Like most people, the holiday season is one of my favorite times of the year. I love celebrating God's precious gift at Christmas with family and friends, and I love to see the smile on my granddaughter's face as she unwraps her Christmas presents. 

But this year, many Americans are finding their wallets (much like the Grinch's heart) are two sizes too small. That's why a WalletHub survey found 1 in 3 Americans are foregoing Christmas gifts this year.

It's killing small businesses too. 70% of small business owners plan are having to give smaller Christmas bonuses than in 2022 — if they are able to give any bonuses at all.

That's not all. Christmas dinner costs are up 16.4% and Christmas trees are costing 10% more.

It's sad, and it's even more sad because most of this could have been avoided. House Republicans passed a bill months ago that would have helped curb this horrible inflation.The Lower Energy Costs Act would have reduced transportation and energy costs, bringing prices across the board down.

But President Biden and Senator Schumer won't pass it. They'd rather watch American families continue to struggle than push through a real solution to our nation's economic woes.

Their hope is that people will forget about how bad the economy is, but the truth is that everyday Americans can't forget that. We continue to feel the pain every time we go to the gas station or the grocery store, and that's not going to change until President Biden and Senator Schumer agree to come to the table and work for the American people.

Crippling inflation isn't the only problem that the president and his Democrat allies refuse to help solve.

House Republicans also passed a sweeping border security and immigration bill, which I helped craft as a member of the House Committee on Homeland Security. Our bill, the Secure the Border Act, would address the massive surges in migrants coming across our southern border each day.

But instead of working with us, the Biden Administration's response has been to make the problem worse. 

That's why they're setting — and then breaking — records for the highest single day totals of illegal immigrants ever recorded

Two weeks ago, this administration set the record with more than 12,000 migrant encounters in a single day. Tuesday, they broke it again. The initial leaks suggested that Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) had more than 12,600 encounters that day. Since then, reports have shown the number to be even higher.

According to data obtained by the Washington Examiner, Tuesday saw CBP encounter 14,509 migrants attempting to illegally cross our southern border.

That's more than FIVE TIMES the average daily number when Joe Biden took office three years ago, and it's also more than quadruple the number CBP agents have previously said they can handle.

Our southern border is both a humanitarian crisis and a national security threat. It's making life harder for law enforcement and first responders, and it's endangering the lives of migrants who find themselves at the will of cartels and human traffickers.

Just like the inflation crisis, it won't stop until President Biden and the Senate Majority choose to put their country ahead of their radical left-wing ideologies. 

Thankfully, not all news is bad news. 

This Thursday, I had the honor of visiting Camp Shelby for the Southern Regional Public Safety Institute's graduation ceremony. SRPSI, which is run through the University of Southern Mississippi, is an 11 week residential course for cadets entering into law enforcement. 

Thanks to SRPSI's partnership with Camp Shelby, these cadets are able to train in state-of-the-art facilities to prepare them for the situations they'll handle as they serve their communities.

As a law enforcement officer for more than forty years, I was encouraged to see these men and women who share a passion for their communities and for public service receiving such excellent training.

I've made it my mission first as Sheriff and now as a Congressman to ensure that South Mississippi's law enforcement is well-trained, well-paid, and well-supported, and I appreciate SRPSI, USM, and Camp Shelby for the role they play in meeting these goals.

I was especially honored to present Biloxi Police Officer Daniel Manteufel with an award given each year to the best graduate from the 4th Congressional District. I know that Officer Manteufel and each of his peers will continue to serve their communities well.

It's a privilege and an honor to serve as your Congressman. If you need help with a federal agency during this holiday season, please contact my team at one of the offices below.

Sincerely,