Congressman McHenry Weekly Update

February 23, 2014

Congressman McHenry Weekly Update

Busy Week in the 10th District

This past week, Congress recessed in recognition of the Presidents Day holiday. The recess gave me the opportunity to get back to North Carolina where my days were filled with meetings and visits across the 10th District. On Tuesday, I visited Muddy River Distillery in Belmont. Located on the banks of the Catawba River, Muddy River became the first legal rum distillery in North Carolina in 2012. Owners Robbie and Caroline Delaney took me on a tour of the facility and showed me how they distill their two rums, Carolina Rum and Queen Charlotte's Reserve.

Following my visit to Muddy River I had the honor of taking a guided tour of the Billy Graham Library. Although Reverend Graham lives in Montreat, the library is located in Billy's hometown of Charlotte.

Library historian Wayne Atcheson was kind enough to lead me on a tour of the library which is a moving tribute to Billy Graham, his ministry, and The Word of God.

On Thursday, I attended the Gaston Regional Chamber of Commerce's Annual Banquet at the Gastonia Conference Center. This is the 101st Annual Celebration for the Gaston Chamber and it was a tremendous night celebrating the Chamber's success over the past year.

On Friday, I started off my day by visiting North Belmont Elementary School. It was a pleasure to speak to several classes of Screaming Eagles while at the school. Thanks to Principal Ryan Smith and Superintendent Jeff Booker for inviting me. Special thanks to the first grade students who took the time to make this great sign welcoming me to North Belmont! Read more about my visit in this Gaston Gazette story.

Also on Friday, I toured the Sun Drop Bottling Plant in Gastonia. Thanks to Jay Falls for showing me around the facility where two North Carolina delicacies, Sun Drop and Cheerwine, are bottled.

As always, you can see more photos from my visits around the 10th by visiting and liking my Facebook page.

Follow Me on Instagram

One of the best ways to stay updated on my work in North Carolina and Washington is by following me on Instagram. I am frequently updating my page with photos from my meetings with constituents and visits around the 10th. Below is a photo of the Reverend Billy Graham's well-worn briefcase that I took during my tour of the Billy Graham Library this week. Click the image below to visit my Instagram page where you can follow me or create an account if you do not currently have one.

Rutherford County Loses a Dedicated Public Servant

This past Sunday, Giulia and I were stunned and deeply saddened to learn of the passing of our good friend, Rutherford County Clerk of Court Robynn Spence. Robynn was a wonderful lady and a dedicated public servant who served the people of Rutherford County with distinction for many years. Robynn had served as Clerk of Court since 2008 and previously worked at the Rutherford County Sheriff's Office and Department of Social Services. Giulia and I send our prayers to Robynn's family and friends during this difficult time. Click the image below to learn more about Robynn's life and service.


	What I Have Been Reading
	Daniel Davis goes to Washington *Asheville Citizen-Times* One of the highlights of serving is meeting with constituents who come to Washington to meet with their representatives and advocate for issues important to them. A couple of weeks ago, I held one of those meetings with Daniel Davis, a senior at Owen High School in Asheville. Daniel met with me on behalf of the National Federation of the Blind and the ACT wrote this recap of his trip to Capitol Hill. CFPB must explain spiraling renovation costs *Washington Examiner* Over the past year, my Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee has spent time investigating the massive cost overruns in the renovation budget for the headquarters of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Recently, I requested an Inspector General investigation into the budget which has jumped from $55 million to $154 million. As the editorial above states, it is imperative we find out what is driving this gross misuse of taxpayer money. The South's Best New Bars 2014 *Southern Living* As Asheville continues to distinguish itself as "Beer City USA" it should come as no surprise to see an Asheville brewery, in this case Wicked Weed, featured on this list of the South's best new bars. Wicked Weed is one of the best new restaurants in Asheville and the national publicity in Southern Living is well deserved.

WASHINGTON, D.C. OFFICE
2334 Rayburn HOB
Washington, D.C. 20515
Telephone: 202.225.2576
Fax: 202.225.0316

HICKORY DISTRICT OFFICE
87 4th St. NW, Ste A, PO Box 1830
Hickory, NC 28603
Telephone: 828.327.6100
Toll-Free in NC: 800.477.2576
Fax: 828.327.8311

GASTONIA DISTRICT OFFICE
Suite 115
Gaston Co. Administrative Bldg
128 West Main Avenue
P.O. Box 2394
Gastonia, NC 28053
Telephone: 704.833.0096

BLACK MTN. DISTRICT OFFICE
160 Midland Avenue
Black Mountain, NC 28711
Telephone: 828.669.0600