Good afternoon and welcome to our Weekend Update.

We hope that everyone is enjoying the winter weather and is safe and healthy. It seems appropriate that the cold weather and snow have returned in time for the annual Pennsylvania Farm Show. After being canceled last year, I was pleased to join State Treasurer Stacy Garrity and colleagues Congressmen G.T. Thompson and Fred Keller, Pennsylvania Ag Chair Mike Firestine, U.S. Senate candidate Dave McCormick and many of our friends in Harrisburg today.

I joined Mornings with Maria today on Fox Business to discuss the "ghost flights" coming into Pennsylvania and what I am doing to demand answers and transparency from the Biden administration. Click here or below to watch.

Another issue facing all Pennsylvanians and throughout the country is that Americans cannot find COVID-19 tests in stores and wait in long lines at testing clinics. COVID-19 testing availability has been inadequate since the early summer, and demand for tests has been increased since October. Unfortunately, the Biden administration has failed to increase testing capacity proactively, and their response to increased demand in recent weeks has been slow and inadequate.

Although the Biden Administration has promised to invest in rapid testing, send test kits to Americans’ homes, and set up federal testing sites, these initiatives have not materialized for most Americans. These initiatives are too little, too late.

Last March, Biden and Congressional Democrats forced through their $1.9 trillion so-called Rescue Plan, less than 10% of which was directed at combatting the public health emergency with vaccines, testing, and therapeutics. At the same time, the Biden Administration diverted $2 billion in funding meant for the Strategic National Stockpile and COVID-19 tests to flights for illegal immigrants, like those that recently landed in Wilkes-Barre. This is an outrageous decision for a President to make during a pandemic, and its consequences are being felt amid this testing shortage. Unfortunately, the Biden administration continues to prioritize the needs of illegal aliens over our citizens.

We enjoyed spending time traveling around the district and meeting with other local elected officials to discuss ways that we can work to address critical issues facing our District.

We visited Talen Energy in Salem Township, outside of Berwick, to meet with their leadership and discuss their new data centers and Bitcoin mining facilities. This technology has the potential to create hundreds of jobs for the area.

On Friday, we held a small business tour in Schuylkill Haven and Orwigsburg, where we were accompanied by members of the Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce, Bob Carl, President and CEO, and Sam Chivinski, Members Relations Director. Jeff Spotts, a local businessman and President of the Schuylkill Haven Business Association, joined us. After we finished our tour, I joined Senator Dave Argall and other Schuylkill County elected officials for a meeting to discuss current issues impacting our communities and how we can work collaboratively to address these issues. (Pictured below at the White Pear Boutique in Schuylkill Haven)

(Also pictured below at a walk-in art center in Schuylkill Haven)

IN NEWS YOU WON’T HEAR IN THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA: This week, we received more poor jobs numbers as the sluggish economy hits Biden’s approval rating.

Bad news for Biden: A new CNBC poll was released this week, and it’s not flattering.

• 60% disapprove of Biden’s handling of the economy.
• 55% disapprove of Biden’s handling of the pandemic.
• 56% disapprove of Biden's job as president, a record high in CNBC’s poll.
  

No one to blame but himself. Biden’s failed policies have consequences. Just look at today’s jobs report, the worst of Biden’s presidency so far: 

• 199,000: The number of jobs the economy added back in December–less than half what economists had predicted.
• 3.6 million: That’s how many Americans lost their jobs during the pandemic and have yet to get them back.
• 10.5 million: The number of job openings businesses are struggling to fill–a near-record high.

Scratching the surface: This data, which reflects a weak recovery, was collected before Omicron hit the economy. As a result, the situation is likely even worse than the data reflects.

Biden’s sluggish job growth is compounded by rising prices for everyday goods and a supply chain crisis that’s causing shortages and emptying store shelves. 

• These problems will only get worse thanks to Biden’s job-killing vaccine mandate, forcing Americans to choose between personal freedom and their livelihoods. 

The bottom line is that Americans are fed-up with Biden’s failed policies. With important elections going on up and down the ballot this year, I am confident they will hold Biden and his extreme liberal allies in Congress accountable at the ballot box this November. 

Much of the mainstream media spent an inordinate amount of time rehashing the events that took place on January 6 last year. I have been consistent in condemning the violent actions that occurred at the Capitol. I was in the House Chamber helping secure the doors and ensure safety before being ushered out by Capitol Police.

However, while I have consistently denounced violence everywhere, whether at the Capitol or in our cities, Democrats have been far more selective in their outrage. While violent protests have taken place in American cities, costing lives, destroying property, and attacking police, Democrats were silent or complicit. Kamala Harris even helped raise funds to provide bail to those caught looting and destroying our cities. Wrong is wrong. Democrats’ selective outrage is disappointing.

I look forward to seeing you soon,