Unsung Heroes, SOTU, SCOTUS ethics & Our 2021 Congressional Report

Dear Friends,

I've been back in Washington, D.C. working for constituents in Georgia's Fourth District this week following an eventful and invigorating time in the district last week. As many of you know, we held several successful district events, including my Unsung Heroes Awards, Black History Month program focused on "Blacks in Aviation: Past & Present" and our annual event to celebrate local students who received nominations from my office to attend one of our military academies.

We also held an excellent roundtable meeting with U.S. Commerce Department Deputy Secretary Don Graves and other panelists at Georgia Piedmont Technical College in Clarkston on the need to expand broadband access in both rural and urban communities.

This week, in addition to attending the State of the Union address and numerous committee assignments, I'm looking forward to next Tuesday, March 8 at 2 PM when I'll be chairing a House Judiciary subcommittee hearing on my bill to require U.S. Supreme Court justices follow a code of ethics.

I also expect my signature consumer protection legislation — the bipartisan Forced Arbitration Injustice Repeal (FAIR) Act that re-establishes everyday Americans' 7th Amendment right to seek justice and accountability through the court system — will pass the House of Representatives soon. More on this later.

2021 was a year for the ages – and even that might be an understatement. Despite trying times and difficult circumstances, I'm extremely proud of what my staff and I accomplished for constituents in 2021. We did everything from passing legislation that put vaccines in arms, money in people's pockets – and in some cases roofs over people's heads – to helping hundreds of constituents get their passports, IRS checks, unemployment insurance and more.

To fully capture how hard we've been working to elevate the needs of the 4th District and ensure that our constituents are served first and foremost, we have documented our accomplishments from the past year in a report for you to peruse. Here, you'll see the bills I have championed and cosponsored as well as highlights of our legislative and constituent accomplishments. To view our 2021 Year in Review, click HERE.

Meanwhile, as we move America toward a time when COVID-19 does not disrupt our daily lives but rather is something we prevent, protect against, and treat, the CDC has released new mask guidance for COVID-19 and new tools to help communities decide what prevention steps to take based on the latest data in their communities. The Biden Administration also released the National COVID-19 Preparedness Plan, which offers a roadmap to help us fight COVID-19 in the future.

As always, I appreciate your time and feedback. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to represent you in Congress. If you have an issue with a federal government agency, please don't hesitate to call my district office at 770-987-2291.