America has learned its fair share of lessons since the beginning of the pandemic, and sadly, many of those lessons have come with a high cost. Simply put, the country has been shaken to its core. The economy endured innumerable setbacks, job creators have struggled, the workforce has faced a riptide of uncertainty, and the American people are caught right in the middle. Imagine the next public health crisis or pandemic that touches our shores in the future. How will we respond? Will we have safeguards in place to protect the economy, small businesses, and hardworking Americans? What can be done in the present to prepare us for the future?

Those are a few questions that have been on my mind, and I’ve taken action to create a pathway forward for the country. Recently, I’ve introduced the Pandemic Preparedness, Response, and Rapid Recovery Act, a bicameral piece of legislation that carries the sole purpose of reviewing regulatory obstacles that prevent America from immediately addressing public health crises both now and in the future. My colleague, Senator James Lankford (R-OK) introduced his companion legislation in the United States Senate just last week. Let me provide you with a short synopsis about why this bill is so important:

The Pandemic Preparedness, Response, and Rapid Recovery Act establishes a fast moving commission to aid Congress in quickly identifying and repealing regulations that have stood in the way, or stand in the way, of preparedness for, response to, or rapid recovery from the Coronavirus pandemic or a future pandemic – while still preserving necessary protections that are already in place.

Already in the 117^th Congress, there has been an unquenchable thirst for unnecessary spending among Washington Democrats – completely ignoring opportunities to cut spending effectively and prevent the national debt from ballooning out of control. Borrowing and attempting to spend our way to recovery will not protect America in the present, nor will it protect the country in the future. If anything, cutting blank checks will drastically harm the economy and future generations. My legislation will do no such thing. In fact, it's positioned to empower economic growth and promote a healthy workforce where hardworking Americans – and the economy – will thrive.

Union Corruption Is Running Rampant

On Monday, the Department of Labor (DOL) announced it will not enforce an Office of Labor Management Standards rule that provides key accountability and transparency measures for labor union assets that include trusts. Since DOL Secretary Walsh’s nomination, I’ve been concerned that his big labor bias would cause him to undo the Trump Administration’s progress toward providing greater financial transparency and organizational accountability for members of labor unions. On Monday, those concerns were realized.

The decision by DOL not to enforce, and to work to rescind, the rule requiring that labor unions disclose certain financial records is a slap in the face to hard-working Americans. Union members deserve to know how union bosses are spending union funds, especially considering recent federal investigations have uncovered nearly a decade of corruption at one of the largest unions in the country, which included money laundering, tax fraud, bribery, and the embezzlement of workers’ hard-earned union dues for lavish personal expenses. This move by DOL is just another example of Washington Democrats giving in to big labor demands at the expense of American workers.

New Scam Alert

Even in the middle of a pandemic, scammers are deploying new tactics to steal your hard-earned money and push you into financial ruin. Fake check scams are on the rise, and you should be on your guard. If you do not already know, in fake check scams, a person you don’t know will ask you to deposit a check – sometimes for several thousand dollars, and usually for more than you may be owed – and send some of the money to another person. Fake checks come in many forms. They might look like business or personal checks, cashier’s checks, money orders, or a check delivered electronically.

If you see any of the following warning signs, do not deposit a check:

• A prospective buyer sends you a check for more than your asking price of an item “by mistake” and wants you to return the overage.

• You receive a check for alleged sweepstakes winnings that you can  claim only if you send money back to cover taxes.

• You receive a check related to a work-from-home job and the “employer” asks that you send money back right away for supplies or other essential items.

Quote of The Week

“In preparing for battle, I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable.”

-Dwight D. Eisenhower

Have a blessed weekend.

Sincerely,