Enewsletter: 3/13/15

Statement

Important Questions Remain About Clinton's E-mails

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton tried to put to rest questions about her use of a private e-mail server, but there is still a lot left unanswered. Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-SC), chairman of the special Benghazi committee, has asked for a third party to review the e-mail server and determine what e-mails are official or personal. Currently, Clinton's own lawyers are the ones who determined what e-mails to share. Fewer than half of the e-mails Clinton sent during her tenure as secretary have been handed over to the State Department, and only well after she had left her position. The House may need to vote on subpoenas for this information in the coming months.

ATF Pulls Back on Bullet Ban

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms has pulled back on a new proposed regulation that could have banned a common type of ammunition for the popular AR-15 rifle. This comes after more than 80,000 public comments and letters from both the House and Senate questioning the new regulation. I joined a letter from House Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) asking the ATF why they were trying to ban the ammunition. This letter was signed by 236 members of the House while 52 Senators sent a similar letter. The intense pressure led the ATF to withdraw the proposal at least temporarily. We will continue to monitor the agency to make sure they don't move forward with what appears to be a backdoor attempt to ban a popular rifle.

Bill to Speed Therapies and Clinical Trials Up Next Week

My bill to get critical drugs and clinical trials through the Drug Enforcement Administration, H.R. 639, should be up on the House floor next week. The DEA has been dragging its feet in recent years waiting months or years to schedule FDA approved drugs that are controlled substances. This legislation gives them a deadline, stopping the endless delays. This is a bill I sponsored with the top Democrat on the Energy and Commerce Committee, Frank Pallone. I hope that it can now get attention in the Senate, where a companion bill has been introduced by Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT).

Investigating Islamic State's Crimes

Next Wednesday at 2 p.m., I will be holding the first hearing of the Human Rights Commission that I am responsible for since I taking over as the Republican co-chair. We'll be focusing on the human rights violations of the Islamic State, with a focus on their attacks on religious minorities. The hearing will feature the U.S. ambassador for International Religious Freedom and others with extensive knowledge of what is going on in Iraq and Syria. I hope it will be insightful. Watch my website and Twitter feed for a link to the live video.

Op-ed of the Week: Venezuela Meets Economic Reality

Twenty-five years ago, a 52-floor skyscraper began to rise over the city of Caracas, Venezuela. Before the windows and elevators could go in, the project went bankrupt and sat unfinished. As the capitol city grew, people broke into the site and began to live in the tower.

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