Scalise Sends Letter to Colleagues Touting Republican Wins in 118th Congress

Today, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) sent the following letter to his colleagues as we head into the October district work period:

Dear Colleagues,
 
It’s hard to believe, but only two years ago the Democrats were signing their deceptively named “Inflation Reduction Act” into law. That capped four years of unified Democrat control of Washington, where they jammed their radical agenda through Congress, spending $10 trillion and causing runaway inflation the American people still struggle with today.
 
Thankfully, in November 2022, the American people had enough of the destruction caused by the Democrats’ radical agenda and voted us into a narrow House majority. House Republicans were a small beacon of hope in an otherwise desolate Washington landscape controlled by the Democrat Party, their army of bureaucrats, and a media propaganda machine.
 
It’s been a David versus Goliath fight over the last 21 months of our House majority, and I’m so proud to fight alongside all of you. As we head into the final stretch before this pivotal election, we have a lot to be proud of and important accomplishments we can talk about at home.
 
While we do not control the Senate or White House, we should be encouraged by the fact that we, as House Republicans, unified around an ambitious agenda that addressed the real concerns American families face every day. From inflation and energy costs to historic illegal immigration and crime to national security and holding those in power accountable, we put on full display the contrast of our vision for the country versus the vision of chaos and economic distress of radical Democrats. Here are some of the highlights:
 
H.R. 1, the Lower Energy Costs Act:
Our conference fought back against the Biden-Harris Administration's war on American energy by passing the Lower Energy Costs Act to cut burdensome red tape and boost energy production here at home, instead of relying on hostile foreign dictators that put our energy security at risk. In addition to making America energy independent again, H.R. 1 lowers costs for families who are struggling every day thanks to skyrocketing prices at the gas pump, in the grocery store, and elsewhere.
 
H.R. 2, the Secure the Border Act:
It’s no secret that, even in larger Republican majorities, we have historically struggled to unify around one comprehensive border bill. It was an uphill battle that required painstaking deliberations with all members of our diverse conference. The result was the most comprehensive border security bill in history, H.R. 2, the Secure the Border Act, to address the worst border crisis in history. Over 8.2 million illegal immigrants have entered the U.S. and more than 2 million gotaways under President Biden and “Border Czar” V.P. Harris’ open border policies, which cost American lives every day, like Laken Riley, Jocelyn Nungaray, and Rachel Morin. H.R. 2 increases the number of border patrol agents, resumes construction of the border wall, ends catch-and-release, reinstates ‘Remain in Mexico’, cracks down on the flow of fentanyl, and keeps our communities safe.
 
H.R. 5, the Parents Bill of Rights:
 When the Administration and school boards tried to silence parents and remove them from their child’s education while using taxpayer dollars to promote woke agendas in classrooms, House Republicans stood up for parents’ right to be involved in their child’s education by passing H.R. 5, the Parents Bill of Rights Act. Parents have the right to transparency when it comes to their child’s education, to know how their taxpayer dollars are being used by schools, and to express their concerns to school boards without being silenced by the federal government.
 
H.R. 7521, the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act:
TikTok, which is controlled by ByteDance and tied to the Chinese Communist Party, poses a significant national security threat to the United States by allowing the CCP to spy on Americans and dictate what we see. House Republicans passed H.R. 7521, the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, and placed the choice in TikTok’s hands: either they can sever their ties with the CCP or no longer be available in the United States. The Senate and President Biden followed our lead, signing our TikTok bill into law.
 
Standing with Our Ally Israel:
After the horrific attack of October 7th, House Republicans stood by our commitment to provide Israel with the tools it needs to defend itself and defeat terror. We passed H.R. 6126, the Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, to quickly provide additional military equipment for our ally Israel, and in the face of Biden-Harris Administration efforts to pressure Israel by withholding critical weapons, we passed H.R. 8369, the Israel Security Assistance Support Act, to force the delivery of congressionally approved military aid. We have also taken on Iran and its terrorist proxies like Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis through legislation like H.R. 5961, the No Funds for Iranian Terrorism Act, to freeze the Biden-Harris Administration’s $6 billion payday for Iran, H.R. 6046, the Standing Against Houthi Aggression Act, and H.R. 340, the Hamas International Financing Prevention Act.
 
Taking on the Chinese Communist Party:
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) poses a generational threat to America, and dealing with it requires working across committee jurisdictions to develop a comprehensive approach. Since beginning this Congress with the establishment of the China Select Committee, that is exactly what we have done, culminating in this month’s China Week. We passed H.R. 9456, the Protecting American Agriculture from Foreign Adversaries Act, to prevent foreign adversaries from gaining control of our American farmland, H.R. 1398, the Protect America’s Innovation and Economic Security from CCP Act, to defend American research and intellectual property, and H.R. 8333, the BIOSECURE Act, to kick the CCP out of our biotechnology supply chains, among many other strong bills.
 
H.R. 277, the REINS Act of 2023:
Under the Biden-Harris Administration, federal agencies continue to expand their authority by assuming the powers of the legislative and judicial branches, allowing unelected and unaccountable bureaucrats to make laws behind closed doors that will have serious impacts on the American way-of-life. House Republicans stepped up to rein in executive overreach by passing H.R. 277, the REINS Act of 2023, which requires congressional approval before major rules can take effect. 
  
Ending the COVID National and Public Health Emergencies:
Long after schools reopened and the majority of workers returned to the office, President Biden delayed terminating the COVID-19 national and public health emergencies because he didn’t want to give up the powers it gave his Administration. The National Emergencies Act was never intended to give the president unlimited authority over the American people’s lives – we passed H.J. Res. 7 and H.R. 382, the Pandemic is Over Act, to end the COVID national and public health emergencies and get America back to normal.
 
H.R. 8281, the SAVE Act:
With the over 8.2 million illegal immigrants that have come across our southern border thanks to President Biden and Vice President Harris’ open border policies, it is vital we shore up our election security and ensure that only American citizens are voting in American elections. House Republicans came together in strong support of H.R. 8281, the SAVE Act, which would require individuals to provide proof of citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections.
 
H.J. Res 26:
Last year, Washington, D.C. tried to implement Democrats’ soft-on-crime policies, including weakening criminal penalties for violent offenses, such as carjacking, robberies, and burglary. To keep our nation’s capital safe, House Republicans passed H.J. Res. 29 to reverse the D.C. Council’s misguided crime bill, which all present Republicans voted for and more than 170 Democrats voted against. Thanks to our work in forcing this issue, President Biden eventually caved, and the measure passed the Senate and was signed into law.
 
H.R. 7024, the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act of 2024:
In 2017, under President Trump’s leadership, Republicans passed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, a pro-family, pro-worker, and pro-growth tax reform package. Because of constraints associated with reconciliation, some temporary provisions of TCJA have begun to expire, and substantially more will expire at the end of 2025. House Republicans are working to support American families and the economy by extending expiring provisions of TCJA. This Congress, we passed H.R. 7024, the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act of 2024, which allows working families to keep more of their paycheck and also restores important tax incentivizes that drive investment in the American economy.
 
Digital Assets:
Despite hostility from the Biden-Harris Administration, the digital asset ecosystem continues to grow. To foster continued growth by providing regulatory certainty and appropriate consumer protections, House Republicans passed three trailblazing bills in the digital asset space: H.J. Res. 109, a congressional resolution of disapproval against the SEC’s misguided “Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 121”; H.R. 4763, the Financial Innovation and Technology for the 21st Century Act; and, H.R. 5403, the CBDC Anti-Surveillance State Act. Taken together, these bills set a clear path for the future of digital assets and their regulation.
 
H.R. 26, the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act:
To protect the sanctity of life, House Republicans passed H.R. 26, the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, which secures medical protections for babies that survive an attempted abortion. This comes after four years of Democrats refusing to hold a vote on the life-saving legislation. Newborn babies deserve protection and care regardless of the circumstances under which they are born – this should not be a partisan issue, but common sense and basic morality.
 
Attempted Assassinations of President Trump:
The House quickly acted after the attempted assassination of President Donald Trump on July 13th in Butler, Pennsylvania, and formed a task force to investigate the series of failures by the U.S. Secret Service that day. The Task Force is also investigating the subsequent assassination attempt that occurred on September 15th in Florida, as it works to deliver answers to the American people and ensure their choice of president is never again threatened by a deranged, radical individual.
 
Antisemitism on Campuses:
After Hamas’ horrific October 7th attacks on Israel, and the subsequent military actions taken by Israel to defend itself, the U.S. has seen a disturbing uptick in antisemitism on college campuses. Led by the Committee on Education and the Workforce, House Republicans discovered a troubling culture on campuses, where administrators fail to implement protections for Jewish students and even mock Jewish students, and has demanded answers from these universities about student safety and funding of pro-Hamas groups and propaganda. As a result, the presidents of Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania, and Columbia resigned in disgrace.
 
The Biden-Harris Border Crisis Report:
The Committee on Homeland Security released a report exposing the many ways the Biden-Harris Administration knowingly and intentionally undermined U.S. border security to create the crisis we currently see at the border. The report revealed that even before taking office, the Administration was warned by experienced border security professionals about the dangers of their plan to open our borders and dismantle our border security. The Biden-Harris border crisis was not some inevitable phenomenon – it was directly caused by the actions taken by President Biden, Vice President Harris, and Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas. Earlier this year, House Republicans impeached Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for violating border security laws enacted by Congress and threatening the safety of the American people – unfortunately, Senate Democrats refuse to hold him accountable for his failures.
 
The Biden-Harris Failed Afghanistan Withdrawal Report:
The Foreign Affairs Committee’s investigation into the Biden-Harris Administration’s catastrophic withdrawal from Afghanistan revealed that the Administration disregarded the advice of military and security professionals, ignored the facts on the ground, and indulged in wishful thinking and endless deliberation that left American troops and diplomats in-country dangerously exposed – ultimately resulting in the tragic and unnecessary deaths of 13 U.S. servicemembers. This week, House Republicans passed legislation to condemn key figures and officials in the Administration, including President Biden, Vice President Harris, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby, State Department Secretary Antony Blinken, and others, for their part in this historic disaster.
 
President Biden’s Influence Peddling and Classified Documents:
On December 13, 2023, the House voted to formalize the impeachment inquiry into President Biden allowing the Oversight, Judiciary, and Ways and Means Committees to continue developing compelling evidence revealing how President Biden knew, was involved, and benefited directly from his family’s influence peddling schemes. The committees took key actions to bring in significant witnesses, including Hunter Biden and James Biden, both of whom had lied during their appearances, and the committees sent criminal referrals to the Department of Justice recommending they be charged with making false statements.
 
In February, the House Oversight and Judiciary Committees subpoenaed Attorney General Merrick Garland for records, including transcripts, notes, video, and audio files, related to Special Counsel Robert Hur’s investigation of President Biden’s willful mishandling of classified information, after Hur declined to recommend charges against Biden citing his memory problems. A.G. Garland refused to produce the audio recordings of Special Counsel Hur’s interviews with President Biden and his ghostwriter, and on June 12, 2024, House Republicans voted to hold A.G. Garland in contempt for failing to comply with the subpoena. On July 2, 2024, the House Judiciary Committee filed a lawsuit in D.C. federal court to obtain these recordings. We remain committed to obtaining this critically important evidence in our investigation into Biden’s mishandling of classified documents.
 
Regulatory Burdens:
In the wake of the Supreme Court overruling Chevron, to assure the Biden-Harris Administration respects the limits placed on its authority, our House committees sent oversight letters to nearly every agency in the Executive branch requesting information on legislative rules, agency adjudications, enforcement actions, and agency guidance documents. Additionally, the House Oversight Committee issued a thorough report on the Biden-Harris Administration's regulatory overreach, concluding that it has imposed an estimated $1.7 trillion in regulatory costs, with EPA counting for $1.3 trillion.
 
This Congress hasn’t been easy, but nothing worth fighting for is. The future of our country is at stake, and it is critical that we make our case across the country of what we’ve accomplished so far and how much more we have left to do to save our country from the chaos and destruction that we have seen under the Biden-Harris Administration and their far-left partners in Congress. We are a team, and I am proud of all of you for the work you have done to help us keep our promises and unite to fulfill the agenda we set out to achieve on behalf of the American people. It’s an honor to serve as your Majority Leader.
 
-Steve