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Strengthening Ties With U.S. Allies

Earlier this month, I traveled to Israel, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt as part of a congressional delegation to discuss the deteriorating security situation in the most volatile region on the planet. I met with national leaders and visited one of the dozens of refugee camps along the Turkish-Syrian border. I came away with two inescapable conclusions: Arabs and Jews have been drawn together by a common enemy - Iran and terrorism; and we are on the cusp of a historic strategic failure because of the ineptitude of President Obama's foreign policy. I wrote an op-ed about my experience, which you can read here.

"Let's count the toll of Obama's vision: Iran emerges richer (the president released $140 billion in embargoed funds) and more powerful than ever and is still the leading financier of terror worldwide; Assad seems likely to survive; Russian boots are on the warm sands of the Middle East; and Obama has ceded American primacy to the Iranian fanatics and Vladimir Putin. On top of that, Israel feels abandoned and alone and our traditional allies have been cast aside by the president's desire to make history." - Sen. Thom Tillis

 

Working To Fix The VA

I recently introduced bipartisan legislation with Senator Al Franken (D-MN) to to fix a federal oversight that’s prevented thousands of American veterans—who, about 40 years ago, cleaned up nuclear testing sites in the Marshall Islands while often working without protective gear—from getting access to the care they need. Many of these veterans suffer from cancer, respiratory diseases, and heart problems. But right now, they are not adequately compensated for their medical costs. The Atomic Veterans Healthcare Parity Act would tackle this issue by extending key Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare benefits to servicemembers who helped clean up the Marshall Islands between 1977-1980, an area subjected to more than 40 nuclear tests that remains partly uninhabitable due to high levels of radiation.

 If you are a veteran or know a veteran who is having trouble getting care from the VA for any issue, please do not hesitate to contact my Raleigh office at 919-856-4630 or Charlotte office at 704-509-9087. 
              

 

Eliminating Waste and Fraud In The Federal Government

Last week, the Senate passed a bill I introduced with Senator Tom Carper (D-DE) that will help federal agencies better detect and prevent fraud. The bipartisan Fraud Reduction and Data Analytics Act requires the Office of Management and Budget, in coordination with the Government Accountability Office (GAO), to issue guidelines for agencies to establish and implement controls to prevent, detect, and respond to fraud. This bill utilizes the lessons learned from the success of the private sector in fighting waste and fraud, and will ultimately help protect federal, taxpayer-supported programs by identifying vulnerabilities and closing the gaps.

 

Lake Norman Charter's 5th grade class 

 

 NC 4-H delegation visiting Washington

 
 Thank you for taking the time to read my update, I will continue to work hard to represent all North Carolinians in the Senate and deliver results. As always, please don't hesitate to contact my office if we can assist you in any matter regarding a government agency. If you would like to unsubscribe from my e-newsletter, please click here.

 

All the best,