Moran Minute: Recruiting Local Law Enforcement

Friends,

Each day law enforcement officers across the country put their lives on the line to serve their communities and keep you and I safe and secure. Last weekend, I was honored with the opportunity to address the Texas Municipal Police Association’s (TMPA) Annual Conference – thanking these brave men and women for their sacrifice and speaking with them about the issues they face every day.

In East Texas, we’re blessed with peace officers who truly know and care about the well-being of our communities. Not only that, but we have personal relationships with these men and women who put their lives on the line for us – they’re family members, friends, and neighbors.

Our communities are best served by those who know us best, which is why earlier today, I introduced the Strong Communities Act of 2023, which will allow funding from the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) grant program to be used to recruit locals and sponsor training programs that will encourage recruits to stay and serve in the communities they know and love.

To learn more about this legislation, please click HERE.

I am committed to ensuring our law enforcement officers have the resources needed to keep us safe – including supporting legislation that would expel illegal aliens convicted of assaulting a law enforcement officer, allow officers to purchase retired firearms at fair market value, and condemn efforts to defund or dismantle local law enforcement agencies.

I will continue to Back the Blue, support the Rule of Law, and advocate on behalf of our officers.

Encouraging Christian Leadership

Thank you to Bunni Pounds and Christians Engaged for making the journey up to Washington, D.C. this past week! My service to East Texas – and the American people – is deeply rooted in my faith, and it was an honor to address this group of men and women fighting for the future of our country. I enjoyed having the opportunity to discuss how my own faith impacts my service and how other believers can cover our elected officials in prayer and stay involved in government at all levels.

Together, we can make a difference.

Keeping up with the Realtors

It was a pleasure to join both the Texas REALTORS and the National Association of REALTORS Friday afternoon for a townhall! Great turnout and great questions. Thanks to Annie Dwyer for moderating this critical discussion.

Prominent topics included the crisis at our southern border, the influx of Fentanyl in our communities, and how the economy has affected the real estate industry and the ability for East Texans to become homeowners.

Working for Rural Texas

Earlier this week, I met with Red River and Bowie County officials, including Judge Robert Bridges, DeKalb Mayor Lowell Walker, and Texarkana City Manager David Orr, to discuss economic growth in the region, workforce challenges and its impact on the industry, and other topics affecting our community.

I would like to especially thank Bowie County Equipment and State Bank for hosting me and look forward to the continued development in the region!

As you and your family begin to plan for the upcoming holiday season, it’s important to remember that many countries require your passport to be valid for six months following return from travel.

A good rule of thumb is to make sure you have at least six months remaining on your passport, before it expires, from the time you plan to return to the United States. Make sure everyone in your party will have a valid passport before purchasing tickets for travel. You may read more about this requirement at this link.

For information on estimated passport processing times for both regular and expedited service, please see the processing times section of the U.S. Department of State website. Keep in mind these are estimates only, and some applications may take longer.

For more information, or for assistance with renewing or updating a passport, please do not hesitate to reach out to my office by calling (903) 561-6349.