Weekly Columns

In recent weeks, concerns surrounding operations of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) have frequented the news cycle and been shared widely across social media. However, I want to caution you not to believe everything you hear or read on the subject, as there is a lot of deceiving and misleading information swirling around.

Amid the multitude of hardships caused by the coronavirus pandemic, it is very important to keep in mind that bad actors are out there looking to take advantage of vulnerable targets during this unprecedented crisis. While numerous schemes exist to scam personal and financial information, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has warned taxpayers to look out for fraudulent attempts related to coronavirus relief provided by the federal government.

The month of August marks National Immunization Awareness Month, which is a very timely subject considering the unprecedented circumstances we are facing in the world right now. For decades, communities around the globe have relied on vaccinations and immunizations to protect us from dangerous, deadly diseases. This month, it is important to remember that vaccines not only protect you, they also protect at-risk individuals around you and ultimately save lives.

In the long history of our great Republic, neither Congress nor those who serve there have ever been held in high regard. And, if polling is to be believed, the institution and its members have never been more unpopular than they are today.

Last week, Congress made significant progress on critical legislation that supports our common defense and ensures protection of U.S. interests around the world. While much work remains in the days and weeks ahead, I am proud that lawmakers in both chambers are one step closer to completing the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for the sixtieth year in a row.

During the first couple weeks of July, the House Appropriations Committee, on which I serve, met for a marathon of legislative markups. Specifically, we worked through the 12 annual bills that fund the federal government. While I am always encouraged to see this critical process moving forward in Congress, the bills as written provide a false sense of accomplishment.

Enshrined in Article I, Section 2 of the United States Constitution is the mandate that the nation's population get counted every 10 years. Since 1790, this undertaking, known as the U.S. Census, has occurred at the start of every decade. Though the process has evolved and been streamlined over more than two centuries, the success and accuracy of every census ultimately rests with participation. While the coronavirus pandemic has disrupted and delayed a great many things this year, the 2020 U.S. Census is still underway, and your engagement is critical and requires very little effort.