Shuler Update

Weekly Update from Congressman Heath Shuler

White House Great Outdoors Celebrating our Nation’s Independence

I hope that everyone had a Happy and meaningful Fourth of July.  I was blessed to be able to celebrate our Nation’s independence spending time with my family and seeing many old and new friends at parades and at church.

Independence Day is a time to remember what it means to live in the land of the free and the home of the brave.  We must also remember our troops who are prepared to sacrifice their lives to ensure our continuing freedom.  To our troops, past and present, thank you for your sacrifices.

Working to Bring American Jobs Back to US Soil

Last week I had the opportunity to visit the more than 200 hard-working employees of APAC-Atlantic, an asphalt and concrete company that has been sustaining jobs and fueling the economy of the Asheville area since 1967. Bringing jobs back to American soil is always a priority for me.  Being at APAC underscored the importance of reinvigorating the manufacturing industry and bringing jobs back to the United States.

Roughly 2.2 million manufacturing jobs in the U.S. have been lost since December of 2007, according to the National Association of Manufacturers.  In the House, I am proud to be a member of the Buy American Caucus, which brings Members from both sides of the aisle together to make laws that will help American manufacturers and promote American products.  I was also proud to vote recently for the Home Star Energy Retrofit Act, which will create roughly 170,000 American jobs in manufacturing by promoting domestically-produced clean energy products.  The workers I met at APAC exemplify the tremendous skills, knowledge and know-how possessed by our local communities and communities throughout the United States.  We have the workers and the expertise, it is time to end unfair trade agreements and promote American manufacturing to get jobs back to American soil.

Welcoming the Administration to Asheville

Last week, I was honored to announce that the White House Great Outdoors Initiative will hold a listening session in Asheville on July 15 to solicit ideas about land conservation and how the outdoors can drive economic growth and job creation.  I am thrilled that the Administration recognizes our mountain region as a model of success in conservation and innovation.  With its abundant outdoor spaces, a host of successful conservation initiatives, and the involvement of the public and all levels of government, Western North Carolina will provide tremendous insight to the Administration and to similar communities across the United States.