In the past weeks and months, we’ve had several stark reminders of our nation’s critical need to develop affordable North American energy. We’ve seen instability in Russia and the Middle East that has huge ramifications for the price of energy. On June 24, the Energy Information Administration announced that a gallon of gasoline averaged $3.70, an increase of ten cents per gallon over the same time last year and an increase of $1.35 per gallon since 2009. This means hardworking families are like... Read more

Over the last couple weeks, the House of Representatives has responded forcefully to the revelations out of the Phoenix Department of Veterans Affairs about officials using secret wait lists to delay veterans’ access to care. I will continue to investigate this wrongdoing and support legislation to make fundamental changes to the way we care for veterans in this country. On Wednesday, I was selected by my colleagues and VA Committee Chairman Jeff Miller (R-FL) to be a member of the conference co... Read more

As a physician, veteran, and member of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, words cannot express my outrage over the VA’s blatant disregard for the lives of those who served their country honorably and earned timely access to quality health care. I have actively participated in the investigation of this scandal since the news first broke about the waitlists in Phoenix. On Monday evening—just before a hearing on the issue—an audit of the VA confirmed that 57,000 veterans have been waiting more ... Read more

On Monday, the Obama administration unveiled a controversial plan to cut carbon emissions from existing power plants by 30% by 2030. This climate change agenda is so misguided and unpopular with the American people that the president couldn’t even get it passed through a Democrat-led House and Senate back in 2009. Now, despite the fact his Administration believed then it needed the explicit authority of Congress to act but failed to get it, they are planning to move ahead with their war on coal ... Read more

On Wednesday, the Office of the Inspector General at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) released an interim report confirming the recent allegations of secret waiting lists and unfair scheduling methods that resulted in delayed treatment for many veterans. The report is shocking and deeply troubling, detailing that the average wait time for veterans to receive care was 115 days while wait times were being reported as closer to two weeks, and that 1,700 veterans were on an unofficial, secret... Read more

On Monday, we honor our nation’s true heroes on Memorial Day. Families, communities and churches across the country will come together to pay tribute to those who have given their lives in the name of freedom. I hope that this Memorial Day, we’ll take a special moment to remember the servicemembers that have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country—and their families—, but we shouldn’t set aside just one day to give thanks to the men and women who have devoted their lives to defending freedom... Read more

Earlier this year, media outlets began reporting that veterans around the country were having difficulties getting into VA clinics and hospitals for treatment. According to the reports, some veterans even died while waiting to see a doctor. Recently, CNN reported that at least 40 veterans died in Arizona because of these delays. This is completely unacceptable and a disgrace to all we stand for as a country. To add to frustrations, there is some speculation that top management at the hospital in... Read more

This week the House will take action that will ensure the Obama Administration is kept accountable to the American people. We will vote to hold former IRS official Lois Lerner in contempt of Congress and vote to form a select committee to investigate the 2012 terrorist attack in Benghazi, Libya that took the lives of four Americans, including Ambassador Christopher Stevens. In Washington, it’s easy to get wrapped up in the politics surrounding most every issue, but I truly believe we must look a... Read more

Earlier this week, a report released by America’s Promise Alliance found that, for the first time in U.S. history, the high school graduation rate nationwide has topped 80 percent. In Tennessee, the graduation rate is even higher than the national average. It increased 17 points from 2003 to 2010, and reached 87 percent in 2012. As a member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, I couldn’t be prouder of Governor Haslam and the statewide commitment of parents, teachers and school adm... Read more

It wouldn’t be a holiday weekend without an attempt by the Obama administration to bury a decision that defies common sense. On Good Friday, the administration announced they would be extending the comment period on the Keystone XL pipeline, which likely delays the decision until after the November elections and possibly even into the New Year. This is unacceptable, especially considering the president’s own State Department found the project to be environmentally-sound. While some environmental... Read more