My Bipartisan Call to Reject Political Violence in Our Society 

It has been disturbing to see social media posts celebrating the assassination of Charlie Kirk. A recent YouGov Poll found that 77% of Republicans believe it is always unacceptable to feel joy at the death of someone they oppose, while only 38% of Democrats share this view. Is this who we have become as a society?

Sadly, Michigan is not immune to this cancerous problem. We saw a now former employee of Office Depot in Portage go viral for refusing to print a poster for a prayer vigil in Kalamazoo remembering Charlie Kirk. In the days that followed, we saw two absolutely unacceptable threats made against Democrat political leaders here in Michigan. 

I am calling on all Americans, regardless of their political affiliation, to reject political violence. If we don’t, what was a dark week will grow into a dark chapter of American history. I believe we can overcome this, but we must have the courage and moral clarity to say that violence or threats of violence against political opponents is NEVER acceptable.

Honoring Those Taken by Political Violence

You may recall, on June 25th, the House unanimously voted 424-0 to condemn the heinous attack against Democrat lawmakers in Minnesota. Importantly, House Resolution 519 also specifically honored "the life of Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman for her devotion to public service and her tireless efforts to serve the people of Minnesota." Every Republican who voted on this measure, including myself, joined with every Democrat to honor her memory and reject political violence. 

Last Friday, the House voted on House Resolution 719 to honor the life of Charlie Kirk and condemn political violence. While every Republican who voted supported this measure, sadly only half of Democrats who voted did so.

I believe this should have been another unanimous vote. This was a missed opportunity for Congress to show a unified front in condemning political violence against any American, whether you agree with them or not.

Thankfully, the resolution honoring Charlie Kirk passed with 310 votes in support of the measure, 58 votes against it, and 38 members of the House voting present. 

The Pay Our Homeland Defenders Act

Last week, I introduced legislation to ensure border patrol officers, ICE agents, and  law enforcement officials at the Department of Homeland Security would receive their paychecks in the event of a government shutdown.

Importantly, the Pay Our Homeland Defenders Act also ensures members of the U.S. Coast Guard would continue to receive a paycheck because they are under the Department of Homeland Security. 

We cannot allow the mission-critical and dangerous work of our ICE Agents, Border Patrol Officers, and DHS law enforcement to be held hostage by Washington gridlock driven by partisan politics. Below is a clip from WSBT in South Bend discussing this important legislation. 

The Pay Our Homeland Defenders Act recognizes that law enforcement personnel at the Department of Homeland Security shouldn’t have to worry about their family’s next paycheck while bravely securing our borders, cracking down on illegal drug trafficking, and keeping communities across America safe.

You can read more about this important legislation in the Detroit News. 

Government Funding Update

Last Friday, the House passed a short-term continuing resolution that would maintain government funding through November 21st.

With the end of the fiscal year approaching at the end of the month, I supported this measure because it would give the House more time to make progress on the appropriations process and potentially improve conversations with the Senate. Unfortunately, the Senate rejected this measure and Democrats in the Senate failed to pass or agree to any legislation regarding government funding. 

On Monday, I joined Fox Business to discuss the ongoing government funding debate. I believe it would have been productive for President Trump to meet with Senator Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries. That being said, in order for the conversation itself to lead to a positive outcome, Senator Schumer must stop his performative double standard and have an honest conversation. You can watch our entire conversation below. 

Reforming & Reauthorizing the State Department

For the first time in more than 20 years, my Republican colleagues and I held a full reauthorization markup of the State Department. To put this in perspective, more than 85% of the programs at the Department of State have not been thoroughly reviewed and reauthorized since shortly after September 11, 2001. 

This markup lasted approximately 26 hours and was a combination of eight bills, including H.R. 5251, legislation I introduced to reform and reauthorize the public diplomacy umbrella at the State Department. 

H.R. 5251 streamlines all public diplomacy functions and aligns personnel, budgets, and regional teams worldwide under a single chain of command. This will help ensure all U.S. messages are unified, integrated, disciplined, and strategically directed.

It also requires annual reports to Congress that include clear metrics, benchmarks, and adversary-response assessments. Importantly, it also enforces results-based management across educational and cultural exchanges, aligning them with strategic priorities and foreign policy outcomes.

I am proud to report that out of the eight bills considered, my legislation to restore accountability, streamline, and modernize the State Department passed 48-0 and was the only structural reform legislation to pass with unanimous bipartisan support. 

Below are some of my remarks during the mark up in support of H.R. 5251.

Innovative Approaches to Affordable Housing

Two weeks ago, I attended HUD’s Innovative Housing Showcase on the National Mall with HUD Secretary Scott Turner. During the showcase, I was able to tour cost-effective solutions that can help give renters and homeowners more options in the housing market.  

Under the last Administration, Americans saw construction costs skyrocket, broken supply chains, and higher interest rates, making housing unaffordable for many.

In order for housing policy to be impactful, we must end ineffective federal programs that impose universal mandates, remove burdensome labor rules and environmental reviews, and reduce regulatory burdens.

Meeting with Students Who Want to Serve Our Country

On the evening of September 11th, my office hosted a Service Academy Night in Otsego. Thank you to all the students and parents who attended. We had a great conversation about the nomination process to each Service Academy and students were able to meet with representatives from our nation’s military academies. I want to say a special thank you to VFW Post 3030 for opening their doors to the community for this great event!

Conversations in the Capital and Across Southwest Michigan

On September 17th, I met with the community health center leaders from Battle Creek and Grand Rapids. We had a productive conversation on workforce development, funding for community health centers, and how telehealth has expanded access to care across Southwest Michigan. Thank you to the Michigan Primary Care Association for helping foster this important dialogue. 

On September 16th, I met with Curtis Walcott, a second generation turkey farmer from Ottawa County. We discussed the strong turkey farm production across Southwest Michigan and the importance of having biosecurity policies in place to address harmful pathogens. 

Last Thursday, I met with employees from Duncan Aviation who were representing the Aviation Technician Education Council. These employees, which included an individual from Battle Creek, were visiting the nation's capital to discuss how we can work together to improve the Federal Aviation Administration's workforce development and technical training programs.

On September 12th, I had the opportunity to tour Bronson’s Clinical Lab in Kalamazoo. It was great to see firsthand the incredible work Bronson is doing to serve the Greater Kalamazoo Community and residents across Southwest Michigan! Thank you to the laboratory team for the warm welcome!

Thank you for reading this edition of the Huddle. With news breaking so quickly, I encourage you to follow me on Facebook, X, and Instagram. If you or someone you know needs assistance with a federal agency, please don't hesitate to contact my office in Holland, my office in Portage, or on the web at Huizenga.House.Gov.

Sincerely,