Congressman Chuck Edwards

V-J Day marks the official end of WWII and the surrender of Japan, and reminds us of the bravery and sacrifices of our WWII veterans who fought to defend freedom.

Happy Labor Day!

Today we celebrate the hard work and skills of American workers who drive our economy and strengthen our communities.

My heart goes out to the families of the hostages whose lives, including American citizen Hersh Goldberg-Polin, were taken too soon by Hamas terrorists. The U.S. must stand with Israel in its fight against terrorism. No more families should have to grieve the loss of a loved one from such brutality.

Today is International Overdose Awareness Day. North Carolinians have seen the devastating effects of overdoses throughout our state, and we remember the lives lost and families devastated by this tragedy.

In Congress, I’m pushing for solutions to prevent overdose deaths including making sure law enforcement has the tools to keep deadly fentanyl off our streets.

Thanks to this administration’s open-border policies, the U.S. is the only country in the world that tolerates an invasion each year at staggering numbers. Since 2021, there have been more than 10 million illegal crossings across our nation.

The lawlessness and chaos at our border must end.

Unlike VP Harris, the U.S. House understands the importance of restoring law and order to stop the deadly border crisis.

☎️ Join WNC’s next tele-town hall on September 4 at 7 p.m. to hear policy updates and ask about the issues that matter to you.

Happy birthday to the U.S. Marine Forces Reserve!

Thank you for 108 years of dedicated service to our nation. 🇺🇸

To support our troops and a strong national defense, this year’s House-passed Defense Appropriations Act provides a 4.5% pay raise for our service members and an additional 15% pay increase for junior-enlisted soldiers.

I'll always stand with those who wear our nation’s uniform to defend our freedoms.

Congratulations to Champion Credit Union and Mountain Credit Union in WNC on being ranked as some of the best credit unions to work for in the country by American Banker! This is a testament of the dedication and hard work of these institutions’ leaders in providing a supportive environment for employees in our mountains.

Congratulations to Conner Stroud, from Rutherfordton, NC on your monumental achievement of qualifying for your second Paralympics for wheelchair tennis!

WNC and all of America will be cheering you on as you compete and represent Team USA at the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games.

MyRutherfordton

The open-border catastrophe continues with no end in sight under the Biden-Harris administration’s policies.

Three years ago, 13 U.S. service members were killed in the Abbey Gate terrorist attack in Kabul, Afghanistan during the final days of the Afghanistan withdrawal. America will never forget our fallen heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice.

Western North Carolinians are continuing to feel the downstream effects of this administration’s failing fiscal policies.

'The Big Shrink': Americans are pulling back on spending as high prices persist A new report published by Empower shows that over two-thirds of Americans feel like their purchasing power has shrunk as a result of persistent inflation.

Happy birthday to the National Park Service!

Today, we celebrate 108 years of the National Park Service’s dedication to preserving some of the most beautiful and meaningful places across our nation, such as the Great Smoky Mountains right here in WNC, for Americans to enjoy throughout the generations.

At an elevation of 4,500 feet, Southern Highlands Reserve is dedicated to sustaining the natural ecosystems of the Blue Ridge Mountains through the preservation, cultivation and display of native plants. They serve as the only supplier of Red Spruce seedlings to the U.S Forest Service in the mission to re-propagate this majestic conifer, now rare to our mountains due to older logging practices. Thank you Robert and Kelly for the remarkable tour, and sharing the story of your extraordinary work.

The U.S. must remain the global leader of democracy and freedom. The House-passed FY25 State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Act asserts the U.S. as the global leader of peace, prosperity and freedom by:

🌎 Demonstrating strong solidarity with our allies
🌎 Standing firm against adversarial forces
🌎 Advancing global freedom

Owners of the Vintage Market in Marion, NC , Anthony Collins and Rick Letterman, exemplify our mountain values. They not only use their passion to provide vintage and repurchased products from a range of vendors in WNC, they also provide opportunities for men working under a religious work-release program to live out a strong work ethic and contribute to our mountain community.

Appreciated the opportunity to visit Marion Tire & Muffler in Marion, NC, where Ryan Cook, the owner, and his team provide essential services to folks in our mountains. Continuing to hear from business owners is valuable in knowing what kinds of opportunities and challenges that job creators have today.

Thank you to Doug Watson, owner of Flavors On Main General Store in Marion, NC, and team members for showcasing the all sorts of goods that you sell from fishing equipment to human-sized stuffed animals.

The small businesses in our mountains are second to none, and I’m working to fix how Washington works and get big government out of the way so that WNC businesses can thrive and create jobs.

There’s nothing like a hearty breakfast and good ol’ southern hospitality to start your day.

Thank you to the general manager, who is fondly known as Big Mama in the community, and the staff at Elevate Breakfast Company in Marion, NC for the warm welcome.

To fix how Washington works, I’m going to need a lot of fuel in the form of coffee.

WNC is home to some of the best coffee shops and I was glad to stop by Ingenious Coffee Roasters in downtown Marion, NC and chat with the owner, Eli Ornberg, and master roaster, Jody Johnson. Their passion for coffee products and love for what they do contribute to a vibrant community and economy in our mountains.

My DC office was fortunate to have Asheville native and Wake Forest University student Alice Wood serving the folks of Western North Carolina this summer.

She modeled my office’s motto of being “First in Constituent Services” and it’s clear she has a bright future ahead.

In Case You Missed It: If a federal agency wants to create new rules affecting Americans and Main Street businesses, the Show Me the Science Act would require agencies to back their new rule with data to make sure that these regulations serve the public’s best interests.

☎️ Join WNC’s next tele-town hall on August 20 at 6 p.m. to hear updates on policy priorities and to ask about the issues that matter to you.

When the federal government overspends, Western North Carolinians pay the price through higher costs. We need to fix how Washington works by restoring fiscal responsibility across the federal government.

It was great to meet the Copeland family at their Crafty Copelands booth. We talked about the family-owned business and their products that are handmade in Franklin, NC. I’m grateful for the small businesses in WNC that enrich the communities in our mountains through ingenuity and hard work.

After I convened members of the National Park Service and stakeholders who are in support of the project to improve access to the Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site last year, I’m glad to see that as a result of this and others’ efforts, the project is going to move forward and make necessary repairs to once again open the trail for easier access.

The latest in-person town hall of my Unplugged series was in beautiful Franklin, NC. From constituent services, fiscal responsibility, national security, and many other local and national topics affecting the future of our district and nation, I appreciated the frank discussions and questions from the citizens of our mountains.

The last stop in downtown Franklin was Mossy Rock Home Decor and Gifts where high quality goods are sold. The owners shared about their experiences owning a small business and their challenges in the current economy. To make sure that small businesses in WNC and across our nation are able to thrive and create jobs, we need to fix how Washington works.