In the House

North Korea

This week, I attended a classified briefing with Secretary Tillerson, Secretary Mattis, General Dunford and Director Coats on the developing situation in North Korea.

Though I can’t divulge details, I am encouraged by what General Mattis calls the administration’s “peaceful pressure campaign.” This administration is committed to exhausting all diplomatic options, but they also know we cannot continue to kick the can down the road. That’s why Congress has recently passed tougher sanctions on North Korea, and why this administration is hoping for the best while preparing for the worst.

Mainly, I want you to know that our defense and intelligence communities, along with Congress and the White House are keeping this very much at the front of mind as we work in D.C., and that we are committed to resolutions that protect our country, our territory and allies in the region.

Heartbeat Hero Award

I was honored to receive the Heartbeat Hero award from Faith2Action (shown right) for my sponsorship of H.R. 490, the Heatbeat Protection Act of 2017. As an OB/GYN, protecting the unborn has been my life’s work, and I am proud to continue it in Congress.

Statement on Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals

The young people covered by DACA are not just a statistic on a DHS report. These are friends of my children, brothers and sisters of babies I’ve delivered, and members of my community. They didn’t put themselves in this position, and my heart goes out to them.

The United States is in this position due to the unilateral approach the previous administration took toward enacting DACA. It is because of that one-sided approach that we now have uncertainty and inconsistency throughout the entire immigration system. Consistency should be the hallmark of American governance.

Our resources, especially as they pertain to deportation, must remain focused on getting rid of bad people who present a danger to the American citizen – not a young person who is here simply due to circumstance. To date, 787,000 young people have legally registered with the U.S. government, and showed their willingness to follow our laws. We cannot allow that information to now be used against them in reverse order.

We are having these conversations now in Congress. Just a month ago, a Democrat colleague of mine and I got a bipartisan group of freshmen Members of Congress in a room to discuss what we can do to move forward on bipartisan, thoughtful solutions to the crises many communities and families are now facing.

Congress must use legal, legislative avenues to figure out how to help these young people, so long as they follow our laws. My priorities on this issue have always been, and will remain, to secure the border and help develop a workable visa for our farmers and producers back home. We must do right by them, by these young people and the safety of the American public.

As always, if you have any questions, concerns or know of ways my office can be of assistance, don’t hesitate to contact us.