February 5, 2020
Friend,
I hope you had a merry Christmas and a successful start to the new year. Members of Congress have been busy with federal spending bills, debates on Congressional war powers, and the attempted impeachment of President Trump.
Meanwhile, I have also introduced several pieces of legislation that would prevent the federal government from meddling in the everyday lives of Kentuckians. To my delight, these bills continue to gain bi-partisan support. You can read more about these bills in the newsletter below, as well as on my website.
Below, I've included some highlights from the end of 2019 and January 2020. In case you didn't know, you can follow me on Facebook and Twitter for more updates.
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Massie Votes Against Impeachment |
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The impeachment proceedings represent a caustic partisan effort to undo the past election and influence the next election.
I voted against impeachment because President Trump's detractors have failed to prove, or even articulate, a single specific impeachable offense.
I’m hopeful that we can soon put this political theater behind us and get back to work for the people.
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Lewis County High School ROTC Group Visits D.C. |
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In December, a group of students from Lewis County High School (LCHS) visited Washington, D.C. These high school seniors are involved with the Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) program. About half of the students will pursue a career in the military after graduation.
The main purpose of their trip was to participate in the annual Wreaths Across America event at Arlington National Ceremony to lay Christmas wreaths on the headstones of our fallen veterans, paying tribute to their service and sacrifice.
The students also had the opportunity to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. To be granted this very selective honor, a group must first submit an application of interest. Remarkably, the LCHS JROTC application was selected. The students graciously accepted. On the day of the ceremony, they delivered a wreath decorated by a florist from Lewis County.
During their stay in D.C., I had the pleasure of leading the group on a night tour of the Capitol building. We met late in the evening for the tour, after the White House Congressional Ball. We walked through the underground subway tunnel that connects the House and Capitol buildings. I took the students to the House and Senate chambers and showed them how members cast a vote. We saw the White House and National Christmas Tree from the Speaker's balcony. One highlight from the tour was visiting The Bloodied Stairway, where Kentucky Congressman William Preston Taulbee was shot and killed inside the Capitol in 1890.
I want to thank the LCHS students for visiting our nation’s capital. Thanks to Principal Jack Lykins, Master Sergeant James Stone, and Mrs. Charity Burriss for chaperoning such a valuable trip. Most importantly, I want to thank all the members of this group for their dedication and service to our country.
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Massie Supports Second Amendment Sanctuaies |
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I support the Second Amendment sanctuary county movement here in Kentucky and nationally. In fact, I attended a meeting in Lewis County where they passed a Second Amendment sanctuary resolution in a standing-room-only court room. In my estimation, this grass roots movement has even more energy than the 2009/2010 Tea Party, and that’s a great thing.
Click here to read more.
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1-Minute Floor Speech on Constitutional War Powers |
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Last month, I gave a 1-minute floor speech to explain why I support constitutional war powers and why voted in favor of the Iran War Powers Resolution:
"If we go to war, it needs to be with the blessing and the support of the people and a clear mission that our soldiers can accomplish. We do that by following the vision of our founding fathers - we debate it on the floor of the House."
Click here to watch my speech.
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Massie Speaks at Second Amendment Rally in Frankfort |
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It was a true joy to speak to the Second Amendment advocates, grassroots leaders, and local elected officials at the We Are Kentucky Gun Owners Rally in Frankfort, Kentucky.
I was honored to share the stage with Dick Heller. Heller became an advocate for Second Amendment liberties in the late 1970s when someone shot at his home in Washington, D.C. Through this experience, Heller realized the 1976 D.C. gun ban was only disarming law-abiding citizens, while criminals ran free. So, he sued... and won! His landmark Supreme Court case, D.C. vs. Heller, overturned the D.C. gun ban and held that the Second Amendment protects an individual's right to keep and bear arms, unconnected with service in a militia, for traditionally lawful purposes, such as self-defense within the home.
I’m just a kid that grew up in Lewis County who got his first gun when he was 12 years old. The Second Amendment was my gateway into the Constitution. I realized that if you don’t have the ability to protect yourself against a tyrannical government, the rest of the Bill of Rights doesn’t matter, the rest of the Constitution doesn’t matter. That’s what inspired me to get into politics. I saw too many politicians trying to take away our God-given right—not our government-given right—to keep and bear arms. The Second Amendment is my number one priority in Congress.
I’m working to do everything in my power to protect this fundamental right as a congressman but also as the Chairman of Second Amendment Caucus. The biggest trends in gun control legislation across the country are so-called “Red Flag Laws.” These laws are fundamentally unconstitutional, ineffective, and ripe for abuse, but that hasn’t stopped their passage in several state legislatures. There was a similar bill gaining steam in the House of Representatives but it fizzled out when the impeachment sham picked up—probably the only good thing to come out of the hoax.
But it’s not all bad news! I told attendees about legislation aimed at restoring Second Amendment freedoms. The Hearing Protection Act (H.R. 155) would remove silencers from the definition of firearms as defined by the National Firearms Act. I reintroduced The Safe Students Act (H.R. 3200) to repeal the Gun-Free School Zones Act, eliminating the one-size-fits-all federal ban on guns in school zones, making it easier for state and local governments and school boards to unambiguously set their own firearms policies. I also recently introduced the Second Amendment for Every Registrable Voter Act. The “SAFER Voter Act” (H.R. 5112) would repeal the federal law that prevents voting age adults, 18 to 20, from purchasing a handgun from a Federal Firearms License (FFL) holder. 18, 19, and 20-year-olds are considered adults and are able to vote on important public policy issues. These Americans should not be deprived of their other basic constitutional rights.
It is encouraging to see liberty defended on a state level as well. Kentucky State Representative Savannah Maddox and Kentucky State Senator Damon Thayer led the charge to pass constitutional carry in Kentucky. I’m thankful to live in a state where people are free to exercise their right to keep and bear arms, without begging the government or paying a fee.
Thank you to Larry Mott and Tony Wheatley for inviting me and to all of the attendees for fighting for liberty. It was great to speak with so many of my constituents about their passion for the Second Amendment. I was glad to see Kentucky State Representatives Mark Hart and Savannah Maddox, Kentucky State Senator Steve West, Campbellsburg Mayor Rex Morgan, and lots of other familiar faces from Kentucky’s 4th. Keep up the good work!
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Representatives Massie & Pingree Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Allow Interstate Traffic of Raw Milk |
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It’s legal to drink raw milk in 50 states. It is legal to sell raw milk in 28 states. Congress has never passed a ban on raw milk. Yet, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) did so in capitulation to a lawsuit.
The Interstate Milk Freedom Act simply says that if two states have legalized the sale of unpasteurized milk, then no federal department, agency, or court may take any action to prohibit or restrict the interstate traffic of milk between those two states.
Our bill would make it easier for families to buy milk of their choice by reversing the criminalization of specific dairy farmers.
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Massie Votes "No" on $1.4 Trillion-Dollar Spending Bill |
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Two halves of a $1.4 trillion-dollar Omnibus bill passed on December 17 with veto-proof majorities.
My colleagues and I had less than 24 hours to review the bill's 2,000+ pages AND they added tax credits the night before the vote.
I voted no.
This omnibus spending bill also contained $25 million for so-called gun violence research.
The inherent bias at NIH and CDC in deciding how this money will be spent will compel left wing researchers to compete with each other to cook up the most anti-gun results possible. As with the climate change research industry and the privately funded gun-violence research industry, this newly christened government-funded gun-violence research industry will work mainly to justify its own existence, and unbiased voices won't be funded or even tolerated.
Additionally, this bill banned sales of tobacco products to 18,19, and 20 year old adults. The cost to implement this new policy will total $18,580,790 per year. The bill also mandates random, unannounced inspections for retailers who sell tobacco products.
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Thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter.
In Liberty,
Thomas Massie
Member of Congress
Kentucky's 4th District |
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