Congressman Good Update: Remembering the Atrocities of October 7th, 2023

Remembering the Atrocities of October 7th, 2023 Monday will mark one year since the terrorist group Hamas brutally attacked our important friend and ally, Israel. The violent October 7 attack against the innocent people of Israel was unprovoked, and its effects have been felt far beyond the Middle East. In total, 43 of our citizens were among the 1200 brutally killed, and 7 Americans are among the 97 hostages still being held. We have also experienced destructive anti-Semitism and pro-Hamas protests across the United States.    Israel is the sole democracy in the region, and they need our unequivocal support now more than ever, especially with Iran's recent missile attack. We must continue to stand with Israel's right to do whatever is necessary to defend themselves and eliminate the threats to their existence.

Dockworkers Union Strike  It is no secret that Democrats are deeply entrenched with Big Labor bosses around the country. In the recent short-lived port workers strike along the East Coast, union leaders were holding our economy hostage by demanding no automation, massively enhanced pension benefits, and an astonishing 77% pay raise.     Instead of working around the clock to avoid the threatened strike leading up to the October 1 "deadline," or managing the federal response to Hurricane Helene, President Biden was at the beach in Delaware and Vice President Harris was fundraising in California. This lack of leadership from the administration could have had devastating impacts on our economy during the upcoming Holiday season. In fact, it was only after Governor Ron DeSantis announced that the Florida National Guard would take over operations of the ports in the state that the union quickly agreed to go back to work while the labor issues were resolved.

Response to Hurricane Helene Hurricane Helene wreaked havoc across the Southeast, including on our neighbors to our west here in Virginia. We have seen the images of countless properties that have been damaged beyond repair, while the death toll has tragically risen to 200 and will undoubtedly grow. The American citizens impacted by this storm urgently need relief funds for rescue, food, and shelter. I am grateful for all those who are giving generously of their time and resources to their neighbors in need.     Sadly, FEMA's priorities are being further revealed as the taxpayer-funded federal agency charged with responding to natural disasters. The White House announced it was making available a $750 one-time payment to those impacted by Hurricane Helene for food and supplies, while FEMA is running out of funds after spending $650 million last year to resettle illegal aliens across the United States.

Securing Our Elections  One of the privileges of being an American is our right to vote. If you are not a citizen, you do not have that right.     Sadly, untold thousands of non-citizens are registered to vote all across our country. House Republicans have been trying to put a real enforcement mechanism in place to prohibit noncitizens voting in federal elections. The SAVE Act passed the House and would require proof of citizenship to register to vote and force states to purge voter rolls of noncitizens. Sadly, the Biden-Harris Administration threatened a veto of the SAVE Act, and Democrat Majority Leader Chuck Schumer blocked its consideration in the Senate.  This week, my colleagues and I sent a letter to Attorney General Garland demanding the DOJ stop enabling this problem.

Holding the IRS Accountable  I led a letter with some of my colleagues to the IRS this week, addressing delays in processing the Employee Retention Credit (ERC) claims. The ERC was passed by Congress with the intent of supporting employers who maintained payroll during COVID-19 lockdowns.     On September 14, 2023, the IRS imposed a moratorium on new claims to supposedly address concerns over fraud in the program. Despite IRS promises to restart claims processing, many small business owners have faced long waits—over a year in some cases—without receiving so much as a status update on their claims, let alone payment. Although the IRS announced on August 8, 2024, that it would start paying out claims deemed "low-risk," there is little evidence of these payments being made, and over 1 million claims remain unprocessed, with some businesses being owed hundreds of thousands of dollars.