Fighting for Pastor Brunson's Release

Earlier this week, a Turkish court once again postponed a decision on Pastor Andrew Brunson until his next trial hearing on July 18th. I have visited Pastor Brunson in Turkey twice over the last several weeks, including attending his first trial on April 16th. I saw first-hand how bogus the charges against Pastor Brunson are, a collection of ridiculous conspiracy theories and absurd allegations made by secret anonymous witnesses.  

Congress will not simply forget about Pastor Brunson. I recently led a letter signed by 66 senators to the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, demanding the release of Pastor Brunson, and warning that Congress could pursue actions to protect the interests of American citizens who are being wrongfully persecuted in Turkey. I also recently introduced bipartisan legislation with Senators James Lankford and Jeanne Shaheen that would ban the transfer of F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft to Turkey.

Pastor Brunson needs to return home and be reunited with his family. I will continue to work with my colleagues in Congress and the State Department to keep the pressure on Turkey until that happens.

• Raleigh N&O: ‘A kangaroo court’: Why Tillis has been traveling to Turkey to see an imprisoned pastor
• Christian Broadcast Network: 'Absurd... Heart-wrenching': Fired-Up Senator Rips Turkey, Demands Pastor Brunson's Release
• WLOS: N.C. Senator to Americans traveling to Turkey: "I can't guarantee your safety"
• Asheville Citizen-Times: Turkey shouldn't get fighter jets while it holds missionary, senators say

Additional Funds For Hurricane Matthew Recovery

Last month, I worked with Senator Burr and the North Carolina delegation to secure an additional $189 million to go towards Hurricane Matthew recovery. With these additional funds, North Carolina has been awarded over $1.4 billion in federal funds through Congressional appropriations and grants to help our local communities recover and ensure North Carolina’s families are not forgotten.

Taking Care of our Veterans

Recently, I successfully secured $53 million to fund three North Carolina State Veterans Home construction projects through the VA State Veterans Home Construction Grant Program. This program has been one of the most successful and cost effective programs serving the long term care needs of our nation’s veterans and will provide critical resources to ensure our aging veterans have a place to receive the care they need and deserve.

The $53 million will go toward the following projects:

• Salisbury, NC VA Home - $2.6 million for renovations to the day room, patio, main entrance, HVAC, electrical, flooring, walls, lighting, nurse stations and dining.
• Wake County - $25.2 million for a new 120 bed facility.
• Guilford County - $25.2 million for a new 120 bed facility.

Contact My Office

Thank you for reading my e-newsletter, I will continue to work hard to represent all North Carolinians in the Senate and deliver results. If you or someone you know is having trouble with the VA or any federal agency, please don't hesitate to contact my office. My office has helped thousands of North Carolinians over the past three years dealing with the VA, Social Security Administration, expediting a passport, and much more. Please follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube for daily updates on my work in North Carolina and Washington! If you would like to unsubscribe from my e-newsletter, please click here. 

All the best,