Dear Friends,

As I look ahead to the summer and discuss plans with friends and family, I am hopeful that everyday life is returning to normal. Hopefully, the slowdown in vaccination rates will not impede the progress we have made. I appreciate how people in the Sixth District have come together to do their part to get through the difficult past year-and-a-half. However, in order to get back to normal it is critical that people get back to work. Businesses all over the state are struggling to find people willing to come back to work, not because people are concerned about the spread of COVID, but because they are making more money staying unemployed. Thankfully, Governor Ivey followed the lead of 20 other Republican governors and opted out of the federal unemployment bonus which takes an effect on June 19th. I believe this was the right decision, as pandemic-related federal aid was always meant to be temporary, and the economy will suffer if we continue paying people to not work.

Unfortunately, Democrat leadership in Congress and the Biden Administration do not seem as eager for the return of normalcy. Committee work largely remains remote, and proxy voting remains an option for votes on the House floor, unconstitutional as it may still be. Furthermore, President Biden and the Democrats continue to fight for policies that have so far hindered our economy from returning to normal. The Biden Administration and the Democrat leadership in Congress persist in paying people not to work, making it difficult for small businesses to hire and operate at full capacity. If that were not enough, they are pushing unprecedented levels of spending that I believe will result in levels of inflation not seen in the U.S. since the Carter Administration. The Biden Administration’s energy policies are pushing gasoline prices higher, along with higher household utility expenses that disproportionately hurt low-income families. All of this shows how the pandemic and the fear of it over the last year have been weaponized and exploited. These policies are creating a clear distinction between the pro-growth, pro-family, and pro-America policies of Republicans and the very destructive Socialist/Leftist policies of the Democrats. I appreciate this chance to update you and share a few ways that I'm fighting against that. As always, feel free to reach out to my office with any concerns.
Sincerely,
Gary Palmer
Member of Congress
In the District

Mayors' Lunch

It was great to get together for the quarterly lunch that I host for the Sixth District mayors. From the time I first entered Congress I have made it a priority to meet with the mayors throughout the district on a quarterly basis. This gives the mayors of our district the chance to meet with my staff and me in person. Now that the state has reopened, the district staff and I will once again be traveling throughout the district to visit our communities and hear from our constituents.

SBA Disaster Loan Deadline: June 25!

If your home or business suffered damage during the March tornadoes, be aware that June 25th is the deadline to apply for a physical disaster loan from the Small Business Administration. Read more and apply online here: http://DisasterLoan.sba.gov.

National Day of Prayer Service

I had the honor of speaking at Pineview Baptist Church in Brent earlier this month for their National Day of Prayer Service. I'm grateful for their hospitality and for the chance to simply gather and pray together after a year when church services and gatherings like this were prohibited.
COVID-19

Alabama has made significant progress COVID vaccinations, which has allowed us to reopen. Thank you to everyone in the Sixth District for doing your part in this difficult time, but we are now experiencing a slowdown in people getting vaccinated. I encourage everyone who can to get the vaccine and to take whatever precautions are best for you at this stage. You can check vaccine eligibility and schedule an appointment at https://alcovidvaccine.gov/. Visit the Alabama COVID Vaccine Dashboard through the Alabama Health Department to keep up with doses administered, number of people vaccinated, and more.

From Washington

Biden Budget vs. RSC Budget

Several weeks ago, the Republican Study Committee pulled together a budget proposal that prioritizes balancing the budget, reducing our national deficit, and giving Americans more control and personal freedom over their money. It also fully funds our national defense and emphasizes the need for a secure border. The budget put forward by the Biden Administration could not be more opposite. In keeping with the patterns of this Administration thus far, it includes trillions more dollars in wasteful spending and pushes our country further into debt. Even the New York Times admits that this budget would take the U.S. to its highest levels of sustained federal spending since World War II. It would run up our deficits to an even more dangerous level, and it also undercuts our military funding and includes taxpayer funding for abortion. The Biden tax-and-spend budget would raise our public debt to $39 trillion by 2031 and interest on the debt will be over $900 billion. If passed and implemented, the Biden budget will raise the debt to GDP ration to 117%, the highest in U.S. history. This means that in ten years our debt will be 17 percent bigger than the entire American economy.

Back the Blue Bike Tour

I was glad to participate in Leader Kevin McCarthy's "Back the Blue" Bike Tour, honoring our police officers during National Police Week this month. Our law enforcement are the target of so much vitriol and falsehood right now, so it is more important than ever to show them our support and honor. I'm grateful to Leader McCarthy for his efforts to show our appreciation and am proud to stand with our nation's police officers in solidarity and in respect for how they put their lives on the line every day to protect our communities. At the conclusion of the bike tour, my colleagues and I gathered together at the National Law Officers Memorial to place wreaths in remembrance those officers who were killed in the line of duty in 2020, including officer Nick O’Rear of Kimberly. 
From Gary’s Bookshelf

Destiny of the Republic by Candice Millard

If you’re unfamiliar with President James A. Garfield, I highly recommend this extraordinary look into his life and the power struggle that entailed his short presidency. As president, Garfield fought intensely against political corruption, and was famously shot by an assassin only four months into his term. The nation was still recovering from the Civil War at this time, and the attack on the president served to further shake the national mood. I think this book serves as a fitting reminder of how many difficult and contentious times our country has survived so far. 
Congressional Spotlight: Proxy Voting during COVID and Why it Should End

Just over a year ago now, House Democrats passed a resolution that essentially gave Members of Congress the freedom to not be present to vote on the House floor, as it allows Members to cast votes both for themselves and for other Members. It was passed last year on a party line vote. At the first vote after it was passed, more than a third of the Democrat caucus in the House did not show up in person to represent their constituents.

The COVID-19 pandemic was cited as the reason for this resolution. It was cast as a safety precaution that made allowances for those who were trying to limit their interpersonal interactions. While these concerns were real and needed to be considered, at the end of the day, the Constitution's requirement for Congress to assemble still mattered more. It is also noteworthy that this resolution has been misused countless times since its passage. Early on, many Democrat members missed votes not for safety reasons, but to attend a space shuttle launch

Not showing up in person to represent one's constituents is a direct assault on the Constitution and over 200 years of precedent. Our nation's history is littered with pandemics, wars, and more, but up until now, Congress has always assembled to do the people's business. I strongly opposed this resolution and I have advocated for ending proxy voting ever since. This past month, I signed onto a letter requesting that Speaker Pelosi end all proxy voting measures and remote committee work. It is well past time for Congress to return to regular order. You can read the letter here.
Recent Press Talks
Capitol Journal with Don Dailey: I appreciate Don's regular conversations with me on Capitol Journal. It's refreshing to have an outlet for a lengthier discussion of national issues. This time, we talked about the GOP leadership strategy, the ongoing border crisis, and more. 

Good Day Alabama: Janice Dean and Mike Dubberly had me on to talk about Governor Ivey's recent decision for Alabama to opt out of the federal unemployment bonus payments. We also talked about the recent attack on the Colonial Pipeline and what can be done to solve the border crisis. 

Matt & Val: I had the opportunity be on 99.5 with Matt & Val to talk about how Democrats continue to weaponize the pandemic and public fear, as well as the suspicious origins of COVID-19 in China and why the U.S. needs to take a firm stance against China. We also covered the Biden Administration's "America Last" energy policy and how it has ceded ground to Russia in this area.
Trussville Tribune: I was in-studio with Trussville Tribune discussing the questions surrounding the origins of COVID-19. I believe we need to demand a real investigation into this, since it appears that both the Chinese government and the World Health Organization have withheld important information on it. We also discussed the Biden Administration's energy policies, which are setting a dangerous pattern of limiting America's economic freedom in the energy sector and making us dependent on other nations. 

Alabama Morning News with JT: Thanks to JT for having me to give updates from Washington. We discussed the Biden Administration's recently introduced budget proposal and the upcoming infrastructure bill. Both include trillions of dollars in wasteful spending. I pointed out that less than 10 percent of the Democrat infrastructure bill actually goes towards infrastructure. We also covered the origins of COVID-19 and related concerns about U.S.-China relations.