Republican Party

Dear Friend,

The House and Senate passed appropriations bills that fund the government and our national security through the rest of fiscal year (FY) 2024.

As our national debt remains a mounting concern, I was pleased to support the first overall cut to non-defense, non-VA spending in almost a decade.

Nearly 95% of the spending deal funds critical national priorities, including defense and health, and is focused on improving quality of life for our servicemembers and their families, countering Communist China, and modernizing our fighting forces.

In a time of divided government, with a Democrat Senate and White House, the House secured key conservative victories through targeted funding increases for critical priorities, reductions in other areas to exercise fiscal restraint, and the preservation of long-standing funding guardrails. This includes the Hyde Amendment, which prevents the federal government from spending taxpayer dollars on abortion services.

Additional conservative wins that I’m proud to have supported include:

• Increasing basic military pay by 5.2 percent, the largest increase in two decades.
• Blocking funding for the Wuhan Institute of Virology and EcoHealth Alliance in China.
• Rescinding $20.2 billion to partially defund the IRS’s army of 85,000 new enforcement agents.
• Funding 22,000 Border Patrol agents, the highest level ever funded, as well as more than 7,500 new detention beds for illegal immigrants from the previous year.
• Fully funding our annual security commitment to Israel of $3.3 billion, which is especially important as Israel faces continued attacks from Hamas terrorists.
• Requiring that only the American flag and other official flags can be flown over U.S. diplomatic facilities.

Looking forward, as a member of the House Appropriations Committee, I’ve already had the opportunity to question key Biden administration officials on the president’s FY25 budget request, including Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, and Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young.

Please trust that I will continue to demand restraint in the use of your hard-earned taxpayer dollars, and I welcome your input as the FY25 appropriations process picks up steam in the coming weeks.

Inaugural Military Service Academy Day

One of my most important duties representing the 11th District of North Carolina is selecting nominees for students seeking appointments to our nation’s military service academies.

During my inaugural Military Service Academy Day that took place in Hendersonville, I had the opportunity to meet with WNC students who are interested in learning more about how they can advance their academic and professional careers while serving our nation. These students represent the characteristics that make our district and nation great, and it was inspiring to meet America’s future leaders.

The service academies’ admissions staff who were present answered students’ questions and shared insights about academy life and the application process.

This event was another reminder of why, despite the discouraging news cycles each day, I’m optimistic that the future of our nation is bright.

With my warmest regards,

Chuck Edwards
Member of Congress