Congresswoman Renee Ellemers: Now It’s a Law

Video of the Week

Please click here or on the image above to listen to my message about my amendment that recently became law. The Trafficking Awareness Training for Health Care Act will educate and train members of our medical community on how to identify and intervene on behalf of victims caught in the human trafficking cycle.

Weekly Update

I am thrilled to relay that my human trafficking amendment is now law. My amendment enables healthcare workers to identify signs of trafficking and positively intervene on behalf of the patient. Through research of my own, I was both shocked and saddened to discover the extent to which human trafficking occurs here in North Carolina. Last year alone, 563 calls, 21 emails, and 19 online tips from North Carolina reached the National Human Trafficking Resource Center. I hope you will look at this article to see just how prevalent human trafficking is in our own backyard. However, with the new Justice for Victims of Trafficking law, there is hope for the victims.

This week my amendment encouraging FCC transparency was adopted into the FCC Process Reform Act and passed out of the Energy and Commerce Committee. The amendment will play a critical role in shedding light on a commission that tends to operate from behind closed doors. I look forward to moving away from the cloaked past of the FCC and towards a more common-sense, open decision process. Please click here to read WRAL’s article on my legislation and here to read my full statement.

I had the chance this week to talk to a number of wonderful constituents. I spoke on the phone with Major General Stephen J. Townsend, the new commander of the 18th Airborne Corps, and met with Dean Marion Broome of Duke University School of Nursing Please scroll down to see more photos!

Snapshots from a Busy Week

This week I spoke on the phone with Major General Townsend, new commander of 18th Airborne, about the issues facing the men and women stationed at Fort Bragg.

I really enjoyed meeting with Dean Marion Broome from the Duke University School of Nursing and Catherine Liao (pictured above and below) this week. We discussed ways we can address the shortage of nurses in North Carolina– a problem of concern within Harnett and Randolph counties in particular. I look forward to continuing to work with them moving forward.

It was great to be able to speak to members of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) on Thursday (pictured above) and to accept an award and honorary membership from the group (pictured below). While over half of the United States population is female, only 28% of firms in the U.S. are owned by women.The entrepreneurial potential of women in this country is huge, and we need organizations like NAWBO to help unleash that potential.

Thankful for the Trucking Industry

On Tuesday, I spoke on the floor of the House about the importance of the trucking industry to our nation’s economy. Click here or on the image above to watch my speech.

Spelling Out My Legislative Priorities:

Last week, I had the opportunity to discuss with The Sanford Herald what my legislative priorities were for this new year. I answered 5 questions about my role as a co-chairman and founder of the Grid Innovation Caucus in Congress, my legislation that is moving through various subcommittees, and what my support of the National Defense Authorization Act means for the men and women stationed at Fort Bragg.

Below is a brief sample of the Q&A, but I hope you will click here to read my complete answers:

Click here or on the image above to view the questions and my complete responses.

Question 3: You are a co-chairman and founder of the Grid Innovation Caucus in Congress. Can you tell us a little about your role in this and how you are using this title to influence policy affecting us at home?

Ellmers: My role in co-chairing the Grid Innovation Caucus has given me a niche within the Energy & Power Subcommittee and allowed for me to discuss how North Carolinians are leading the way in modernizing the U.S. electric grid. Through this role, I have influenced the committee’s comprehensive Energy Package, and I am proud to have two provisions included in it: one that will benefit constituents by allowing them to reduce their utility bills, and another that secures our nation’s electric grid from severe weather and physical and cyber attacks.

Question 5: You voted to support the recent National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which contained your amendment to protect the 440th Airlift Wing. What does this budget mean in terms of national security for the hardworking men and women stationed at Fort Bragg?

Ellmers: As the representative of Fort Bragg, I believe it’s imperative that we provide our military with the resources and steady financial backing necessary to plan for a military of the future. This year’s National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) authorizes $604 billion in spending for national defense and improves pay and benefits for our troops and service members at Fort Bragg. The NDAA authorizes resources needed to defeat the terrorist group ISIL while also prioritizing funds for our troops, veterans and families. Additionally, this legislation strengthens congressional oversight by imposing greater restrictions on the president in order to prevent a unilateral transfer of terrorists.

CategoriesNC Elected Officials