July 16, 2019
Dear Friend,
Our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines willingly place their lives on the line to protect our nation. As a Member of Congress, it is our duty to support our troops and to provide for the common defense. We owe our men and women in uniform the best tools available to protect our nation at home and across the world.
H.R. 2500, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2020, which passed in the House by a vote of 220-197, is a disservice to our troops and will make America more vulnerable to our adversaries. For decades, partisan politics did not interfere with passage of the NDAA until now. You can read the full text of the bill here.
Last week, I joined my colleagues from the House Armed Services Committee on the House floor to express our shared concerns about this bill being pushed by the Democratic majority in the House. To watch the video of my remarks, please click on the link.
| committee action |
Members of the House Small Business Committee continuously seek ways to ease federal regulatory burdens placed upon entrepreneurs. Great strides have been made to achieve regulatory relief, an effort we are also working to extend to veteran entrepreneurs. Last week, we held a hearing titled, "Continuing to Serve: From Military to Entrepreneur." We discussed a package of bills we hope to markup this month including a bill for which I am the lead sponsor.
H.R. 1615, the Verification Alignment and Service-Disabled Business Adjustment Act, would combine the verification process for veterans offered through the Veterans Administration and the Small Business Administration. Currently, the requirements of these programs have conflicting outcomes which make it harder for service-disabled veteran small business owners to conduct business. To watch an excerpt of the hearing, please click on the link.
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congratulations to maj. eddie garcia!
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It was my pleasure to host the promotion ceremony for Maj. Eddie Garcia. Lt. Gen. Fran Beaudette, Commander of the U.S. Army Special Operations Command, officiated the ceremony. Maj. Garcia has distinguished himself in the U.S. Army, serving as commander over 300 paratroopers in the 82nd Airborne Division.
In addition to a long list of accomplishments in the U.S. Army, Maj. Garcia recently earned his Master's degree in Legislative Affairs from George Washington University. I am proud to have Maj. Garcia as a member of our defense policy team that focuses on national defense, homeland security, and veterans affairs legislation.
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Maj. Eddie Garcia, Veronica Garcia, Aaliyah Garcia,
and Lt. Gen. Fran Beaudette |
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welcome to our summer interns!
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It is going to be a great summer for our new interns! Each of these outstanding young people have already begun working with members of our team, learning about the legislative process. In addition to their Congressional office duties, our interns receive training to give guided tours of the historic U.S. Capitol.
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Washington, D.C., summer interns Bobby Simmons
(Tupelo), Maggie Tannehill (Oxford), Taylor
Witherspoon (Florida), and J.T. Mitchell (Jackson) |
Washington, D.C., tourism reigns supreme in the summer, which gives each of our interns an opportunity to meet scores of visitors from the First District and well beyond. You will learn more about our summer interns as we feature them in upcoming newsletters and on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. To learn more about our internship program, please click on the link.
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| academy day 2019 - save the date |
Academy Day 2019 is coming soon! Every year, I look forward to nominating students from the First District who wish to attend one of our nation's prestigious military academies. For many, their journey begins by attending Academy Day. Service Academy and ROTC representatives will be on hand to answer questions and to share their stories. The session is open to all students, parents, counselors, and educators. No RSVP is necessary.
For more information about Academy Day 2019, please contact our Military Academy Liaison Robert Smith at (662) 687-1540 or send him an e-mail Robert.Smith@mail.house.gov
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from the hill - pictures
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Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation President Mike
McCormick and livestock producers leadership |
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COL Norberto Menendez, Army House
Liaison Division Chief |
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University of Southern Mississippi's Chad Driskell,
Vice President for External Affairs, Dr. Gordon
Cannon,Vice President for Research, and
Dee Dee Anderson, Vice President for Student Affairs |
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Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith's interns Gipson Clark
and Tipton Wagner |
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Joe and Teresa McNeece, Reed Stanley, Josh and
Sara Gammille from Itawamba County |
For more photos, please visit my Facebook page.
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STAY IN TOUCH
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Let me know if there is anything my office can do to assist you. You can keep up with the latest news by signing up for my newsletter and following me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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Thanks for reading,
Rep. Trent Kelly (MS-01)
Member of Congress
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