By Carol Miller and Sarah Chamberlain This op-ed first appeared on the USA Today Network Whether it’s friends, family, or even the person next to you at the grocery store or in the pew at church, we all know people who have felt the devastating effects of the drug crisis firsthand. Unfortunately, this epidemic has worsened in recent years. Between April 2020 and April 2021, there were more than 1,600 drug overdose deaths in West Virginia and 100,000 drug overdose deaths nationwide, an increase of 28.5% from the same period in the prior year. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has connected increases in drug overdose deaths to the nationwide COVID-19 response, which caused millions of Americans to isolate and grapple with the anxieties of an unprecedented pandemic alone. West Virginia saw a rise of 62% -- the second-highest in the nation -- as we lost 1,600 West Virginians – an average of 31 people per week. That’s more than the population of 310 cities and towns in my state of 403 cities. During years of COVID-19 lockdowns, the increasing amount of deadly drugs pouring across our southern border with Mexico has also contributed to this unprecedented crisis. Nearly two-thirds of the drug overdose deaths in the last fiscal year were from synthetic opioids, primarily fentanyl, which is 50 times more potent than heroin. Drug overdose deaths now rank close to diabetes – the nation’s No. 7 cause of death – and surpass deaths from car crashes, guns, and even flu and pneumonia. Reports full of statistics say drug deaths among children ages 10 to 14 more than tripled from 2019 to 2020 and two out of every five fake pills contain a potentially deadly dose of fentanyl. As mothers, it breaks our hearts. As a lawmaker, it is unacceptable. It’s even more painful to read the news reports of fentanyl-related overdoses by middle school and high school students in every state of our union. Those stories often include comments that many of these students were trying to cope with anxiety, feelings of helplessness, and the sense of isolation from COVID-19. Leaders in Washington must come together and work across the aisle to address this crisis before any more American lives are lost. To stifle the flow of these drugs into our communities, we must go to the source and secure our southern border. The collapse of a secure southern border has allowed fentanyl and other deadly drugs to funnel into our country and spread throughout our communities. Fentanyl seizures were up 1,066% at eight southern Texas border ports in the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2021. These staggering numbers make clear: The consequences of President Biden’s border crisis span far beyond border states. We need to ensure law enforcement has the tools to combat this threat and take swift action against traffickers of deadly drugs. The temporary Schedule 1 classification of fentanyl-related substances expires on March 11, 2022. We urge the Biden Administration to make that classification permanent. It is equally important to address the demand for drugs in America. We can help people struggling with addiction get clean, back on their feet, and reintegrated into society through increased access to recovery programs and facilities. State-funded workforce development programs should also be invested in helping those in recovery get back on the job. During the Trump administration, Congress made historic investment through the SUPPORT Act. Coupled with the hard work by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, West Virginia and the nation had turned the corner in addressing the opioid crisis. Today, it’s clear the COVID-19 public-health emergency and the disastrous border crisis have set us back. We must work diligently in a bipartisan way to secure our border, stop the flow of drugs, and help Americans in addiction get back on track. Carol D. Miller, a Republican, represents West Virginia’s Third District and serves on the House Ways and Means Committee. Sarah Chamberlain is president and CEO of the Republican Main Street Partnership, which promotes bipartisan consensus building on public policy issues.

By Sarah Chamberlain and Rep. David Valadao It’s one thing to walk into a grocery store and see empty shelves or wait weeks into the new year for a holiday gift ordered last November. It is entirely different to spend a few days at the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles and see firsthand how utterly absurd it is that we still have these supply-chain issues. Republican Representatives Lisa McClain (MI-10) and Larry Bucshon (IN-08) recently traveled with us to Los Angeles and Long Beach to assess how Congress might address these problems. We chose the California ports – some of the busiest in the world -- because we were skeptical of claims from the Biden administration that port congestion is improving. The United States relies on other nations to transport our goods across the globe on carriers. Unfortunately, we have fallen victim to bad actors capitalizing on this disaster. As foreign-owned shipping carriers sit off the coast of California, waiting to come into port, they profit from the exploitation of our agriculture producers. The carrier companies rake in money as they wait for the terminals to become available. After unloading their ships, they often take back empty containers instead of honoring existing agreements with agriculture producers, resulting in our exports being delayed even further at our own ports. We must investigate how to get vessel-operating common carriers to take American agricultural exports – many of them perishables – after dropping off shipments from overseas. There is no quick fix, but we need to restock grocery store shelves and help food banks and other nonprofits that feed low-income Americans. Shipping delays continue to impact U.S-produced foods. Farmers who could replace a tractor tire within a day must now wait much longer. Our farms are producing enough food. But during pre-Omicron House Agriculture Committee hearings last November, we heard that the labor shortage is the most immediate issue facing national supply chains. The supply chain crisis resulted from multiple failures across the system that came to light during the COVID-19 pandemic. Factories overseas were temporarily shuttered by coronavirus cases. In response, U.S. shipping companies cut their schedules in anticipation of lower demand. That was a mistake. Demand spiked as Main Street Americans outfitted home offices and classrooms, started home-improvement projects, and bought new kitchen products, TVs, and other consumer items. Companies that subsequently ramped up production quickly ran into problems getting the components they needed from other countries. The ongoing crisis highlights our overreliance on foreign goods and the importance of increasing manufacturing capabilities in America. One missing component (e.g., an automotive computer chip) can stop a production process dead in its tracks. Here are five takeaways from our visit: We need more infrastructure (including containers) and workers. Very few port facilities operate 24/7. We have a shortage of warehouse space and chassis used to transport containers by truck, posing a challenge for agriculture exporters as shipment delays threaten produce freshness. The cost of products spoiling while awaiting export endangers the livelihood of our farmers and raises the price for Americans to feed their families. We need more drivers. We need to improve the commercial license certification process for those leaving the military. There may also be opportunities to certify younger drivers (18 and older) to cross state lines. California must also adjust standards to align with neighboring states on restrictions like weight limits. We need to focus on automation and workforce retraining. Increased automation does not mean people have to lose their jobs. One terminal at the Port of Long Beach is entirely automated, which has allowed the terminal to move 250% more containers while expanding its payroll by 30%. Adopting automation enables our ports to remain competitive globally and will help workers broaden their skillsets. We need local and state governments to step up to the plate. States could apply excess pandemic-related funds to ports and highways. Government entities can reduce burdensome regulatory requirements, and encourage private investment into supply-chain technology. Resolving this crisis is urgent, and temporary relief from transportation restrictions would surely speed up this resolution. We need a better way to communicate the scope of the ongoing problem. Consistent and transparent reporting will tell us how many ships are anchored near the ports, even if they have been stopped outside the traditional zone to avoid being counted. We need a better way to assess transpacific shipping times, which have hit record highs in recent months and make it more difficult for businesses to plan. We also need to get carriers, terminals, and shippers to share access to commercial data for planning purposes. The supply chain relies on optimal productivity at ports, warehouses, distribution centers, and more to prevent delays and congestion, and nationwide labor shortages have been incredibly disruptive. We must fix this broken system and push for greater collaboration among all players. Rep. David Valadao was born and raised in California’s agriculturally rich 21st Congressional District. Sarah Chamberlain is president and CEO of the Republican Main Street Partnership. Port Photo Credit: Bloomberg/Apu Gomes/AFP

On the heels of new inflation numbers released Feb. 10 showing a 7.5% spike in inflation over the past year under the Biden and Democratic agenda—the largest increase since 1982—U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) is putting forward a new measure requiring any bill from Congress to include a report on how it will impact inflation for the American people. The RMSP Member is introducing the PRICE Act—or the Providing Reports on Inflation Costs and Economic Impact Act—requiring all proposed spending by the federal government to include a report by the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) detailing the impact on prices and paychecks. VIDEO: Click HERE to watch Senator Ernst’s remarks on her PRICE Act. “Hardworking Iowans are paying more and getting less under the reckless spending of the Biden administration and politicians in Washington. It’s past time these lawmakers, who are adding trillions to our debt and causing inflation to soar, are held accountable,” said Senator Joni Ernst. “The PRICE Act will give Iowans and all Americans a clear view of who in Washington is causing them to spend more at the grocery store, at the pump, and on their heating bills. If Congress is forced to understand the effects of their massive spending on hardworking Americans, they might think twice before passing additional pork-filled packages.” “At my 99 county meetings, I often hear from Iowans frustrated by skyrocketing costs for gas, groceries and other everyday goods – a direct result of reckless spending policies by the Biden administration,” said Senator Chuck Grassley. “With inflation at a 40-year high, Democratic leaders ought to be transparent with the American people about how much their future spending proposals would fuel the flames of inflation. It’ll only get worse if they continue turning a blind eye to the inflation inferno that’s already burning up Iowans’ paychecks.” Sarah Chamberlain, President of the Republican Main Street Partnership, said, “All across the country, people in Main Street America are seeing the rising costs of out of control inflation firsthand. Whether it’s higher prices at the pump, a bigger grocery store bill, labor shortages, or shipping delays, skyrocketing inflation is directly hurting every hardworking American family. The PRICE Act will ensure families are guaranteed transparency when it comes to their household incomes, and give an added layer of economic security that is so desperately needed right now.” Jessica Anderson, Executive Director of Heritage Action, said, “In the same month that the national debt surpassed $30 trillion, the U.S. economy saw the largest inflation increase in 40 years. This is not a coincidence, as Congress’ inability to stop recklessly spending money is a major driver of this historic inflation. Senator Joni Ernst is fighting to hold Congress and the Biden administration accountable for this damaging spending spree by introducing legislation that will let the American people see how Congress’ and the Biden administration’s irresponsibility is degrading their wages and making it harder for them to get by.” The PRICE Act is co-sponsored by Senators Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Mike Braun (Ind.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.). Background: Ernst has continued to highlight the impact of inflation on hardworking Iowans. On her 99 County Tour this year, Ernst has been visiting with small businesses, farmers, students, and other Iowans and has been hearing about the issues they’re facing as a consequence of the Biden administration’s reckless federal spending spree. Earlier this year, Ernst used a “Price is Right” themed wheel on the Senate floor to discuss the skyrocketing rates of inflation and increased costs of consumer goods as a result of President Biden’s economic policies. Ernst also helped introduce an amendment to the Senate Rules to require all bills passed by Senate committees to include inflationary impact statements, so Americans can see the true impacts of government spending. A link to a one-pager covering Ernst's PRICE Act is available HERE. Share This: https://www.ernst.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2022/2/with-inflation-soaring-under-biden-ernst-wants-politicians-to-answer-for-reckless-government-spending

I spend a lot of time talking to our 70 Members and to a growing number of Main Street Republicans who looked at what happened in Virginia, New Jersey, and other places and suddenly saw a lane where they can successfully run for election in historically Blue districts and protect historically Red ones. Let’s remember that the GOP narrowed the Democratic House majority in 2020 with swing-seat wins, which means voters were distinguishing between Republicans on the ticket. Candidates will equal success in 2022 and beyond by talking about the issues that the former President tapped into in 2016 but doing so in a constructive, civil way. Glenn Younkin provided a perfect model in Virginia for how to run as a Republican in 2022. He didn’t hug the former President and he didn’t criticize him. He stayed focused on economic and educational issues that have emerged during Biden’s presidency, outlining specific platforms centered on schools and crime and quality of life. That approach was a winner, particularly with women. We saw that Main Street Republicans will embrace campaigns where Republicans run with the right candidate, the right messages, and data-driven tactics. We also saw that suburban Republican women and independents who lean Republican still want to be Republicans. Here's what we have also learned one year into the Biden presidency through polling, media reports, and conversations with a variety of experts: If you’re a Democrat and President Biden won your district by 16 points, you’re likely to be in a competitive race in 2022. Thanks to Biden’s first-year performance, you are no longer safe. Suburban women never left the Republican Party. The former President wasn’t a factor in most districts when it came to downstream races. Both sides – but particularly Republicans -- have found President Biden more progressive than they thought he would be, but Republicans are too busy killing each other to really focus on that. But thankfully, at the same time, Democrats don’t have a coherent message. Yes, there are Republicans who are creating political headwinds for the GOP, particularly in suburban areas where we have struggled over the past four years, and yes, they’re sucking up all the air while others continue to do the hard work. At the Republican Main Street Partnership, we understand that some Republicans feel they don’t have a party anymore. But they don’t want to be Democrats and they do want to support center-right policies that don’t require them to embrace the former President. True Main Street Republicans – like our Members -- believe in a strong military and a common-sense government, They believe that while some social programs work, many more cost way too much. Real Republicans – Main Street Republicans -- believe in the rule of law being applied equally, free-market capitalism, and less regulation on business. They are business-friendly, seeing small businesses as the backbone of our economy and larger businesses as critical employers. RMSP Members work hard in their districts and focus on passing legislation and finding federal support for valuable programs back home. They believe that voters deserve results, not rhetoric. They don’t expect their constituents to agree with everything they believe, but they are actively listening to those voters and taking it all into account before voting. They believe that states have the right to determine what their citizens want, and that Democrats should not be using their majority as an opportunity to impose free-spending legislation. In fact, there are Senators within the other party who clearly agree with us on this issue. Main Street Republicans are the party’s small-town, rural, and small-business supporters. They tend to define themselves along fiscal issues rather than social conservativism, and it’s not wrong to define them as less extreme than some Republicans. Washington Democrats are out of touch with the concerns of Main Street Americans and without a clear message on the issues that affect those voters beyond “spend, spend, spend.” But Main Street Democrats often find they agree with the views of Main Street Republicans when they sit down and talk. Republicans will prevail and take back the House this November. The Democrats – and particularly the President – can brag about turning around the economy, but the Washington Post did a good job pointing out that the massive job and wage gains the Administration is touting come back to earth when you add some context. Given his other failures to implement sweeping policy changes, President Biden hitched his wagon to those economic gains in 2021, essentially jumping off a 20-story building and, as he passed the 10th floor, shouting “so far, so good.” The Post pointed out that the numbers are distorted because the recovery isn’t complete and as a rule the labor market has a much easier time regaining lost jobs than it does creating new ones. More than 1.5 million Americans retired earlier than expected during the pandemic; hundreds of thousands more have left the workforce because of health concerns or childcare issues; and others have lost unemployment benefits and are trading high-paying jobs for part-time work. But Biden has also presided over The Great Resignation and his claims of success leave out the fact that the pandemic exacerbated existing labor-market inequities, the Post wrote. This country needs a uniter. President Ronald Reagan made people feels hopeful and positive about themselves and the country. We need to return to that “shining city on the hill.” We can publicly disagree with the President on how to run a government, but we need to do it with civility...and that’s what Main Street Republicans will continue to do leading up to the midterms. Main Street photo credit: Olivia Hutcherson (Upslash)

By Sarah Chamberlain I love horror-film trailers, even when the release of the movie is months away. Democrats saw the trailer for Nightmare on Main Street on Election Night and Republicans can’t wait for the nationwide release in November 2022. We had a tremendous victory in Virginia, not just with Glenn Youngkin’s victory over Terry McAuliffe but with victories by a female Jamaican immigrant for Lieutenant Governor; a Cuban-American man over the incumbent Attorney General; and the GOP retaking control of the House of Delegates. In New Jersey, Republican Jack Ciattarelli nearly unseated incumbent Governor Phil Murphy (who won in 2017 by 16 percentage points). That may be an even scarier indicator for Democrats that the political environment has shifted hard in Republicans' favor. In the bigger picture, in those two states, many predicted college-educated suburbanites might be permanently in Democrats' camp. But Tuesday night's results in both states showed that's not quite the case. Then there’s Buffalo, NY, where the current mayor lost a primary race against a self-described socialist Democrat but then beat her with a write-in campaign despite support from Sen. Chuck Schumer and other mainstream Democrats. Or how about Nassau County, NY, where Anne Donnelly became the first Republican to win a district attorney’s race since 2001. Or Bucks County, PA, and South Jersey, where Republicans won many downstream races. Or looking more broadly across Pennsylvania, where the party won big in statewide judicial races. The list goes on as the progressive-led “defund the police” movement took a beating. Besides Eric Adams winning NYC mayor on a law enforcement platform, Minneapolis voters soundly defeated a proposal to restructure the police department while Seattle Republican City Attorney candidate Ann Davison trounced her police abolitionist opponent, who tweeted about her “rabid hatred of the police” and pronounced property destruction during times of protest a “moral imperative.” Citywide, progressives struggled as more moderate, business-backed candidates in Seattle’s three most watched races surged to huge and likely insurmountable leads, leading the Seattle Times to write “it’s been more than three decades since the phrase ‘good night for Seattle Republicans’ has been written in reference to a city election.” So what did we learn? In Virginia, we learned it’s OK to talk about Trump but you have to have your own brand. Youngkin defined himself early. He talked about being a businessman and about the importance of parents having a say in their children’s education. He took advantage of a “misstep” in messaging by his opponent about parents’ role in education, and he built a coalition of rural, suburban, and urban voters, many of whom didn’t vote Republican last year. That is a blueprint for success in the 2022 midterms. You don’t have to hug Trump and you don’t have to be against Trump. You have to acknowledge him and then talk about what you’re going to do and how it’s going to affect your district. Youngkin tapped into economic issues that have emerged during Biden's presidency and talked to voters with a campaign based on issues that people care about, and actual platforms centered on schools and crime and quality of life. But despite all this, House Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal from Washington State, expressed little concern about these results in a CNN interview with an increasingly incredulous Anderson Cooper on Nov. 3. After Jayapal claimed voters say they “need help,” Cooper rightfully pointed out that it “doesn’t seem like they asking progressive Democrats for help; they’re asking Republicans for help.” She talked about how hard Democrats were working to pass the infrastructure bill and the Build Back Better boondoggle bill without acknowledging that progressives were holding the infrastructure bill hostage. Anderson got it right when he asked skeptically whether Jayapal thinks that passing those bills will make voters “like Democrats,” which she didn’t answer. She did say that Democrats need to pay more attention to local politics – a strategy that worked for Republicans this year – but she still kept falling back on the failed Progressive messaging of Trump Bad, Progressives Good. Ignoring the historical reality that midterms usually take many Congressional seats from the party that controls the presidency and Democrats have only the slimmest of margins, Jayapal said the 2021 results “[don’t] mean anything for the midterms.” Cooper countered with a question she deflected: “Has the Democratic party gone too far Left?” That should have been an easy “Yes.” The Far Left is damaging Biden and the Democratic agenda. Main Street Americans are feeling it in their pocketbooks. They’re feeling it as they drive on deteriorating roads and bridges. They’re feeling it in rural homes that don’t have broadband. They’re feeling it with empty grocery-store shelves. They can’t understand why the party in control can’t stop fighting with each other. Main Street Americans don’t want Congress to pass legislation that opens everyone’s bank account to IRS scrutiny. They didn’t want to give families crossing the border $450,000 per person when we only give $400,000 to the families of U.S. service members killed in action, a proposal President Biden has thankfully walked back. We saw evidence of how Main Street Americans feel about progressive Democrats in last year’s election when RMSP ran ads about Rep. Don Bacon’s radical socialist opponent in the Nebraska 2nd Congressional District. That turned a tight race into a runaway. Democrats are out of touch with the concerns of middle America and without a clear message on the issues that affect their lives. As Republicans, we can see the blueprint for success in the Youngkin campaign: Run races with the right candidates, the right messages, and data-driven tactics. It’s time now to execute that plan on behalf of Main Street Americans. This column originally ran in papers across the USA Today Mid-Atlantic Region, including https://www.northjersey.com/story/opinion/2021/11/11/republicans-2022-midterms-loom-hope/6373034001/

By Sarah Chamberlain and Rep. Jeff Van Drew There are many reasons to dislike President Biden’s proposal to identify every bank account with a $600 balance or with more than $600 in transactions in a year – in other words, pretty much everyone who doesn’t hide their money under a mattress. First and foremost, it’s an invasion of the privacy of honest, hard-working Americans who pay their fair share and should not be included in the Democrats’ $3.5 trillion social spending reconciliation package, where it can further their agenda of controlling Americans’ lives. President Biden is so focused on his “legacy” that he has aligned himself with the free-spending progressives in his party rather than where he promised he’d be -- someone who would seek bipartisan collaboration to move the needle. He wants to put even more of your personal (and in the case of self-employed taxpayers, business) information into the hands of the Internal Revenue Service, which experiences 1.4 billion cyberattacks annually. Biden’s message is clear: Taxpayers are not to be trusted. Rather than taking a scalpel to his concern that higher-income taxpayers are not paying their fair share, he is putting everyone at risk with a plan that would need implementation skills that government has not proven it has. Imagine if you will, your 12-year-old works summers cutting lawns and deposits her money into a savings account. She’s a target. Or your 19-year-old banks his college work-study check to pay for textbooks. He’s a target too. And for users of platforms such as PayPal, Venmo, and Square, simple transactions involving the family’s monthly cell phone bills or reimbursement for one person paying a restaurant bill may suddenly be a target for scrutiny. Nearly everyone except Biden and his progressive friends thinks this is a bad idea. A group of 41 industry groups recently warned congressional leaders that the plan “is not remotely targeted” to detect major tax avoidance. Twenty-three state treasurers and auditors jointly said the plan is “one of the largest infringements of data privacy in our nation’s history. And the U.S. Chamber of Commerce calling the proposal an “existential threat” to the economy. We agree with Rebecca Romero Rainey, CEO of the Independent Community Bankers of America, who described this proposal as an “invasion of consumers’ privacy, a violation of Americans’ due process, a data security risk amid the agency’s ongoing tax-return leak investigation, and a threat to bipartisan efforts to reduce the unbanked population by driving more Americans out of the banking system and toward predatory lenders.” Financial institutions already report reams of data to the IRS, including suspicious activity reports, currency transactions reports, and foreign bank account information. Under the terms of the Bank Secrecy Act, financial institutions are currently required to report any deposits or withdrawals of $10,000 or more. They also provide their customers and the IRS with Form 1099-INTs relating to any accounts that earn interest of more than $10 annually. The unintended consequences from this proposal are staggering if Democrats slide it into their massive reconciliation bill, which will not require a single Republican vote in support if Biden, Nancy Pelosi, and Chuck Schumer keep everyone in line. Efforts to reach vulnerable populations and unbanked households will be undermined. The FDIC says the second most common reason unbanked households lack a bank account is that they don’t trust banks. Surveys also indicate that 25% of all taxpayers do not trust the IRS to protect their tax account records or to fairly enforce the tax laws. Implementing the rule would be a tremendous undertaking, especially for community banks that often depend on third-party service providers. This will be a particular concern if the rule applies to all banking products, including those that do not currently require any IRS reporting. The increased compliance costs will be passed along to customers. If this proposal gains traction as Democrats try to fund their unbridled spending spree, it will be a major talking point during the 2022 mid-terms. Voters from both sides of the aisle will hold the Democratic Party accountable for putting their personal data at risk, knowing that they pay their fair share. Perhaps the Democrats should focus on simplifying our overly complex tax code instead. Let your voice be heard. Encourage your congressional representatives to publicly oppose this proposal. If they won’t, at least demand they raise the threshold to $10,000 to align with the Bank Secrecy Act; exempt payments from payroll processors from the reporting requirements to reduce the number of accounts covered by the reporting rules; and exempt mortgage payments from the threshold. As our economic recovery continues, creating an additional expensive and burdensome infrastructure prevents financial institutions from providing access to credit to communities and small businesses in need, and does nothing to even the playing field. Congressman Jeff Van Drew represents the 2nd District of New Jersey and recently introduced the Banking Privacy Act of 2021. Sarah Chamberlain is president and CEO of the Republican Main Street Partnership, which promotes bipartisan consensus-building on public policy issues. This column was originally published in the USA Today Network's mid-Atlantic publications, including the Bergen (NJ) Record.

This is the fourth in a series of articles introducing you to the Freshmen Class members of the Republican Main Street Partnership. Rep. Jake Ellzey represents TX-06, which spans from the Rangers Ballpark in Tarrant County to the booming suburbs of Ellis and Navarro counties. Ellzey won the seat in July, in a special election to replace Rep. Ron Wright, who passed away in February. At the age of 7, Jake says he decided he wanted to become a fighter pilot. Fifteen years later, he graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy and spent the next 20 years in service as a US Naval pilot. He was deployed nine times during his military career with five combat tours (three in Afghanistan and two in Iraq). Following his tour as commanding officer of Strike Fighter Squadron 143, he served as the Air Boss on the USS Ronald Reagan. After his Navy career, he served Texas as a Commissioner of the Texas Veterans Commission, state representative of the 10th District of Texas, ran a small business, and worked as an airline pilot. He and wife Shelby are raising their daughter McCall and son Jack on 10 acres in Ellis County. Rep. Ellzey says he is committed to protecting private property rights, stopping high-speed rail, serving our veterans, lowering taxes, defending the 2nd amendment, and protecting the sanctity of life. He took time last week to answer a few questions: Quote: Never quit. What’s the question that you wish more people would ask themselves? If you don’t try to do what you have always wanted to do, when you look back on it would you wish you would have? What does success in 2021 look like for you? Being elected to the Texas House and Congress in the same year. What do you think is the best path to breaking gridlock in Congress? Recognizing that we’re all Americans and that we should be negotiating in good faith on reasonable policies. At what point in your life did you realize you had the power of change or the power to do something meaningful? When I first ran for student council. How do you want to be remembered? As a good husband and father who served his country well. What’s the best piece of advice you ever received? Never pass up an opportunity to shut the heck up. Interesting fact that’s not on your resume? I failed a lot more than I succeeded, but failures are not on the resume. What advice would you give yourself coming out of college? Travel. What’s a book that you give as a gift or recommend most? Love Your Enemies by Arthur C. Brooks. What gets you down? How do you bounce back? America treating each other as enemies. I try to do something nice for somebody. Who or what is inspiring you right now? My little boy. What’s your go-to song on a jukebox or for karaoke? It’s a Great Day to Be Alive by Travis Tritt.

By Sarah Chamberlain As the nation collectively grapples with the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, I’m proud of the work our Members in Congress are doing to make healthcare more affordable for all Americans. Health care represents one-sixth of the domestic GDP – and there isn’t a single member of the Republican Main Street Partnership who wants to see it consume even more of our economy. I was pleased that Congress passed the No Surprises Act at the end of 2020 in an effort to end the practice of surprise medical billing – a problem whose profile has been elevated by the numerous stories of the financial impacts these bills have had on Americans across the country both before and during the pandemic. Two-thirds of all U.S. bankruptcies are tied to medical expenses, with an estimated one in six emergency room visits and inpatient hospital stays involving care from at least one out-of-network provider. A 2019 study by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that the median price charged by air ambulance providers ranged from $36,400 to $40,000 – with more than 70% of those transports being treated as out-of-network, where all costs were borne by the insured individual. Perhaps the most jarring statistic on this topic is that 20 percent of surprise medical bills issued in 2019 went to insured families who delivered newborns at an in-network hospital but had to receive out-of-network care at some point during their stay. The legislation passed at the end of 2020 is the first step toward building a system that better protects families from these bills. The No Surprises Act is going through the regulatory process. On July 1, the Biden Administration issued the first rule implementing the legislation, which limits a patients’ financial responsibility during surprise billing scenarios. More work remains however, particularly around development of the “independent dispute resolution” (IDR) process, which is designed to keep patients out of the fights between providers and insurance companies. The Biden Administration must get this right to protect patients from unnecessary financial hardship, ensure adequate access to provider networks, and prevent insurance companies or providers from being able to game the IDR system. Another common-sense solution to address price transparency comes out of the prior administration and is now being implemented. Patients have complained for years about the charges, prices and billing associated with our health care system. Everyone has a story about receiving a bill and not understanding what exactly was charged and what is owed. Both insurance companies and providers bear blame here, and patients are rightfully frustrated. Since the beginning of this year, hospitals have been required to publicly post their prices as the law requires. The results thus far are disappointing. Many hospitals have not yet begun posting, while others are posting just a fraction of the information required. Very few are fully complying. Next year, this same requirement will extend to insurance companies, and it is reasonable to wonder whether this same sort of obfuscation will continue. Given the personalized nature of health care, the complexity of the services delivered and the various insurance companies that providers contract with, most consumers understand that hospital price transparency is nothing like pricing a product on Amazon. It would be too simplistic and unrealistic to think that the broad range of health care services can be streamlined anytime soon. But we must do better than our current system. Price transparency for hospitals and insurers is wildly popular on both sides of the aisle so there’s hope we can make progress in the current Congress. Congress in 2016 passed the 21st Century Cures legislation, which has helped patients and their families by expediting the discovery, development, and delivery of life-saving cures in a safe and effective way. Later this month, Reps. Fred Upton (R-MI, and a member of the Republican Main Street Partnership) and Diana DeGette (D-CO) will introduce an update to their 21st Century Cures legislation. This Cures 2.0 legislation will focus on six key areas to providers and patients alike: public health and pandemic preparedness, caregiver integration, patient engagement in health care decision-making, diversity in clinical trials, and both FDA and CMS modernization. It will include creation of a Biden administration-supported federal advanced research agency to cure cancer, Alzheimer’s and other diseases that devastate families. The pandemic brought to light some of the challenges we face with health care in this country. These three ideas are examples of what Congress can and must do, setting aside partisan politics and rhetoric, to focus on patient-centered, market-based solutions everyone can get behind to help Main Street Americans. Sarah Chamberlain is president and CEO of the Republican Main Street Partnership, which promotes bipartisan consensus-building on public policy issues.

The Republican Main Street Partnership congratulates Navy veteran Jake Ellzey, who won a special election July 27 to represent the Sixth Congressional District and looks forward to having him become part of RMSP. RMSP’s Defending Main Street Super PAC spent more than $100,000 supporting Ellzey through canvassing and polling efforts. "One of the things that we've seen from this campaign is a positive outlook — a Reagan Republican outlook for the future of our country — is what the people of the 6th District really, really want," Ellzey said, according to the Texas Tribune. "Jake Ellzey will be a fighter for Texas' Sixth Congressional District, and we congratulate him on his victory," said RMSP President Sarah Chamberlain. "We're proud of Defending Main Street's grassroots effort to support his candidacy, and we look forward to Congressman Ellzey's service in Congress." Commander Ellzey served as a fighter pilot, completing 20 years of service as the Air Boss on the U.S.S. Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier. Ellzey, a state representative from Waxahachie, was deployed nine times during his military career, including five combat tours by air and one by ground with Seal Team 5, and received two Bronze Stars and eight Air Medals. He served Texas as a commissioner on the Texas Veterans Commission and recently served as a commercial airline pilot based out of DFW. A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Jake and his wife Shelby are raising their two children on 10 acres in Ellis County. TX-06 includes Ellis, Navarro and parts of Tarrant counties. “In the final analysis, we felt that Jake would work for bipartisanship while fiercely protecting traditional Republican values of fiscal conservativism and social inclusiveness and that drove our decision to support him,” Chamberlain said. Defending Main Street Super PAC is the Super PAC for the Republican Main Street Partnership. It is one of the nation’s most effective independent-expenditure organizations. The races we enter are in key, contested districts across the country that are crucial to securing a Republican majority in Congress.

RMSP Members are supporting an innovative challenge for middle school and high school students to grow interest in coding and computer technology. The national Congressional App Challenge (CAC) is now accepting registrants for the 2021 competition. “The Congressional App Challenge has served as a fun and innovative way for students to be exposed to computer science and coding concepts, which in turn helps create opportunities for all students, grow our workforce, strengthen our future economy and boost U.S. competitiveness abroad. This is more important than ever as we recover from the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Rep. Young Kim (CA-39), one of the competition’s co-chairs. “I look forward to seeing the apps created by talented students across California’s 39th District and the nation, and I’ll continue to do all I can to support educational opportunities for our students.” Students may compete as individuals or in teams of up to four. They can register by visiting the Congressional App Challenge website at: https://www.congressionalappchallenge.us/ and visit the “Students” section. Congressional App Challenge applications can be submitted through November 1, 2021 at 11:00am CT. For all rules and guidelines, please click here. The CAC accepts computer programs (or apps) written in any programming language (C, C++, JavaScript, Python, Ruby, “block code,” etc.), for any platform (desktop/PC, web, mobile, etc.). Students may register as individuals or as teams of up to four students. Submissions will be scored by panel of judges in each participating district, using the following criteria: Demonstrate an understanding of computer programming skills Quality of the idea Implementation of the idea Winners from each congressional district will be selected by a panel of local judges and honored by their congressperson. The winning app is eligible to be featured on display in the United States Capitol building, on house.gov, and on the Congressional App Challenge website. The Congressional App Challenge was created because Congress recognized that STEM skills, particularly those surrounding coding and computer science, are essential for America’s continued economic growth and technological innovation. By encouraging and recognizing our nation’s young programming talent, Congress hopes to shine a light on the growing importance of these skills. The Congressional App Challenge is sponsored by the Internet Education Foundation. RMSP Member Rep. Dusty Johnson (SD-AL) wrote a terrific column about the Challenge: Some of my favorite memories growing up was when school closed for a snow day. But watching the snow pile up outside while waiting for news from the Pierre school district was agonizing as a young kid. Thanks to Samyok Nepal, a student from Brookings High School, he and his fellow classmates do not have to wait with the same anticipation. That’s because Samyok designed Bobcat Notify, an app to alert students of snow days. Samyok won last year’s Congressional App Challenge for South Dakota. I was truly impressed by the innovative ideas and caliber of app designs we received from students like Samyok during our first annual competition. This week, my office launched our second annual App Challenge, which is open to all middle and high school students. You don’t have to be an expert coder to join the competition – we are looking for students of all skill levels, regardless of coding experience. The App Challenge is a fun opportunity for young people to learn coding and pique their interest in pursuing a STEM-related career. STEM is a rapidly growing field that pays well. But more importantly, our collective success in STEM is imperative to our prosperity as a nation in the future. For the United States to keep its competitive edge over China, we must focus on bridging the skills gap and encouraging more young people to get involved in STEM. As someone who comes from a background in telecommunications, I am passionate about inspiring the next generation of innovators and I look forward to seeing the array of talent and creativity from students across South Dakota. Students interested in participating must submit their app through the Congressional App Challenge website by November 1st. Ready, set, code!

The bipartisan, bicameral VOCA Fix to Sustain the Crime Victims Fund Act was officially signed into law on July 22. RMSP members, many of whom were vocal supporters of the law, were pleased that the Senate passed the bill after the House passed it in March. The bipartisan legislation, which RMSP supported in March, will ensure that grant programs established in the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) continue to receive funding. VOCA grants provide financial support for programs that assist victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, and other crimes. “This critical piece of legislation will support vital victim service programs by preventing future cuts to already diminished federal victim service grants,” said Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01), one of two original Republican co-sponsors of the House bill along with Rep. Michael McCaul (TX-10). Fitzpatrick, a vocal supporter of the legislation, attended the signing of the bill by President Biden who said: “In 2019, these victim compensation funds went directly to over 230,000 victims — 230,000. These funds also got to states, territories, and Tribes to support thousands of victim services organizations. These organizations have provided services and support to over 13 million survivors. “Some of you heard me talk about the need for more policing that understands the need for communities and citizens. These funds will also go to law enforcement agencies to support training on how to respond to victims who have experienced trauma. “In 1984, I was proud to support the passage of the Victims of Crime Act that created this fund. I’m also proud to sign the law that significantly strengthened it today. This fund doesn’t take a dime of taxpayers’ money; it uses fines and penalties paid by convicted federal criminals. However, fines from what are called “non-prosecutorial agreements” or defendant — or “deferred prosecution agreements” did not go into this Victims Crimes Fund in the past,” Biden concluded. “VOCA grants are used by victim advocacy groups and law enforcement in the Fourth District to help the survivors of crime and I supported the VOCA Fix Act to help make sure these grants are available for years to come,” said Rep. John Moolenaar (MI-04). “I am glad the VOCA Fix Act is now law so local organizations can continue to serve our communities and support the survivors of crime when they need it the most.” “Having volunteered at a women’s shelter in college and as a survivor myself, this issue is deeply personal for me. With the Crime Victims Fund facing serious funding shortfalls, this bipartisan legislation will be a critical lifeline that will provide support for crime victims in Iowa and across the country,” said Senator Joni Ernst (Iowa), a co-sponsor of the bill in the Senate. The VOCA Fix Act will re-direct new funds into the Crime Victims Fund (CVF), a reserve that provides support for state victim compensation and assistance programs across the country. The funds are used to support programs assisting victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse, among other crimes.