January 5, 2022
Friends,
Happy New Year! I hope you and your family are well and had a wonderful year and Christmas season! I wanted to provide you an overview of 2021 and what all we worked on as we reflect on this year and plan for 2022 –
This year, I sponsored 26 pieces of legislation and co-sponsored over 300 pieces of legislation. Some of my leading priorities this year were fighting back against Biden's vaccine mandates, calling out the Biden Administration's America-last energy hypocrisy, and addressing Biden's southern border crisis.
Leading the Fight Against Federal Vaccine Mandates
A leading priority of mine this year was fighting back against Joe Biden's tyrannical vaccine mandates. Employees should never be forced to choose between receiving a government-imposed shot or losing their livelihood, and I am on multiple pieces of legislation fighting back against federal vaccine mandates, including the OSHA mandate for private sector employees, the federal contractors' mandate, and the military mandate.
I am also leading the charge in Congress to use the Congressional Review Act to hold the executive branch accountable and push back against the CMS vaccine mandate that will affect 17 million healthcare workers, which would inevitably lead to a greater staff shortage and tramples on their freedoms. To see my remarks on this outside of the U.S. Capitol addressing Biden's vaccine mandates, click HERE.
This is about liberty, and as Americans, the only vaccine passport we need is the U.S. Constitution. The fight against Biden’s vaccine mandates is far from over. Mark my words, we will not stop fighting Biden’s authoritarian COVID-19 vaccine mandates because they have no place in the United States.
I also co-sponsored the No Vaccine Passports Act, the Defund Federal Vaccine Mandates Act, the Stop Federal Vaccine Mandates for Employees Act, the Protecting Religious Students from Vaccine Mandates Act of 2021, and many more, to push back against Biden's mandates. I have also supported our states' attorneys general and signed on to amicus (friend of the court) briefs to help fight this battle in the courts. Bottom line, if there is a person impacted by a vaccine mandate this year, we have stood up for them.
Biden's Border Crisis
Addressing the southern border crisis has been a top priority of mine this year. This is why I have supported an article of impeachment against President Biden for endangering the security of the United States and countering the will of Congress through releasing illegal aliens into the United States, halting border wall construction, failing to maintain points of entry, and allowing a surge of illegal aliens and narcotics to enter our country.
I have addressed the border crisis and immigration in various ways this year. Most recently, I re-introduced legislation to ensure illegal immigrants and non-citizens cannot vote in elections through the Protecting Our Democracy by Preventing Foreign Citizens from Voting Act.
I also teamed up with my colleagues and supported dozens of pieces of legislation designed to tackle the border crisis. Some of the legislation I supported in 2021 included the SECURE America Act, the Securing Our Border States Act, the REMAIN in Mexico Act of 2021, the Americans not Aliens Act, the Stopping Border Surges Act, and the Ending Payments to Non-American Citizens Act.
President Trump was doing all the right things to stop illegal immigration, and Biden has undone as many of Trump's policies as possible. That's why we have a border crisis on our hands, and Biden's approval rating on managing the border/immigration is the worst of any issue.
We need to bring back the Trump immigration policies and build upon them. End catch and release, eliminate sanctuary cities, end chain migration, eliminate birthright citizenship, require e-verify nationally, crack down on those who overstay their visas, and beef up security along our southern border. These are all policies I supported before, during, and after the Trump Administration, and I will continue to push for them until they happen.
This December, I visited the southern border to personally witness Biden's southern border crisis. This is one of many trips I've taken over the years to either our southern or northern border since being elected to Congress.
We visited the Rio Grande Valley in Texas where I learned more about the challenges border counties are facing from the failures of the Biden Administration’s border policies. The southern border crisis is a dire situation the Biden Administration chooses to ignore, and in my opinion, they are in violation of Article IV Section IV of the United States Constitution with guarantees the states' protection from invasion.
This has escalated into a humanitarian and national security crisis due to President Biden's border policies. Joe Biden reversed Trump-era immigration policies on his first day in the White House, and this action has led to an unprecedented surge in illegal immigration. While Biden's border policy is reckless, unsustainable, and a threat to our nation, the President and "Border Czar" Harris ignore the severity of our situation at the southern border, refusing to even call it a "crisis."
Illegal immigration is at a record-high as FY 2021 reached the highest number of border encounters recorded, with 1.7 million border encounters. This only scrapes the surface, as many aliens surge past the border undetected, and we know the level of apprehensions is just a fraction of the illegal aliens who crossed the border since the overwhelming surge of immigrants leaves border patrol agents overwhelmed.
Fighting to Regain Energy Independence
As a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee and co-chair of the House Energy and Action Team, energy policy is very important to me and something I led the way in this year to hold the Biden Administration accountable for its America-last energy policy and energy hypocrisy. Under President Trump, we were energy independent and a net exporter of energy. Just a year into Biden's presidency, we are relying on our adversaries and OPEC+ for some of our energy needs.
I introduced the Protecting American Energy Production Act, which would help protect American energy independence by prohibiting a moratorium on the use of hydraulic fracturing. I also introduced the Stopping Chinese Communist Involvement in the Power Grid Act to ensure our power grid is safe from the interference of foreign entities. We know this is essential, especially after the events of this year. Energy security=national security.
On a separate note, I continued to lead the charge in nuclear energy, which we know is a proven, reliable, 24/7/365 source of energy, through the Modernize Nuclear Reactor Environmental Reviews Act. I have also co-sponsored numerous other pieces of legislation in this area, including the American Energy First Act, the Protecting American Energy Jobs Act, the Keystone XL Pipeline Construction and Jobs Preservation Act, and the Pipeline and LNG Facility Cybersecurity Preparedness Act. Click HERE for my remarks on American innovation and energy solutions.
Biden's Failed First Year in Office
Joe Biden has been in the White House for less than a year, but the damage he has caused is unprecedented. We face the repercussions of the Biden Administration’s failed leadership daily from skyrocketing prices at the gas pump to the grocery store, but this just scrapes the surface.
In less than a year, Joe Biden abandoned countless Americans in a terrorist country, virtually handed Afghanistan to the Taliban, caused a crisis at the southern border, slashed American energy independence, enacted policies that led to record-high inflation, forced many Americans to choose between the COVID shot or losing their livelihood through tyrannical vaccine mandates, and more.
It is no surprise Biden's approval rating is plummeting due to his failed policies and gross mismanagement from the White House. This year, I co-sponsored two articles of impeachment against Joe Biden for dereliction of duty in the way he handled troop withdrawal from Afghanistan and for undermining rule of law at the southern border, both of which have culminated into humanitarian and national security crises. I will continue to hold the Biden Administration accountable and push back against Biden’s unconstitutional advances on Americans as we head into the second year of his presidency.
Thankfully, Joe Biden’s signature legislation, the radical “Build Back (Broke)” package, was defeated in the Senate, which is a victory for the American people. There is no doubt the Biden Administration will continue to push this through Congress, but I can assure you, we will continue to fight hard against the Democrats’ reckless, socialistic agenda.
Legislative Highlights
House Republicans are standing strong, especially when it comes to Big Tech and censorship. This year, I introduced the TELL ACT to protect American data from the Chinese Communist Party. I also led a letter to Disney to call them out for allegedly cowering to China through censorship of an anti-China episode of "The Simpsons." Click HERE for my remarks on Big Tech's censorship of conservative voices and how this is an antithesis to America's founding principles.
Standing for unborn lives will always be a priority of mine. This year, I introduced the Ultrasound Informed Consent Act to ensure women seeking an abortion receive an ultrasound and the opportunity to review the ultrasound, which is proven to lead to saved lives. I am confident 2022 will be a great year for the pro-life movement and will lead to many more babies saved from abortion.
With crime and lawlessness surging, I introduced legislation to lead to a safer nation. I introduced the Terrorist Deportation Act of 2021 to establish that aliens identified in the terrorist screening database will be deportable and inadmissible into the United States. I also introduced the JUSTICE Act of 2021(Jurists United to Stop Trafficking Imitation Child Exploitation Act) to protect children from sexual exploitation, and legislation to prohibit the transfer or release of terrorists detained at Guantanamo Bay to the United States.
I also introduced the RUSH WAS RIGHT Act of 2021 to protect free speech, the Old Glory Only Act to ensure only the U.S. flag is flown at our embassies, the NFA SBS Act to protect 2nd Amendment rights, and more. Stay tuned for much more to come in 2022!
This year was very eventful for me and my staff as we provided assistance to countless constituents with federal agencies and responded to thousands of constituents' calls, letters, and emails. I also had the opportunity to visit and meet with a lot of wonderful people across South Carolina's beautiful Third District.
 
As we head into the new year, I will remain vigilant in advocating for the Third District and standing for the American values that make our nation great.
It is an honor to serve the Third District of South Carolina. As always, should you or your family need assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact my office directly.
I pray God's blessing over your 2022 and hope you all enjoy a happy, healthy, and blessed New Year!
Blessings and Liberty,
Jeff Duncan
Member of Congress |
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