Friends,

It was another busy week in DC with two important pieces of legislation coming to the House floor: H.R. 2 (Border Security Package) and H.R. 1163 (Reclaim fraudulent COVID funds). On top of these big legislative items, it was also National Nurses Week! As the only Nurse Practitioner in Congress, I took great pride in celebrating our countries hard-working nursing workforce and am honored to be a tireless advocate for them in Congress!

During the week, I had the opportunity to meet and speak with some great groups from VA-02 visiting Capitol Hill! Here are the highlights from my packed week in Washington...

Addressing the Border Crisis

Last week, the House passed H.R. 2, the Border Reinforcement Act of 2023. I voted YES.

This past February, I visited the Tucson Sector of our southern border (this was my second trip to our southern border) where I met with Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) Agents, visited sections of the border on foot, and completed an aerial tour of the area. I saw firsthand how the humanitarian and national security crisis there is completely out of control.

According to CBP data, there have been more than five million encounters at the southern border since January 2021; over 1.4 million known ‘gotaways’ since February 2021; 193 individuals on the terrorist watchlist encountered trying to enter the country between ports of entry from FY 2021 to FY 2023; over 14,000 pounds of fentanyl seized in FY 2023—enough to kill the entire U.S. population over nine and a half times; and over 61,000 individuals with criminal records arrested by CBP attempting to cross the U.S. borders since the beginning of FY 2021.

I'm sure that many of you have seen the harrowing images of thousands of people camped out at our southern border, waiting for the expiration of Title 42 at 12:00 AM on last Friday, May 12. When I saw that footage, I shared the American people's sense of shock, anger, and confusion.

From the record number of fentanyl deaths to rising crime, communities across America are paying the price of this self-inflicted crisis. But current open border and anti-security policies aren’t just threatening the safety and security of Americans, they are enriching and emboldening cartels, who are making massive profits off the exploitation of vulnerable migrants. Enough is enough! We MUST put an end to all of this suffering by restoring the rule of law and supporting the law enforcement officers who put their lives on the line to defend and maintain our borders...!

Last Wednesday, I joined News Nation's "Morning in America" to discuss my February visit to the border and how this legislation will provide the changes we need.

When I was at the border, our CBP Agents told me time and time again how desperately they need a finished wall, additional technology, and manpower to have any hope of alleviating the border crisis. H.R. 2 addresses all of those needs while also increasing transparency in the Department of Homeland Security. Specifically, the bill:

• resumes construction of the border wall using already appropriated funds;
• hires and trains 22,000 new Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) field agents;
• modernizes CBP and upgrade existing technologies;
• increases Department of Homeland Security transparency relating to migrant numbers;
• establishes new bonuses for CBP Agents;
• provides increased support to local law enforcement.

H.R. 2 will take great strides to address the issues plaguing our CBP agents... I hope that the Senate and the President recognize the need for immediate, widespread border security improvements and join us in passing this bill!

Meeting Mutts with a Mission!

On Tuesday, Virginia Beach's very own Mutts with a Mission paid me a visit at the Capitol! They're a wonderful organization that has been providing service dogs for disabled veterans, first responders, and law enforcement officers at zero cost since 2008.

We discussed how their dogs can provide life changing help to our nation's heroes. I also heard about all of the ships and sailors they've visited; in fact, the first ever dog that they trained is currently deployed with the USS Gerald R. Ford. I know that I certainly benefitted from being able to visit with these lovely dogs for a few minutes; I'm glad that they've helped so many others feel the same!

Celebrating our Nation's Amazing Nurses

This past week was National Nurses Week! I was proud to introduce a bipartisan, bicameral resolution to celebrate the invaluable role America’s nurses have in providing safe, high-quality care to patients each and every day.

If you're interested in reading more about this legislation, you can do so here. As a geriatric nurse practitioner, I'm honored to be able to recognize those in the nursing profession on a Federal level, and will continue to be an advocate for our workforce in Congress!

On Wednesday evening, I was honored to speak to members of the Nursing Community Coalition about H.R. 2713, the I CAN Act! This bipartisan, which I introduced with my Congressional Nursing Caucus colleagues, bill removes the remaining Medicare and Medicaid barriers that prevent Advance Practice Registered Nurses from practicing the full scope of their education and clinical training. If enacted, it would increase healthcare access, improve care quality, and lower costs for patients; something that I hope everyone can get behind! Thank you to the Coalition for having me!

Protecting Taxpayers by Combatting Fraud

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic presented unprecedented challenges to our nation. One of the biggest challenges was the loss of millions of jobs around the country due to government lockdowns; jobs that we've only recently regained.

Unfortunately, criminals and foreign fraudsters exploited the federal and state efforts to assist hardworking Americans who fell victims to these horrible circumstances and stole hundreds of billions in payments intended to keep workers afloat amidst government lockdowns. Estimates are that taxpayers are on the hook for anywhere between $191 and $400 billion in improper payments….These are stolen taxpayer dollars, which makes every person in America a victim of fraud.

That's why I was proud to vote for H.R.1163, the Protecting Taxpayers and Victims of Unemployment Fraud Act last week! This legislation gives states the tools they need to go after fraudsters and shores up vulnerabilities by improving identity verification and modernizing state UI systems. It also allows states to keep 25% of all fraudulent overpayments they recover, which incentivizes the recovery of these stolen funds around the country. I'm proud to fight for accountability and to help return every penny I possibly can to the taxpayers!

Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient of the Week

This week, I want to honor Congressional Medal of Honor recipient Corporal Anthony Casamento (Medal of Honor action date: November 1, 1942). 

U.S. Marine Corps Corporal Anthony Casamento was serving Company D, First Battalion, Fifth Marines, First Marine Division on Guadalcanal in the British Solomon Islands when he and his Company engaged with enemy Japanese forces. Cpl. Casamento directed his unit to advance along a nearby ridge while he - as leader of a machine gun section - he and his unit provided cover fire. He expertly positioned his unit so that they could simultaneously assist the two flanking units along the ridge and the main company force, which was behind his position.

During the course of action, most of his unit was killed, and Cpl. Casamento himself was seriously injured. Despite his wounds, he continued to provide fire for both the attacking units and in defense of his position. When all of the remaining personnel providing cover fire were incapacitated, Cpl. Casamento positioned, loaded, and manned the machine gun himself, holding the enemy forces back. He singlehandedly destroyed a machine gun encampment in front of him and placed another on his flank under heavy fire.

Despite his wounds, the heat of the machine gun, and wave after wave of enemy assault, Cpl. Casamento maintained his position. His actions protected the flanking units until the Company's main force arrived.

Corporal Anthony Casamento was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Jimmy Carter on September 12, 1980 at the White House for "courageous fighting spirit, heroic conduct, and unwavering dedication to duty ". He was born on November 16, 1920 in New York, NY and died on July 18, 1987 in Northport, NY. He is buried at Long Island National Cemetery in Farmingdale, NY, and his Medal of Honor is accredited to New York, New York. There is a park in Bay Shore, New York that has the privilege of bearing his name.

Five Fast Facts from VA-02!

1. According to the Constitution, the capital should not exceed “10 miles square” (10 miles on each side of a square). Washington is currently meeting that threshold!
2. When Congress convened for the first time on March 4, 1789, only 21 of its 59 members were present!
3. Washington, DC and Ibiza, Spain sit on the same latitude.
4. The Pentagon, despite being physically located on the Virginia side of the Potomac River, is technically part of Washington, DC.
5. Jeannette Rankin, the first woman elected to Congress, was the only Member to vote against joining WWII after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. She famously said "as a woman I can’t go to war, and I refuse to send anyone else."

I'll be back in Washington this week - Police Week - to continue to fight for the people of Virginia's Second District. I'm proud that we're continuing to pass bills to strengthen our national security and deal with crises facing our country!

As always, please don't hesitate to contact my D.C. Office at (202) 225-4215 or my Virginia Beach District Office at (757) 364-7650 with questions, concerns, or if you require assistance with a federal agency. And don't forget - if you’d like to stay up to date with what I’m working on, check out my website and follow my Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages (linked below) to stay up to date!

Take care,

Jen A. Kiggans

Congresswoman, Virginia's Second District