Thank you for subscribing to my E-Newsletter! I've been working in the district and meeting with constituents during the early weeks of the August district work period. Below you'll read about some of those meetings and about a new proposal from the Problem Solvers Caucus that was released just before August.

To stay up-to-date on what I'm doing and where I'm meeting with constituents during August, be sure to follow me on Facebook and Twitter. You can also check out this map on my website to see all the places I'm visiting in our community.

I enjoy hearing from you and responding to your questions. If you'd like to share your concerns or opinions, or if you have questions about legislation or specific votes, you can send me an email here. Also check out my YouTube page with 100+ videos, many of which are responses to your questions. And if you've missed one of my newsletters, you can view all of the past ones I've sent here.

I had a wonderful opportunity to participate in a town hall at Ultra Electronics in Lancaster this week. Ultra is an incredible company with hardworking, dedicated employees. They also happen to be working on some remarkable equipment. Ultra makes key components that have to work in really difficult situations. Things like space-hardened machinery, electronic warfare equipment, and next-generation ruggedized controls. 

We had a great discussion about the work they're doing, but also discussed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that President Trump recently signed into law, new career and technical education legislation that helps manufacturers hire and retain skilled workers, and how the new tax reform law is impacting the company and its employees.

If you'd like to invite me to visit your place of work, school, volunteer organization, or would simply like to set up a time to meet with me in one of my offices, you can send me an email here.

Did you know that small business owners' optimism reached a 35-year high in July? Small businesses are setting job creating and hiring records across Pennsylvania and the nation. But the biggest challenge facing small businesses right now is the availability of qualified workers.

I was glad to sit down with small business owners in our community to discuss this concern and talk about what Congress is doing to provide an assist. President Trump recently signed bipartisan legislation I worked on that will help career and technical schools, like Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology, partner will local businesses to help ensure students are prepared for jobs in today's 21st century economy.

I have firsthand experience with the worker shortage. I owned and operated a small construction company for 25 years, and when we wanted to expand our footprint into new markets, we often struggled to find qualified workers. But now more and more small businesses are experiencing this shortage, and Congress is working to address it. I will continue working to repeal onerous regulations and implementing smart policy that helps these businesses expand and create jobs, and helps fill those jobs with well-trained workers.

Entrepreneurial Spirit is Alive and Well

We're all familiar with ride sharing services like Uber. They're convenient and get us where we need to go. But what about the drivers and their motivation behind joining the gig economy?

This week I sat down with a handful of Uber drivers to hear from them about their experiences with this new sector of our economy that provides workers with flexible hours and their entrepreneurial spirit. You may have seen some of the friendly faces above - or maybe you've received a ride from them!

Bipartisan Problem Solving

As you may know, I'm a member of the Problem Solvers Caucus in the House. This group of lawmakers - about 50 of us - is evenly divided among Republicans and Democrats, and aims to find solutions to the problems we were sent to Washington to solve.

We recently unveiled a package of changes to the way the House operates to make Congress work better for the American people. Our proposed changes reward openness and transparency, encourage a willingness to reach across the aisle, create debate on divisive issues, and empower lawmakers to find real solutions concerning our nation's most pressing issues.

The LNP Editorial Board recently wrote about this proposal, saying:

"Our politics is so heated these days. Too many of our elected officials in Washington care more about the political affiliation of a person promoting an idea than the merits of that idea. That's why we've been supportive of the Problem Solvers Caucus.

"And the fact that there are so many huge problems to solve that aren't being addressed is why we enthusiastically support the "Break the Gridlock" proposal."

You can watch my 2-minute remarks at our press conference here, and read the full proposal of changes here.