Congressman Troy Nehls reflects on first year in office
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One year ago, the image of Congressman Troy Nehls attempting to reason with rioters in the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol attack went viral. At the time, the District 22 representative was mere days into his first term in Congress.
Much has changed since Nehls’ first days in office. Over the past year, Nehls served his district through the pandemic and political unrest as President Joe Biden took office.
Nehls reflected on his first year as the representative for Congressional District 22, which encompasses much of Fort Bend County, including Katy.
Your first year in office has been an eventful one with many unprecedented challenges. Looking back on this past year, what are some of your reflections on the year? What stands out to you the most? What are you most proud of?
I am proud to have introduced pro-law enforcement and pro-border security legislation in my first year in Congress. I am also proud to have written and introduced bi-partisan, meaningful criminal justice reform legislation. My SCORE Act authorizes the Department of Justice to create a new grant program targeted at reducing recidivism among eligible non-violent inmates in county jails across the country.
What stood out the most in Congress has been President Biden’s destruction of our country. From his open border policies, to his failure to control COVID, to the international embarrassment of Afghanistan and his record setting inflation. America under President Biden and the Democrats is weaker, less respected and less safe. The American people are frustrated with the failures of this administration and you see it reflected in every poll. I’m looking forward to November 2022 when Republicans take back the House and finally hold this administration accountable.
Tell us about some of the policies you’re working on. What are your priorities right now?
I recently introduced the bipartisan Public Safety Enhancement Act of 2021, which puts 100,000 more police officers on the streets over the next five years. Keeping American communities safe and supporting our law enforcement will always be a top priority for me. Under current leadership and the Democrats’ war on police, the nation is facing an unprecedented rise in violent crime. According to the FBI, overall violent crime was up 5.6 percent in 2020, and the overall murder rate in the U.S. has increased by nearly 30 percent, the predictable result of the left’s defund police movement. Sadly, this is the most significant increase in the national murder rate in over a century. Our nation’s law enforcement needs more support. Empirical data definitively shows adding more law enforcement officers reduces crime. More police officers on our streets will help to reduce these dangerous trends and keep our communities safe.
With the recent redistricting, District 22 has new boundaries. As the former Fort Bend County Sheriff, you’re very familiar with your district, but now District 7 will now edge into Fort Bend County. How do you think this will impact the area? Do you plan to collaborate with the District 7 U.S. Representative Lizzie Fletcher to help at all with the transition?
As someone who’s been in public service for years in Fort Bend County, addressing the needs of residents in Fort Bend and every county in my district is a responsibility I take very seriously. Fort Bend County deserves strong representation in Congress and my first year in the House, I collaborated with Rep. Fletcher on a number of issues affecting our region. I look forward to continuing our positive working relationship in the future.
What are your top goals for 2022?
My top goals are to hold the Biden administration and Democrats accountable for their failures on the economy, COVID, Afghanistan and the border. I will also continue supporting the men and women of our nation’s law enforcement against the left’s defund the police movement, promote reforms in our criminal justice system to provide second chance opportunities for non-violent inmates, and also continue my work on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to address local infrastructure issues. Further, as Ranking Member of the Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Disability Assistance & Memorial Affairs, I will continue to promote legislation that improves the lives of our nation’s veterans and their families.
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