Friend,
I invite you to read about issues that have come up in Congress in August.
I recently appeared on Eric Bolling's Newsmax TV show to discuss the situation in Afghanistan. We talked about the apparent disparity between President Biden's view of the withdrawal and what Secretary Austin, Secretary Blinken, and General Milley have said about it. I am sick to my stomach at what has occurred during the withdrawal from Afghanistan. You may view the entire interview below.
I also had the privilege of speaking at the Kentucky Freedom Rally in Frankfort on August 28th. It is always encouraging to see fellow freedom-loving Kentuckians standing up against tyrannical vaccine and mask mandates. I support your right to take the vaccine and to wear a mask, and I also support your right to decline to wear a mask or take a vaccine. Why can't we all just respect each other's individual health choices?
As we entered the final week of the month, I hosted a conference call with several members of the U.S. Armed Forces who shared their grave concerns about the military COVID-19 vaccine mandate. Fearing backlash, they shared their perspective on how this mandate will affect troop readiness under the condition of anonymity. A Breitbart article summarizing the conference call is linked below.
On August 24th, I appeared on Kentucky Educational Television (KET) with Renee Shaw to participate in her "Congressional Update" series. We discussed the Senate version of the infrastructure bill, vaccine mandates, and the science behind natural immunity. I enjoyed the lively discussion with Ms. Shaw at General Butler State Park. Our segment is included below.
I was honored to meet with the Owenton Rotary Club on August 9th and the Carrollton Rotary Club on August 18th. In both of these meetings, we discussed the Rotary "Four-Way Test" and I shared the three-part test I use to evaluate legislation: 1) Can we afford it? 2) Is it Constitutional? 3) Is this best handled by the state, local, or federal government? If all of Congress evaluated legislation using these criteria, the country would be in much better shape.
Finally, it was a pleasure to meet with members of the Building Industry Association of Northern Kentucky. We discussed my lawsuit against Speaker Pelosi and how disruptions in the supply chain are causing ongoing material shortages that affect the home building industry. Thank you for inviting me to meet with your membership.
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Massie Tells Bolling: Afghanistan's Taliban are Beating Americans Attempting to Evacuate
In case you missed it, I was recently Eric Bolling's guest on his Newsmax TV show. We discussed the disparity that seems to exist between what Secretary Austin, Secretary Blinken, and General Milley have said about the withdrawal from Afghanistan versus what President Biden has said about it. The right time to leave Afghanistan was ten years ago when we captured Osama Bin Laden, and I support ending the war, but Biden severely mismanaged the withdrawal.
During a conference call to Members of Congress, Secretary Austin told us that some Americans attempting to evacuate Afghanistan were being beaten by the Taliban. That is something that President Biden has not said, and it needs to be discussed. I don't understand why we didn't go out and try to help Americans get to the airport. Essentially, the Biden administration told stranded Americans to make their way to the airport, but offered them no protection to get there.
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Massie Speaks at the Kentucky Freedom Rally in Frankfort, KY
It was a pleasure to join Rep. Savannah Maddox, Rep. Felicia Rabourn, Rep. Josh Calloway, and Reverend Lee Watts as speakers at the Kentucky Freedom Rally in Frankfort. It was exciting to see so many in attendance voicing their opposition to COVID vaccine mandates and mask mandates.
As I told the crowd, I thought our Commonwealth was cleared of the Beshear virus when Matt Bevin took over as Governor after Steve Beshear. It appears, however, Kentucky has come down with the Andy variant of the virus. Symptoms of the Andy variant include:
-Loss of balance (in your bank account).
-Shortness of breath (from masks).
-Impaired learning (closed schools).
-Confusion (masks off, masks on, masks off).
The Constitution is for tough times, not for easy times. Mask mandates are unconstitutional, illegal, unscientific, illogical, and unsafe. Further, mask mandates lead to vaccine mandates. If you accept one, get ready, because the next one is coming. That is why I led ten members of the House of Representatives to the floor to break Nancy Pelosi's will to enforce her mask mandate. Reps. Norman, Greene, and I have filed suit in federal court against Speaker Pelosi's mandates, and we will take the case to the Supreme Court if necessary.
Thank you to all who attended the Kentucky Freedom Rally to demonstrate support for vaccine choice and opposition to unscientific mask mandates.
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Earlier this month, I appeared on Kentucky Educational Television (KET) with Renee Shaw to participate in her "Congressional Update" series. Our segment is linked above.
At the beautiful General Butler State Park, we discussed the Senate version of the infrastructure bill, which isn't quite as bad as the House version. Unfortunately, it's still filled with wasteful spending initiatives such as high-speed internet for inmates and the creation of electric vehicle charging stations that will disincentivize private initiatives. The prevailing wisdom in D.C. is that the bigger the bill is, the more reasons there are to vote for it. For me, it does the opposite: each extraneous spending initiative is another reason to vote against the bill. We would be much better off voting on one topic at a time.
Ms. Shaw also asked some great questions about my stance on vaccine mandates and the science behind natural immunity. As I explained on the segment, I don't promote vaccine hesitancy; I promote vaccine mandate hesitancy. I don't think anybody should be forced to take the vaccine, but vaccine mandates that ignore natural immunity are even worse. Since I've already recovered from COVID-19, I won't take the vaccine until I see evidence that it will improve upon my natural immunity. But don't listen to politicians like me; talk to your doctor and make health decisions like these for yourself.
It was a pleasure to speak with Renee Shaw on KET. Thank you for having me!
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Breitbart: Military Members Speak Out Against Vaccine Mandates
"Several members of the U.S. military are expressing their grave concerns as the Pentagon issues a coronavirus vaccine mandate on U.S. servicemembers, warning the mandate could majorly impact military readiness as many other military members, they say, feel the same way but are not speaking out for fears of consequences.
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), who introduced HR 3860, a bill to prohibit “any requirement that a member of the Armed Forces receive a vaccination against COVID-19,” in June, held a conference call with members of the military Friday, where they offered their perspectives and concerns moving forward as the government imposes this mandate, on the condition of anonymity."
Thank you to the members of the Armed Forces who discussed the foreseeable, negative consequences of a military COVID-19 vaccine mandate with me. Support for HR 3860 continues to grow, with 32 cosponsors to date.
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Massie Updates the Rotary Clubs in Carrollton and Owenton
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Congressman Massie meets with the Carrollton Rotary Club on August 18th.
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Congressman Massie speaks at the August 9th Meeting of the Owenton Rotary Club.
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I began my remarks to the Rotarians and guests of the Carrollton and Owenton Rotary Clubs by referencing the Rotary Club's "Four-Way Test." I wish these questions applied to all the bills in Congress, particularly the question that asks if an action "will be beneficial to all concerned." The Rotary Club's "Four-Way Test" is similar to the three-part test I use to evaluate legislation: 1) Can we afford it? 2) Is it Constitutional? 3) Is this best handled by the state, local, or federal government? If all of Congress evaluated legislation using these criteria, the country would be in much better shape.
Members of the Rotary Clubs were also interested in discussing the importance of transportation as a legitimate Constitutional role of government. The House will be voting on the Senate's infrastructure bill in late September, but the legislation fails a key element of my three-part test: we can't afford it. This is a $1.2 trillion bill that includes too much ridiculous, non-infrastructure spending on items like providing high-speed internet to prison inmates.
The unfolding situation in Afghanistan was also a timely topic. We left in the wrong manner. We would have been better off leaving ten years ago.
I also provided the Rotarians with an update on HR 3860, legislation I have introduced to prevent members of the Armed Forces from being vaccinated against their will. I continue to receive letters and phone calls from soldiers who are wary of the COVID vaccine. Many of these soldiers have already gained natural immunity from COVID-19 or belong to low-risk age and health categories. As a result, they believe the risks outweigh any benefits they might receive.
Finally, the Carrollton and Owenton Rotary Clubs requested an update on the PRIME Act, HR 3835. This bipartisan bill will empower American farmers and American-owned processors to provide wholesome beef, pork, and lamb to local consumers. I introduced this bill with Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME) and it currently has 43 cosponsors in the House.
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Massie Meets with the Building Industry Association of Northern Kentucky
Thank you to Brian Miller, Executive Vice President of the Building Industry Association of Northern Kentucky, for inviting me to meet with members of the association in Erlanger. In the photo above, I am joined by: Mitchell Deaton, Vice President of Operations at Ashley Construction; Walt Dunlevy, Chair, State and Local Government Committee of the Building Industry Association of Northern Kentucky; Brian Miller; Jarron Fischer, President of the Building Industry Association of Northern Kentucky and Vice President of Fischer Homes; Mike Kegley, Co-owner of The BOLD Company; and Patrick Warnement of The Kleingers Group.
The first topic we discussed was the lawsuit that Representative Norman, Representative Greene, and I have filed against Speaker Pelosi concerning her tyrannical mask mandate. We believe she violated the 27th Amendment to the Constitution when she imposed fines on us to enforce her mandate in the House, and we are challenging her actions in District Court. This case will go all the way to the Supreme Court if necessary.
We also discussed the Senate's bipartisan infrastructure bill. The Senate bill is not as bad as the House version of the infrastructure bill, but it still has a lot of objectionable provisions. For example, it spends as much on Amtrak and mass transit as it does on roads and bridges. It also seeks to install electric car charging stations at government-run rest stops, which would destroy the incentive for private companies to upgrade their facilities. In addition, the bill removes the clean fuel designation for natural gas and propane vehicles, both of which are domestically sourced fuels. The bill does this even though there is nothing cleaner than a propane-powered vehicle.
The group also expressed frustration at the abrupt shifts seen in environmental mitigation rules every time the Presidency changes. I suggested this is a reason we need to get away from administrative law and return to more permanent laws that are passed by both chambers of the legislature.
Another issue we addressed was how disruptions in the supply chain are causing ongoing material shortages that affect the home building industry. As one member told me, "You can go down the list. If you want it, there's a shortage of it." It was suggested that a contributing factor to this problem is that many people are currently being paid more to remain unemployed than they would make if they returned to work.
Finally, we discussed my legislation that protects members of the Armed Forces from being forced to take the novel COVID vaccine. HR 3860 continues to gain cosponsors, and I was pleased with the support the legislation received in our meeting.
In Liberty,
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