![Image](https://iqconnect.house.gov/iqextranet/Customers/LA04MJ/f2cc96c8-ecd9-436a-9a14-bbbadbab8be1.jpg) Notes from Mike's Desk from the Week of May 17 - 21, 2021 Hello, friends! Welcome back to my weekly newsletter highlighting what's happening on Capitol Hill and in Louisiana's 4th Congressional District. Thank you for subscribing and please consider recommending my newsletter to a friend. I begin this week by addressing yet another natural disaster in our beleaguered state. South Louisiana was hit hard this week by extreme rain and flooding in several communities. We continue to pray for the impacted communities, our state, and the strength and resiliency of everyone involved. We remain #LouisianaStrong. IN THE HOUSE On Wednesday, the Louisiana delegation led our House colleagues in a moment of silence to honor the life and public service of the late Buddy Roemer, former Louisiana congressman and governor. His family will remain in our prayers. Watch our moment of silence: Also, this week, House Republican Leadership and the top Republicans on all committees called on Speaker Pelosi to finally follow the science and end remote voting and mask wearing on the House Floor. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has already issued guidelines that vaccinated individuals can shed their masks, the rest of the country is getting back to normal, and it's time that Congress does the same and gets back to work in person. You can read our full letter here. HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK On Wednesday, I organized a series of Republican speeches on the House Floor to address some of the major crises that we are seeing today: a struggling job market and rising inflation; an ongoing humanitarian crisis at our southern border; and our closest ally Israel under constant attack by Hamas terrorists. Each of these issues can and should be addressed in a bipartisan way. We had so many speakers that I did not have time to even deliver my own prepared remarks, but you can check out some of the excellent speeches by my colleagues below. Watch my friend, Congressman David Kustoff of Tennessee, for example, speak on President Biden's failing economic policies and the importance of America standing strong in support of Israel. Here is one of our talented freshman members, Congresswoman Michelle Fischbach of Minnesota, sharing why we stand with Israel in their defense against Hamas terrorists. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT The Republican Study Committee, the largest caucus of conservatives in the House, released its 2020 budget Reclaiming Our Fiscal Future that counters the outrageous spending proposals by the Biden Administration. This budget looks like it will once again be the only budget introduced this Congress, and as a former Chairman and current member of the RSC, I am proud to continue working on getting our nation's fiscal house in order. There are many important conservative initiatives included in this budget, including my bill, the Closing Asylum Loopholes Act, which would ensure our asylum system is reserved for immigrants truly seeking refuge in America from violence or persecution. Read more about that bill here. LAGNIAPPE A very big congratulations to the graduates of the class of 2021! Wishing you all the best in your future endeavors. Thank you again for subscribing and reading. We'll have more next week! For freedom,
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