Dear Friend,
First and foremost, thank God President Trump is okay after Saturday’s assassination attempt. I am grateful the Secret Service was able to protect President Trump from further harm and quickly neutralize the shooter. Unfortunately, one rally attendee was killed, and two others were critically injured, and I am thinking of them and their families during this unimaginable time.
The seriousness of this moment cannot be understated. Let’s be clear – the gunman aimed to subvert our democratic process and kill the former President of the United States. Political conflict belongs in speeches and ballot boxes, not acts of violence.
Congress will conduct a thorough investigation of Saturday’s tragic events to determine how this happened, where there were lapses in security, and what steps are being taken to ensure it never happens again. The House Committees on Oversight and Homeland Security have already requested briefings and testimony from Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle and other appropriate officials from the Department of Homeland Security and FBI. A review of the Secret Service’s funding for the next fiscal year has already been completed, and the House has appropriated everything they asked for and then some. Therefore, none of the forthcoming investigations will be focused on if they have enough resources. In fact, their allocated resources are set to exceed their initial requests. The American people deserve answers, and the House is committed to ensuring thorough oversight is conducted.
ACHIEVING REGULAR ORDER
Appropriations season is in full swing, and the House Appropriations Committee has been busy. Regular order – individual consideration and full passage of all 12 appropriations bills – is the ideal version of the congressional budget and appropriations process that breaks the federal budget into more manageable pieces and facilitates greater transparency and oversight. This process begins in the twelve Appropriations Subcommittees, which send individual bills to the full Committee for markup where Members of the Committee debate and amend the bills before they determine whether they should be recommended to the House Floor for a vote.
I am proud the House Appropriations Committee has approved all 12 appropriations bills, four of which have already passed the full House, including the Homeland Security bill that I oversaw. All 12 of these bills contain conservative victories. These wins:
As Chairman of the House Appropriations Homeland Security Subcommittee and author of the Fiscal Year 2025 Homeland Security Appropriations Act, I am particularly proud of the investments made in this bill to protect Americans and the homeland. It’s imperative we strengthen and maintain America’s national security posture, especially with the ongoing policy disasters of the Biden Administration. Following the horrific attempted assassination of President Trump this past weekend, I am proud to note this legislation includes $3.158 billion for the Secret Service, a $70.3 million increase over last year, and $219.7 million more than what the Biden Administration requested. In addition, this bill:
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
In addition to focusing on passing appropriations bills that rein in wasteful spending while ensuring our nation is safe and secure, House Republicans have passed legislation to restore confidence in our elections. The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act (H.R. 8281) requires individuals to provide proof of citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections and provides states with access to existing federal databases so they can clean up their voter registration rolls and remove noncitizens from the rolls.
It seems like a no-brainer that only American citizens should vote in American elections, but lax voter registration laws make it possible for noncitizens to register and vote in federal elections. The National Voter Registration Act (P.L. 103-31) currently requires States to give voter registration forms to everyone who receives a driver’s license, regardless of citizenship. Th SAVE Act would require States to obtain documentary proof of U.S. citizenship when registering an individual to vote in a federal election, as well as require States to set up a program to remove noncitizens from their voter rolls.
I was proud to vote in favor of this bill to enhance election security, minimize the risk of foreign interference, and restore Americans’ confidence in U.S. elections. Proof of citizenship as a requirement to vote in our elections should not be controversial – it’s our responsibility to protect our elections and restore faith in the system.
HOLDING THE POSTAL SERVICE ACCOUNTABLE
The United States Postal Service’s (USPS) decision to transfer some mail processing operations from the Reno Processing and Distribution Center (P&DC) to West Sacramento, California is far from resolved. In addition to the U.S Government Accountability Office’s (GAO) ongoing investigation into the plan, I introduced legislation to prevent the closure, consolidation, or downsizing of a P&DC if: USPS has already failed to meet its on-time delivery standards, as it has in Reno; the proposed changes would leave a state without a P&DC; or if the proposal would leave no P&DCs within 125 of the affected P&DC, which would be the case in Reno.
This legislation would only allow changes to proceed if USPS receives an advisory opinion from the Postal Regulatory Commission that finds proposed changes would not negatively impact service standards and performance measures for mail delivery, taking factors like geography into account, including mountain passes like Donner Pass on Interstate 80. This bill would also allow the public to appeal proposed closures, consolidations, and downsizing, and prevent such decisions from moving forward until the appeal is heard and resolved.
I was proud to introduce this bill to prevent the Postal Service from making sweeping changes to mail processing without objective transparency and communication. This legislation, in tandem with the GAO’s ongoing audit of the proposed changes, is a positive step towards holding USPS leadership accountable and reversing this ill-advised decision.
LOOKING AHEAD
It’s been a hectic time on Capitol Hill, and there are only a few more weeks until the August district work period. While some like to refer to this time as a “recess,” for my staff and me it is anything but. Next month, I will drive thousands of miles across Nevada’s Second Congressional District for the chance to hear about the issues that matter most to everyone at home, and to discuss what we have accomplished in the House of Representatives this year. At my direction, the Appropriations Homeland Security Subcommittee staff will also be joining me in Nevada to ensure they have firsthand knowledge of agencies’ jurisdiction and impact in Nevada. These agencies include the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Transportation Security Administration.
THE BOTTOM LINE
As always, thank you for subscribing to the Amodei Report. I look forward to continuing to keep you up to date on the issues you care about most. For additional information, please visit my website at Amodei.house.gov or call my Washington office: (202) 225-6155, Reno office: (775) 686-5760, or Elko phone: (775) 777-7705. To receive updates on what I am doing in Washington and in Nevada’s 2nd District follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
First and foremost, thank God President Trump is okay after Saturday’s assassination attempt. I am grateful the Secret Service was able to protect President Trump from further harm and quickly neutralize the shooter. Unfortunately, one rally attendee was killed, and two others were critically injured, and I am thinking of them and their families during this unimaginable time.
The seriousness of this moment cannot be understated. Let’s be clear – the gunman aimed to subvert our democratic process and kill the former President of the United States. Political conflict belongs in speeches and ballot boxes, not acts of violence.
Congress will conduct a thorough investigation of Saturday’s tragic events to determine how this happened, where there were lapses in security, and what steps are being taken to ensure it never happens again. The House Committees on Oversight and Homeland Security have already requested briefings and testimony from Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle and other appropriate officials from the Department of Homeland Security and FBI. A review of the Secret Service’s funding for the next fiscal year has already been completed, and the House has appropriated everything they asked for and then some. Therefore, none of the forthcoming investigations will be focused on if they have enough resources. In fact, their allocated resources are set to exceed their initial requests. The American people deserve answers, and the House is committed to ensuring thorough oversight is conducted.
ACHIEVING REGULAR ORDER
Appropriations season is in full swing, and the House Appropriations Committee has been busy. Regular order – individual consideration and full passage of all 12 appropriations bills – is the ideal version of the congressional budget and appropriations process that breaks the federal budget into more manageable pieces and facilitates greater transparency and oversight. This process begins in the twelve Appropriations Subcommittees, which send individual bills to the full Committee for markup where Members of the Committee debate and amend the bills before they determine whether they should be recommended to the House Floor for a vote.
I am proud the House Appropriations Committee has approved all 12 appropriations bills, four of which have already passed the full House, including the Homeland Security bill that I oversaw. All 12 of these bills contain conservative victories. These wins:
- Target funding to counter China and enhance U.S. military capabilities in the Indo-Pacific region.
- Make long overdue investments in our servicemembers’ quality of life, including pay raises, housing improvements, and access to health care.
- Prioritize funding to combat the flow of fentanyl and other illicit drugs into the U.S.
- Invest in next-generation weaponry and technology, as well as modernize the nuclear triad.
- Prohibit taxpayer dollars from funding the terrorist-sympathizing United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).
- Fully fund veterans’ health care and benefits.
- Expand access to and encourage domestic production of critical and rare earth minerals.
- Provide $3.6 billion for wildfire activities and permanently address wildland firefighter pay and capacity.
As Chairman of the House Appropriations Homeland Security Subcommittee and author of the Fiscal Year 2025 Homeland Security Appropriations Act, I am particularly proud of the investments made in this bill to protect Americans and the homeland. It’s imperative we strengthen and maintain America’s national security posture, especially with the ongoing policy disasters of the Biden Administration. Following the horrific attempted assassination of President Trump this past weekend, I am proud to note this legislation includes $3.158 billion for the Secret Service, a $70.3 million increase over last year, and $219.7 million more than what the Biden Administration requested. In addition, this bill:
- Provides $2.9 billion more than the Fiscal Year 2024 funding level.
- Includes a record $300 million for border security technology.
- Prioritizes funding for the transportation and connected removal of illegal aliens.
- Secures more than $3 billion to fund a detention bed level of 50,000, which is 16,000 above President Biden’s request.
- Invests $305 million in fentanyl detection equipment at our nation’s ports of entry.
- Allocates $22.7 billion for major disaster response and recovery.
- Prioritizes $600 million in funding for physical barriers along the southern border.
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
In addition to focusing on passing appropriations bills that rein in wasteful spending while ensuring our nation is safe and secure, House Republicans have passed legislation to restore confidence in our elections. The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act (H.R. 8281) requires individuals to provide proof of citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections and provides states with access to existing federal databases so they can clean up their voter registration rolls and remove noncitizens from the rolls.
It seems like a no-brainer that only American citizens should vote in American elections, but lax voter registration laws make it possible for noncitizens to register and vote in federal elections. The National Voter Registration Act (P.L. 103-31) currently requires States to give voter registration forms to everyone who receives a driver’s license, regardless of citizenship. Th SAVE Act would require States to obtain documentary proof of U.S. citizenship when registering an individual to vote in a federal election, as well as require States to set up a program to remove noncitizens from their voter rolls.
I was proud to vote in favor of this bill to enhance election security, minimize the risk of foreign interference, and restore Americans’ confidence in U.S. elections. Proof of citizenship as a requirement to vote in our elections should not be controversial – it’s our responsibility to protect our elections and restore faith in the system.
HOLDING THE POSTAL SERVICE ACCOUNTABLE
The United States Postal Service’s (USPS) decision to transfer some mail processing operations from the Reno Processing and Distribution Center (P&DC) to West Sacramento, California is far from resolved. In addition to the U.S Government Accountability Office’s (GAO) ongoing investigation into the plan, I introduced legislation to prevent the closure, consolidation, or downsizing of a P&DC if: USPS has already failed to meet its on-time delivery standards, as it has in Reno; the proposed changes would leave a state without a P&DC; or if the proposal would leave no P&DCs within 125 of the affected P&DC, which would be the case in Reno.
This legislation would only allow changes to proceed if USPS receives an advisory opinion from the Postal Regulatory Commission that finds proposed changes would not negatively impact service standards and performance measures for mail delivery, taking factors like geography into account, including mountain passes like Donner Pass on Interstate 80. This bill would also allow the public to appeal proposed closures, consolidations, and downsizing, and prevent such decisions from moving forward until the appeal is heard and resolved.
I was proud to introduce this bill to prevent the Postal Service from making sweeping changes to mail processing without objective transparency and communication. This legislation, in tandem with the GAO’s ongoing audit of the proposed changes, is a positive step towards holding USPS leadership accountable and reversing this ill-advised decision.
LOOKING AHEAD
It’s been a hectic time on Capitol Hill, and there are only a few more weeks until the August district work period. While some like to refer to this time as a “recess,” for my staff and me it is anything but. Next month, I will drive thousands of miles across Nevada’s Second Congressional District for the chance to hear about the issues that matter most to everyone at home, and to discuss what we have accomplished in the House of Representatives this year. At my direction, the Appropriations Homeland Security Subcommittee staff will also be joining me in Nevada to ensure they have firsthand knowledge of agencies’ jurisdiction and impact in Nevada. These agencies include the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Transportation Security Administration.
THE BOTTOM LINE
As always, thank you for subscribing to the Amodei Report. I look forward to continuing to keep you up to date on the issues you care about most. For additional information, please visit my website at Amodei.house.gov or call my Washington office: (202) 225-6155, Reno office: (775) 686-5760, or Elko phone: (775) 777-7705. To receive updates on what I am doing in Washington and in Nevada’s 2nd District follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
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