Congressman Patrick McHenry

September 7, 2014

Congressman McHenry Weekly Update

September Issue Survey Results

Tomorrow afternoon, the House will return following our August work period. Representatives return to Washington following a productive month of town hall meetings, industry tours, and visits throughout our districts. A couple weeks ago, I asked for your thoughts on what issues the House should address when we return. Below are the results of that survey:

Prior to leaving Washington for the August work period, the House passed a sensible border bill to address the continuing crisis on our southern border. Sadly, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and his Senate colleagues left without voting on this bill. It is my hope they will give this bill the vote it deserves when they return this week.

Last week, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy released details about the House's September agenda. Included in that agenda are bills to address two issues of great concern to the 10th District residents I spoke with while home in August, creating jobs and the cost of necessities like gas and healthcare.

Academy Nominees Wanted

One of my favorite duties as a Congressman is nominating high school students from the 10th District to attend our nation's service academies. It is an absolute pleasure to meet with and interview these exceptional students who are volunteering to both attend some of our nation's most demanding educational institutions and serve our nation for the required five years of military service following graduation.

As we begin a new school year, I wanted to remind you that my office continues to accept applications from students interested in attending any of the service academies. If you know of a high school student interested, please consider forwarding this email along to them. You can click here for more details on requirements and how to go about applying.

(With our most recent class of nominees during a ceremony honoring them)

A-B Tech Craft Beverage Institute's First Classes

In April, I had the honor of attending a grant announcement for Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College's new Craft Beverage Institute of the Southeast. Duke Energy presented A-B Tech leaders with a nearly $200,000 grant to help the school further develop the institute. A-B Tech's program teaches students the ins and outs of the brewing industry and was the first of its kind in United States. I enjoyed reading this recent story from the Asheville Citizen-Times detailing the program's first year and its goals to help further grow the already booming craft beer industry in Western North Carolina.

(With A-B Tech & Duke Energy leaders at April's check presentation)


	What I Have Been Reading
	Profile of Anastasia Powell *Winston-Salem Monthly* Earlier this summer, my staff and I had the opportunity to participate in a blindness sensitivity program conducted by Anastasia Powell with Industries for the Blind, which has a manufacturing facility in Asheville. It was an interesting, and often difficult, experience as we were blindfolded and tasked with utilizing IFB technologies to learn what it is like to live without sight. Anastasia was an excellent, and thankfully patient, teacher. You can learn more about her work in the profile above. Teachers give crowdfunding an 'A+' *CNBC* As students and teachers settle in to the new school year, it was great to see the story above of teachers and administrators utilizing crowdfunding to raise money for classroom supplies. Crowdfunding websites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo have increasingly been utilized by teachers to raise funds to buy classroom book sets and other needed supplies. It is a resourceful idea that I hope continues to grow across the country.

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