As Chairman of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, I was proud to vote for the Military Construction and VA Appropriations Act, which passed in the House this week. This bill fully funds the VA, expands telehealth services, safeguards the Veterans Crisis Line, bars the VA from closing rural hospitals without first reporting to Congress, and protects ambulance reimbursement rates for veteran transport. These are big wins for the men and women who served in uniform.

I will always Back the Blue. That’s why, this week, I voted for two bills to crack down on soft-on-crime policies that let dangerous criminals back onto our streets. The Keeping Violent Offenders Off Our Streets Act cracks down on bail bond fraud and the Cashless Bail Reporting Act brings transparency to states like Illinois, where Governor Pritzker eliminated cash bail and left our communities to deal with the consequences. Southern Illinois families deserve safe communities.

National Police Week is this week, an important reminder of the sacrifices law enforcement makes every single day. I was glad to welcome members of the O'Fallon Police Department to Washington today and have my office help them tour the U.S. Capitol. Thank you to all the men and women of law enforcement who keep our communities safe.

I joined local leaders and business owners at Coles County Memorial Airport last week for a roundtable luncheon hosted by Coles Together. We met in Rural King's brand new hangar, a great example of the private investment taking root here in Southern Illinois. It was good to hear directly from the people driving economic growth in Coles County and to discuss how we can make sure Washington is working for them.

I traveled across Southern Illinois meeting with county and local officials in Lawrence, Saline, Williamson, and Massac counties. From Lawrenceville to Harrisburg, Marion to Metropolis, it was great to sit down with local leaders who have the pulse on their communities. It helps me be the best representative I can be in Congress.

Wishing a Happy Mother's Day to all the moms across Southern Illinois. Tracy and I are blessed to have raised three children, and none of it would have been possible without her love, strength, and sacrifice. To every mother out there, thank you for everything you do for your families and your communities. We are grateful for you today and every day.

I spoke at the Mt. Carmel Area Economic Alliance Annual Meeting this week and gave members an update on what we are getting done in Washington. We passed the Farm Bill out of the House last week, the Working Families Tax Cuts law is keeping more money in the pockets of Southern Illinois families, and I am fighting to make sure the upcoming highway reauthorization bill delivers for our rural roads and bridges. There is more work ahead, but we are making real progress.

Rural hospitals in Southern Illinois are getting a major boost. Through the One Big Beautiful Bill, the Illinois Critical Access Hospital Network is positioned to receive upwards of $100 million in rural health funding, and I met with ICAHN's Director Jim Johnson at my Murphysboro office to discuss how those dollars will be put to work. Jim plans to direct the funding toward cybersecurity, ambulance services, and workforce development across the network's 69 member hospitals. Southern Illinois communities have faced healthcare staffing shortages and coverage gaps for far too long, and I am proud to have fought for this investment.

I toured the Mattoon Water Treatment Plant to learn about the city's advanced ozone treatment system, a critical upgrade that will protect the drinking water of 18,000 residents who rely on Lake Paradise and Lake Mattoon. I was glad to support this project, and in December, I voted for the PERMIT Act to streamline the permitting process for communities like Mattoon to make these improvements faster and more efficiently.

I toured the Sherwin-Williams plant in Flora this week, a company which employs more than 850 across Southern Illinois. From the paint in your home to the coatings that protect military equipment and food packaging, this facility plays a vital role in American manufacturing, and I was glad to see the hardworking men and women who make it all happen.