Chanikarn Thongsupa
LBJ Library
Brendan Smialowski, Agence France-Presse
Exit
44, Texas — 11, R
A former US Airforce fighter pilot, advisor to President Trump, and father of 3. Colonel Pfluger served in active duty for 20 years flying F-22 fighter jets. He is also a former Eagle Scout with a background in aeronautical science.
August has a long-family history in Texas as well as military service which inspired him to attend the United States Air Force Academy and then continue his education in military operations. He is a decorated combat veteran of the Air Force with over 300 hours of direct action against radical jihadists in the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). Before being elected to Congress, he worked at NATO and the Pentagon, and served on President Trumps’ National Security Council.
Despite having one of the more playful names in Congress, August means business. He’s a retired Air Force fighter pilot and advisor to President Trump. His location in Texas has left him poised to be one of the harshest critics of Biden’s border security policies.
August joined over 130 of his House colleagues and over 40 Senate Republicans in filing an amicus brief to the Supreme Court so they may decide whether Biden’s proposed vaccine mandate is constitutional. The Republican party writ large has taken up this issue faster than AOC finding an open microphone at a press conference, and as of late this week, the Supreme Court has officially ruled it unconstitutional for the Government to implement this rule in most cases. They did allow for implementation among healthcare workers, and the private sector will determine their own standards. Neither side seems to be backing down but this is definitely a win for August and his fellow R’s.
August had his eyes on immigration this year. He wrote a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services criticizing the process in which a new facility for migrant children was opened in his district. August also introduced the Migrant Facility Transparency Act, which requires HHS to coordinate with federal and local officials in establishing temporary influx facilities as well as give local officials a say in the final decision-making process for site selection. If that all wasn’t enough to convince you that August is focused on border security, he also introduced the Border Security for America Act, which would require that the federal government renew border wall construction contracts and hire additional CBP officers.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) published a final rule allowing the importation of sheep’s, goats and other similar animals. But what was interesting is they dropped a certain part of the rule that allows these animals to be imported even if they have fatal diseases like scrapie. Scrapie is a fatal, degenerative disease affecting the central nervous system of sheep and goats that is easily transferable. August introduced bipartisan legislation, along with PP leaders Nicole Mallotakis (R-NY), Dusty Johnson, (R-SD) and Tony Gonzales (R-TX) to delay the USDA rule implementation until further studies are done to see how this can impact American sheep producers.
As the energy crisis heats up (no pun intended) around the world, August is criticizing the Biden administration for failing to follow through on commitments from the Trump administration to bolster private sector investment in the region. By allowing more private investment, he says, the U.S. will be able to loosen Putin’s grip on the region and empower American energy producers and our allies. Are you concerned about Russia’s energy capabilities?
42, Texas — 23, R