BIDEN DESTROYED

• The economy has added 902,000 private sector jobs since President Trump took office.
  • Federal government employment is down by 324,000.
    
    
• Since President Trump took office, 1,424,000 native-born Americans have gained employment.
  • 682,000 native-born Americans have also joined the labor force.
    
    
• The unemployment rate dropped to 4.2% in June, the lowest level in a year.
  • The unemployment rate fell from the prior month for women, black men, and Hispanic women.
    
    
• Job openings remain at their highest level in two years.
  
  
• Earlier this week the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq closed at record highs.

WAGES AND PAYCHECKS ARE INCREASING UNDER PRESIDENT TRUMP

• Average hourly earnings rose by 0.2% in June.
  • Average hourly earnings are up 3.5% from one year ago.
    
    
• Thanks to President Trump’s historic tax cuts, the average tax refund was up almost 11% from one year ago.
  • Analysis shows that 97% of Americans received a tax cut this year.
  • Due to the provisions of no tax on tips, overtime, and Social Security, the average tax refund was over $3,400 this year.
  • Americans earning $15,000-$80,000 per year are receiving an average tax cut of 15%.
  • Average tax refunds were up 24% compared to the four-year average of refunds under Joe Biden.
    
    
• In just one year under President Trump, blue-collar workers have made up all the wages they lost under Biden.
  
  
• Real earnings for private-sector workers outpaced inflation by nearly $1,400during President Trump’s first year in office.

PRESIDENT TRUMP IS LOWERING PRICES

• President Trump is bringing down prices after record-high inflation under Joe Biden.
  
  
• Core inflation has lowered since President Trump took office.

• Many common household staples have all seen prices fall since President Trump took office including flour, white bread, bacon, chicken, American cheese, ice cream, strawberries, potatoes, and eggs.

• Thanks to President Trump, prescription drug prices have fallen 2.0% over the last year while over-the-counter medications have dropped 2.5%.
  • Health insurance is more affordable as the index for insurance is down 6.4% over the past year.
    
    
• Last year, President Trump signed an executive order establishing Most-Favored-Nation drug pricing, which forces drug companies to lower prices so Americans can pay a fair price for their prescriptions.
  
  
• President Trump demanded leading pharmaceutical manufacturers to outline how they must bring down the cost of prescription drugs to match the lowest price of other nations.
  
  
• Americans will now pay the lowest cost for prescription drugs that other nations have been paying.
  
  
• Since then, the president has been able to secure deals with 17 major pharmaceutical companies including AstraZeneca, Eli Lilly, EMD Serono, Novo Nordisk, Pfizer, and Regeneron.
  
  
• TrumpRx is a direct-to-consumer government website allows Americans to purchase dozens of popular prescription drugs at a discounted price negotiated by the government.  
  • Americans can print coupons or download them to their phones which can be used at pharmacies for reduced drug costs.
    
    
• Medication costs for arthritis, obesity, infertility, and other chronic conditions will all be lowered.
  • These deals with major pharmaceutical companies could save the economy $529 billion over the next ten years.

In 2025, Small Business Investment Companies (SBICs) delivered more than $53 billion in investment capital to small businesses nationwide. Over the past two decades, businesses backed by SBICs created 3 million new jobs and supported an additional 10.5 million jobs.

Last month, President Trump signed my Investing in All of America Act into law, legislation that will increase the capital available to small businesses, especially those in rural and underserved communities, manufacturing, or the critical technology sector through SBICs.

In this week’s House Committee on Small Business hearing, I asked Joshua Carter, Associate Administrator for the U.S. Small Business AdministrationOffice of Investment and Innovation, about this success and how this new law is allowing the SBA to support more small businesses and crucial industries.

I appreciate my counterpart on the other side of the aisle, Rep. Hilary Scholten, for helping me get this overwhelmingly bipartisan bill signed into law. Our work together is proof that both parties can come together to deliver real solutions to the American people. Click here or below to watch.

On Wednesday, Pennsylvania State Trooper Michael Pahira was killed in the line of duty this morning while conducting a safety inspection on Route 81 in Cass Township.

This tragedy is a reminder of the risks our law enforcement officers face every day.

Please join Shelley and I as we pray for Trooper Michael Pahira, his parents, Michael Sr. and Patricia, of Schuylkill County, and all his friends and family during this difficult time.

It’s with great pleasure that I congratulate Knoebel’s Amusement Park in Elysburg as they celebrate their 100th anniversary this week. Knoebel’s holds a special place in the hearts of Pennsylvanians and continues to attract visitors from across America.

Congratulations to Dick Knoebel, his sons Brian and Rick, the entire Knoebel family, and everyone who has made Knoebel’s the TripAdvisor #1 theme park in America.
July 4th is also the 250th anniversary of America’s founding, a meaningful celebration for all of us.

As John Adams noted about the 4th of July in 1776, “It ought to be solemnized with Pomp, Parade and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more.”

This Fourth of July, take some time to celebrate with friends and family. But also take a moment to reflect on the sacrifices made to keep our nation safe and free.

From my family to yours, I would like to wish everyone a very Happy Independence Day weekend! Click here or below to watch my message.

Congratulations to the U.S. Men’s National Team on a tremendous 2-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina to advance to the Round of 16 of the FIFA World Cup!
Pennsylvania had plenty to cheer for tonight, with three Keystone State natives representing our country: Christian Pulisic of Hershey, Matt Freese of Wayne, and Auston Trusty of Media.

Best of luck to Team USA as they continue their World Cup run. We’re all behind you. 🇺🇸

May God continue to bless our nation. I look forward to seeing you soon,