Congresswoman Renee Ellmers:Getting the Government Out of Education


Photo of the Week

It was a pleasure to participate in the Washington Nationals’ “First Ladies” Breakfast where I joined Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz; Valerie Camillo, Chief Revenue and Marketing Office for the Washington Nationals and Wendy Morton, a partner at Grant Thornton, in a discussion about working across the aisle.

 

Weekly Update:
While time at home with my family during Thanksgiving was wonderful, it was great to get back to D.C. and dive in to the last month of the 2015 legislative year.

A primary focus of mine this week was the comprehensive energy package called the North American Energy Security and Infrastructure Act. We have spent a significant amount of time working on this legislation within the Energy & Power subcommittee this year, so it was incredibly rewarding to see it finally reach the House floor for a vote. Additionally, I was honored to have two amendments within this legislation that would roll back misguided regulations affecting American manufacturers and further promote the much needed modernization of our nation’s outdated electric grid. Click here to read more about this legislation.

This week, the House took up important legislation to reduce the federal role in K-12 education and restore choice and power to the local level. This legislation is called the Every Student Succeeds Act and as the Wall Street Journal says, it is “the largest devolution of federal control to the states in a quarter-century.” Additionally this legislation ends the era of federally-mandated high-stakes testing and prohibits the government from forcing states into adopting Common Core. Click here to read more about this legislation.

Please let me know what my office can do to better serve you. You can reach us in the Asheboro, Dunn, or D.C. Offices. 

 

 

Honoring a Hero

Recently I had the honor and privilege to present constituent Charles Morton with the Purple Heart and other awards he earned in 1971 in Vietnam. Click here or on the image above to see a  brief video from the ceremony.  In addition to his Purple Heart, he also received the following awards:

-Air medal with “V” Device and Numeral “5”
-Army Commendation medal with one Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster
-Vietnam Service Medal with three Bronze Service Stars
-Valorous Unit Award
-Marksman Badge with Rifle and Submachine Gun Bars
-Cold War Recognition Certificate

I enjoyed meeting Mr. Morton and his family in my office in Asheboro and am so glad our office was able to help him receive these long overdue awards.


As I said to Mr. Morton when I presented his awards to him, “These awards are tangible evidence of the commitment you made to our country. We cannot forget the perils of war or the price we have paid for freedom.”

 

Snapshots from the Week

It was wonderful to speak to an audience of bipartisan women about how members of Congress are reaching across the aisle to accomplish work on their behalf. Congresswoman Wasserman Schulz and I have passed two laws by working together.


Above: A representative from my office joined local leaders at the Lee County Cooperative Extension’s annual Farm City Week on a tour through Pilgrim’s Pride’s Sanford plant last Tuesday.


Fuquay Varina held an event this week to unveil their new branding for the city.


Pictured above is one of Alamance Community College’s Business Partner of the Year award winners, GKN Driveline. Color Landscapes and Sandvik were also recipients of this award.

 

Video of the Week:

I spoke on the floor of the House in support of my amendment to H.R. 8, the North American Energy Security and Infrastructure Act, to develop a concrete plan to increase the security of our electric grid and bring it into the 21st century. Click here or on the image above to watch my speech.

 

The EPA is Raising Rates at Your Expense
Early this week, I penned an op-ed to the Southern Pines Pilot about a few of the expansive regulations proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the effect these regulations will have on Americans.

Soon, our president will veto bipartisan legislation created to protect constituents from a spike in electricity costs and threats to the grid reliability.

This means that soon, North Carolinians will experience yet another costly environmental regulation handed down to them by their president and his Environmental Protection Agency.

Over and over again, we have witnessed this agency flex its muscles at the expense of American families — all in an effort to pave a pathway forward for the president’s liberal agenda. Unfortunately, this agency has hindered the revival of a strong manufacturing base at home and, instead, has driven up electricity and other costs for citizens.

Because of the EPA’s blatant lack of concern for the effects these rules will have on working Americans, I was eager to be placed on the Energy & Power Subcommittee.

The unelected bureaucrats staffing this agency need to be held accountable. They need to be made aware of how their policies are raising everyday costs for families, including those in North Carolina’s Second District. The reality is that the rules and regulations stemming from the EPA — like the Clean Power Plan and the new ozone regulations — will negatively impact families and North Carolina’s job creators alike…”