Today, serious lawmakers did their jobs, voted to maintain our standing in the world, and exhibited the power of the United States.

The voices calling for America’s retreat from the world stage were ignored — and history will remember their weakness, if it remembers them at all. This package — largely identical to legislation the U.S. Senate passed with 70 votes in February — delivers long overdue aid to our allies in Ukraine in their war against Putin’s army. 2/5

I just voted to force the sale of TikTok by its China-owned parent company.

As a Member of the U.S. House Intelligence Committee and former intelligence officer, I know the national security threats posed by ByteDance’s ownership of TikTok and the risks to American users. (1/6) The U.S. intelligence community has consistently warned that TikTok is a tool within control of the Chinese government — & the Chinese Communist Party is capable of using the app to undermine democratic elections, weaponize propaganda, & stifle free speech across the globe. (2/6)

🧵A strong response to crises at our southern border, in Ukraine, and in the Middle East is not optional — it’s mandatory.

Those of us who care about democracy, the stability of the Middle East, the security of our southern border, and U.S. global leadership cannot give up. 1/16 As a former federal law enforcement officer and CIA case officer who worked narcotics cases and tracked cartels, I know that we cannot ignore the deteriorating humanitarian and security crisis along our southern border. 2/16

As a former CIA officer, I trained for the possibility that I may someday be in a building under attack — in a foreign country.

I never imagined I’d be barricaded inside the House Chamber on January 6 as insurrectionists tried to stop Congress from certifying the 2020 election. Former President Trump incited the insurrection — building upon lies, conspiracy theories, and his own unwillingness to concede he had lost. (2/22)

Today, I voted against a House GOP bill that endangers the lives of women in the military who need emergency medical care and casts doubts on the effectiveness of vaccines.

Because the Freedom Caucus insisted on using this normally bipartisan bill to test fringe ideas. (1/4) Just last month, the Armed Services Committee voted 58-1 to pass a strong, bipartisan NDAA.

Rather than send a message to the world that both parties stand with our servicemembers — despite our policy disagreements, some lawmakers chose to prioritize getting headlines. (2/4)

We can pay our nation’s bills and have responsible conversations about spending.

But this process was a refusal to reckon with the seriousness of the approaching economic catastrophe.

This messaging bill will die in the U.S. Senate, and we will have accomplished nothing. 1/ Meanwhile, this bill has highlighted the priorities of House GOP leadership.

A broad-brush, no-questions-asked cut of 22 percent across the board would be devastating to Virginia families, seniors, and Veterans. 2/

A 22% CUT to Veterans’ healthcare, VA claims processing, and care for Veterans suffering from toxic exposures.

That’s what’s in Speaker McCarthy’s plan.

All Americans who answered the call deserve our strongest support — not to be on the chopping block. 1/ House Republicans’ plan would cut 81,000 jobs across the Veterans Health Administration — slashing nearly 30 million appointments.

These cuts mean a lack of access to primary care, cancer screenings, mental healthcare, and more. 2/

Tonight, I am mourning my friend, colleague, and mentor Congressman Donald McEachin.

He was a good man who endeavored to make others feel important and heard whether in the courtroom, the General Assembly, the U.S. Congress, or simply in a quiet moment. He brought his passion for people, his sense of humor, and his abiding faith in God to his work every day — and he was a relentless advocate for those who needed a voice, our natural resources, and the people he represented.

TL;DR: House leadership has failed to hold a vote to ban Members of Congress from trading stocks.

For months, bipartisan momentum grew in both the U.S. House and U.S. Senate to finally take a step towards prohibiting Members of Congress from day trading while on the job. (1/9) We saw remarkable progress towards rectifying glaring conflicts of interest.

And after first signaling her opposition to these reforms, the Speaker purportedly reversed her position.

However, our bipartisan reform coalition was then subjected to repeated delay tactics. (2/9)

Today is National POW/MIA Recognition Day.

Today, we honor the men and women of our armed forces who were captured abroad and those who served but never returned home.

We owe a debt of gratitude to these heroes for their sacrifices. These are heroes like Cdr. Harry Blackburn Jr., a Henrico County native and Navy pilot who was shot down in Vietnam.

Blackburn was a POW and died in captivity.

As someone who used to carry a gun every day on the job, I understand the responsibility that comes with a firearm.

I just voted to pass eight straightforward measures — that make sense to gun owners and non-gun owners alike — to reduce gun violence in our country. (1/11) The individual provisions in the Protecting Our Kids Act demonstrate concrete, responsible steps towards keeping our communities safe.

Let me lay out the eight bills passed by the House in this package: (2/11)

Without concrete action, the cycle of mass carnage in this country will go unbroken.

We need to move towards reinstating a ban on the manufacturing, sale, and transfer of military-style assault weapons currently on the market.

Let me introduce you to H.R. 1808. (1/5) This bill, the Assault Weapons Ban, defines the types of weapons that are manufactured for the quick killing of people and the legislation explicitly exempts more than 2,200 guns that are used for hunting, home defense, or recreation. The bill also limits magazine capacity. (2/5)

Here is what we could do right now:

The House has voted twice now to pass the Bipartisan Background Checks Act to ensure existing laws meant to keep guns out of the hands of those with a history of violence are being enforced, including for sales online and at gun shows. (1/5) The House has also voted twice in support of the Enhanced Background Checks Act to extend the period that law enforcement has to complete background checks for the small percentage of individuals who are not cleared within minutes of submitting a background check. (2/5)

I was barricaded in the House Chamber on January 6.

I was physically there as insurrectionists — domestic terrorists — clawed at the doors of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Those of us stranded in the gallery were among the final Members of Congress to be evacuated. 1/9 We watched as U.S. Capitol Police officers bravely fended off a violent attack.

We furiously texted loved ones, we helped colleagues process this moment of crisis, we heard the cries of “hang Mike Pence” outside the doors, and we prepared to deploy gasmasks. 2/9

Today, I proudly voted to strengthen the @StateDept's ability to serve Americans and advance U.S. interests around the world, carry out global anti-corruption activities, and bolster its own cybersecurity and training for diplomats and career civil servants.

This bill: [THREAD] Includes a provision I helped draft to strengthen long-term training opportunities for diplomatic personnel — for both foreign and career civil servants — so they can better advance U.S. interests and forge diplomatic solutions to challenging issues around the world,

The President has trafficked in conspiracy theories, lied about the outcome of the election he knows he lost, and incited his supporters to engage in violence and destruction.

He willfully brought brutality to the U.S. Capitol as insurrectionists invaded the building. 1/4

https://twitter.com/scottwongdc/status/1348663949856796675

I will never forget the experiences of that day, as I was trapped in the House Chamber’s gallery with colleagues and members of the media whose evacuation route had been blocked. 2/4

The President incited an insurrection. As a nation, a Congress, and an American people, we must make clear that his actions were a violation of his oath & a betrayal of his office.

I'm cosponsoring the articles of impeachment led by @RepTedLieu, @RepCicilline, & @RepRaskin. 1/4 The terrorists laid siege on the U.S. Capitol in support of a man who, through his lies and desperate attempts to hold onto power, provoked this violence.

The insurrectionists hoisted a flag adorned with this man’s face after lowering the American flag from the Capitol. 2/4

The House just passed the new COVID-19 emergency relief package. This negotiated compromise isn't perfect, but it's a vital first step for Virginia families who need help now. The final package included several major #VA07 priorities – here are the highlights. (Thread) ✅ $9 billion to support the free, fast, and equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines

✅ $22 billion for testing supplies, improved public health infrastructure, and COVID mitigation efforts

✅ $9 billion for healthcare providers on the front lines

This morning, my colleagues and I returned from a bipartisan congressional trip to Turkey, Afghanistan, and the Syria-Jordan border. We met with security, intelligence, and diplomatic leadership from our U.S. forces and foreign partners. spanberger.house.gov/news/documents… Over and over, we heard about the danger posed to Americans if we abandon our Kurdish allies, the Syrian Defense Forces. The SDF has been our primary ally on the ground in the fight against ISIS, working and dying alongside American troops.

The recent drone attack on Saudi oil facilities was egregious and extremely destabilizing at a time of heightened tensions. And right now, we need clear-eyed policy, not knee-jerk calls for military action. (1/7)

thehill.com/homenews/senat… Given the Yemeni Houthis claim responsibility while the administration pins the blame on Iran, Members of Congress need to see all available information—classified and unclassified—about this attack before making any calls for offensive military action which could lead us...(2/7)

Our #VA07 Rural Broadband Summit is beginning shortly! Our panelists @akmeacham, @Ali_Christopher, and Richard Jenkins from @USDA are up first. Follow today’s conversation in the thread below 👇 Broadband is essential for business, education, agriculture, emergency response, telemedicine, and more. Lack of access impacts rural residents in #VA07 and across the U.S., creating a #DigitalDivide between communities. #VA07BroadbandSummit