This Week in Washington

I recently participated in a ceremony commemorating the 74th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge by honoring the 110th Regimental Combat Team - 28th Division.

The 28th Division, which was - and is to this day - a Pennsylvania Army National Guard Unit, played a critical role in the Battle of the Bulge. Outnumbered and outgunned, the 110th Combat Team was part of an American front positioned at the Luxembourg border that held back the advances of nearly four German divisions. This effort delayed the Germans by nearly four days and allowed American forces to maintain control of the city of Bastogne, Belgium - a key strategic position against the German offensive on the Western Front.

A member of the 28th Division during World War II was William Bull, a Chester County resident. Mr. Bull, now 97 years old, enlisted in the Army in 1943 - when he was 21 - and saw combat action in Europe at Normandy and the Battle of the Bulge. He was honorably discharged from the Army in 1945, earning a Bronze Star, two Purple Hearts, a Combat Infantry Badge, and a French War Cross for his service.

Mr. Bull was presented with a copy of the Congressional Record honoring the 10th Regimental Combat Team - 28th Division, an American flag that flew over the U.S. Capitol, and a citation from the Chester County commissioners.

This week, the Senate overwhelmingly approved the First Step Act, a bipartisan criminal justice reform bill.

This is an important measure that will enhance the fairness of certain mandatory minimum sentences and increase public safety by reducing recidivism among offenders.

I'm pleased that the First Step Act included my legislation requiring the Bureau of Prisons to provide a safe means for federal correctional officers to store their personal firearms while at work so that they can protect themselves on their commutes. Federal correctional officers place themselves in harm's way every day to protect the rest of us, so they should have the ability to defend themselves while on and off duty.

However, the fact that the First Step Act was not subject to a full and robust amendment process represented a missed opportunity. It was particularly disappointing that Senate Democrats blocked my amendment to help victims of crime. Nonetheless, the productive reforms contained within the First Step Act outweigh the measure's shortcomings, which is why I supported its passage.

The tariffs on steel and aluminum imports - which were established under the false pretense of ‘national security' - are hurting American workers and consumers. Making matters worse is the broken bureaucratic process for qualified companies to obtain an exemption from these tariffs.

In November 2018, I worked across the aisle with U.S. Senators Doug Jones (D-Ala.) and Tom Carper (D-Del.) to ask the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to review the steel and aluminum tariff exclusion process at the Commerce Department.

This week, the GAO agreed to our request and will begin its review process early next year.

The exclusion process at the Commerce Department has resulted a large backlog of petitions and has placed significant burdens on American workers and businesses. At the end of October, Commerce had received nearly 50,000 exclusion petitions (including resubmissions), but had issued decisions for just one-third of them. I hope the GAO's review produces recommendations for fixing this flawed process so more Americans are spared from these onerous taxes.

Read more about my efforts to reassert Congress' role in trade policy in the Johnstown Tribune-Democrat.