Source: US Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC), 10/28/17

This week, the Senate was hard at work passing vital legislation to benefit Americans across the country. First was a critical funding measure to help those who have had their lives turned upside down by recent natural disasters. From those in California who have fallen victim to wildfires, to those affected by the rash of devastating hurricanes in Texas, Florida, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico – my colleagues in Congress and I voted overwhelmingly to give them the aid they need. The $36.5 billion in emergency disaster relief will go a long way towards helping begin to rebuild the homes and lives that were torn down. You can read more about my vote in the Greensboro News and Record and at WRAL.


We also made more progress on our effort to fill the countless judicial vacancies across the country, but not without delay. Even in cases where more than 95 senators eventually vote to confirm a nominee, Democrats still see fit to put up unnecessary procedural delays. While Trevor McFadden, a nominee to be a U.S. District Judge for the District of Columbia was voice voted out of the Judiciary Committee, the Senate was still forced to waste precious time going through procedural hurdles to confirm this immensely qualified jurist. It’s time for this partisan blocking to come to an end, so the Senate can fulfill its constitutional duties.

Next week, I’ll be busy in the Finance Committee as we continue work to bring tax reform to our broken code. The House of Representatives passed our Budget Resolution, so Congress can move forward to consider solutions for tax system. I’ll also be leading an open session of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence with a number of social media companies for our investigation into Russia’s interference in the 2016 election. It’s a busy time in Washington, but we are full steam ahead.