Columns

Remembering requires previous knowledge of something to recall. It is easy to forget. It takes effort to remember. Why we remember makes remembering much easier. Remembering the sacrifice of others is the reason for this upcoming holiday we call “Memorial Day.” It isn’t the f irst day of summer, though it marks the beginning as Labor Day marks the end. It is a holiday that brings out the grills, boats and campers. Memorial Day is more like a celebration than a remembrance. Did you know it was originally called “Decoration Day?” It was a day set aside to decorate graves with flowers, wreaths and flags especially of those who served our country. Going to the cemetery can be a solemn occasion to remember and honor those brave souls who sacrificed for the freedom of others. It is a celebration of freedom honoring all those who served, when we remember. Don’t forget to remember. Grill, camp out, go boating, swim, lay out next to the pool, relax on the porch, enjoy the perfect weather offered this year and remember that you can do all that because there were people before you giving their lives for those precious freedoms.

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State Capitol Week in Review, May 12, 2023

The Biden Administration’s failure to enforce our border laws has led to an unprecedented national security, ecological, and humanitarian crisis at our border. Since President Biden took office, there have been over 5 million illegal crossings along the southern border, and over 14,000 pounds of fentanyl have been seized coming across the border – that’s enough to kill the entire U.S. population ten times. U.S. Customs and Border Protection has lost operational control of the southern border – and with extraordinary amounts of narcotics flowing into our communities, drug overdose deaths are now over 100,000 per year, with fentanyl poisoning accounting for a vast majority of those deaths.

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The most important day of the year is different for everyone. Christmas brings joy to many, including whole families as they come together, or it could be Thanksgiving. Birthdays are great for kids, everyday is great for babies, dads are way down the list and moms, well they get one day and it is Mother’s Day. Mothers are making all the other days of the year special for whomever or whatever is needed. It’s usually not the dads making the birthdays great. The mom knows what kind of cake to bake, gift to get or party to plan. Moms just know how to make that day, that import day, special. It’s the mom that cleans up afterwards. The mom gives the cheer when all seems to go wrong. It’s mom that know exactly when to hug and when to give advice (and in the most appropriate way.) Mom is always there and ready to be whatever she needs to be, everyday. We give her one day, Mother’s Day. She knows what to expect and expects nothing. Mother’s Day is the best day of the year, for mothers. It will be this Sunday and if you missed it, you will know. Do your best to make it important for your mother, she only gets one day, make it special as she would for you. And now to be clear. Mother is the biological female who gave birth to you, or the woman who raised you. Let’s keep it simple, figure out who birthed you, raised you and can still tell you what to do even though you are the president of the company and all grown up. That’s mom.

This week, President Biden and far-left Democrats have continued to desperately spread false claims that the Limit, Save, Grow Act will make devastating cuts to mandatory veterans’ benefits. This claim is a lie.

I think that most people enjoy reading short articles at a glance. The proof is in the way we skim the internet and social media. If only there was something of merit on it.

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Elections are the hallmark of democracy. Without elections, we have a dictatorship. Elections require people to vote. Sometimes it can be a little bit of a pain to go vote. There could be a line, the machines may not be working properly, or there just isn’t a motivation to go and cast a vote. None the less it is a great privilege we have, currently, to be able to vote. The more votes that are cast the more accountably there is for the officials to actually do the job they were elected for. A democracy which is truly be effective is where all of the (eligible) people cast their vote. The fewer the votes, the less of a democratic solution. The democratic process includes options for which to vote. There is basically two parties and the parties choose (in various ways) their candidates, often by way of debates. Oh, now, it looks like no one wants to debate. The art of debate has become extinct.

Fifty years ago, Title IX was enacted, and it revolutionized women’s sports. After decades of female athletes fighting for respect and equality in sports, Title IX prohibited discrimination in sports based on sex. Now, after all this time, the radical left’s agenda is putting Title IX and the integrity of women’s athletics in jeopardy.

This week marks the end of the first 100 days of the 118th Congress. From day one, House Republicans were committed to bringing prosperity and commonsense policy making back to Congress, and since then, we have continued delivering on our promises to the American people.