As a father and former North Carolina state senator, I know the sacrifices parents make to provide for their families. The cost of child care is a relentless burden, consuming a significant portion of hardearned paychecks.
All in Federal Government
US Senator Thom Told Statement on Not Seeking Reelection
It has been a blessing to go on a journey from living in a trailer park and making minimum wage as a young man to having the honor of serving as U.S. Senator for North Carolina.
Op-Ed: Clean Energy Tax Credits are an Economic Boom for North Carolina
In the Tarheel State, North Carolina is setting an example for the nation when it comes to utilizing homegrown energy sources to power local communities, create jobs and boost the state’s economy. What makes this practice so successful, though, are economic resources which come in the form of clean energy tax credits.
Op-Ed: Let Parents Parent: North Carolina’s Social Media Ban Is the Wrong Approach
As a father in an increasingly digital world, I understand the desire to shield our children from the dangers that lurk online. Like many parents, I’m deeply concerned about the impact of social media on kids’ mental health, safety, and overall development.
Op-Ed: Senator Tillis: Don’t Let North Carolina Lose Its Clean Energy Edge
Protecting children from harm is difficult enough. Thousands of apps are making it even harder. The App Store Accountability Act (https://james.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=247) offers a federal solution to protect children online.
Op-Ed: Senator Tillis Should Champion Child Care Tax Relief
As Congress hammers out the details of the Republican majority’s signature tax package, North Carolina families are watching closely. We’ve heard promises that the One Big Beautiful Bill Act will deliver real relief to working families. With that goal in mind, Senator Thom Tillis has a clear opportunity be a leader as the Senate makes their changes by ensuring the expanded Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit (CDCTC) is included in the final legislation.
Op-Ed: NC Medicaid must continue covering anti-obesity mediation
Protecting children from harm is difficult enough. Thousands of apps are making it even harder. The App Store Accountability Act (https://james.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=247) offers a federal solution to protect children online.
Budd, Wyden Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Prevent Disastrous Wildfires
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Ted Budd (R-N.C) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), alongside U.S. Representatives Kim Schrier (D-Wash.) and David Valadao (R-Calif.), introduced the bicameral, bipartisan National Prescribed Fire Act of 2025 today. The legislation would support prescribed burns as an essential, cost-effective, science-based strategy to save lives and property, and address the harmful impacts of the recent wildfires across the nation.
Op-Ed: Parents need help protecting their children online. So let’s help them
Protecting children from harm is difficult enough. Thousands of apps are making it even harder. The App Store Accountability Act (https://james.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=247) offers a federal solution to protect children online.
Op-Ed: Impacts of the Double Duty Drawback
The double duty drawback incentivizes US cigarette manufacturers to import cigarettes manufactured outside the US and export cigarettes manufactured in the US to avoid federal excises paid on cigarettes sold in the US. Since a court ruling in 2021 formalized this policy cigarette imports and exports have increased rapidly.
Op-Ed: What's your plan to save Social Security?
There’s one question that should be put to every candidate in next year’s Congressional elections. Because what’s at stake is not just another seat in the House or Senate, but the future of one of America’s most trusted programs.
Op-Ed: Energy markets thrive on predictability, not political whiplash
No one likes to have the rug pulled out from under them.
No matter who you are or what you do, certainty in today’s business world isn’t just nice to have, it’s a necessity
Op-Ed: NC House bills will undercut services to homeless vets
As a U.S. Navy veteran, I am honored to manage a team that serves other veterans who find themselves without a home in North Carolina. In my role as director of outreach for Veterans Services of The Carolinas (VSC), our team collaborates daily with the faith-based community, mental health and substance use providers, LME/MCOs, law enforcement, housing providers, and others across all 100 counties of North Carolina.
Attorney General Jeff Jackson Opposes Move to Prohibit States from Enforcing AI Laws
RALEIGH – Today, Attorney General Jeff Jackson joined 39 Republican and Democrat attorneys general opposing an attempt by Congress to prevent states from implementing and enforcing laws regulating artificial intelligence. This would eliminate important consumer protections from harmful uses of AI already in place, putting North Carolinians at risk.
Budd, Nehls Introduce Legislation to Allow Flight of Supersonic Civil Aircraft
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ted Budd (R-N.C.), a member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and Congressman Troy Nehls (R-Texas-22), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Aviation for the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, introduced the Supersonic Aviation Modernization (SAM) Act, to require the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator to issue regulations to legalize civil supersonic flight in the United States.
Op-Ed: Ray Hemachandra: North Carolina should show we value everyone — including those with disabilities
My son, Nicholas, is autistic and intellectually disabled. He is 24, and he needs help in areas most nondisabled people take for granted, including self-care, communication, ensuring his safety, and forming relationships and connections. For the past 15 years, Nicholas has received invaluable help from a public program made possible by Medicaid that supports people who have intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Op-Ed: Denzel Burnside: Housing in N.C. is a roadblock to the American Dream
Every day, I hear from people across North Carolina—teachers, small business owners, young professionals, and retirees—who feel like the ground is shifting under their feet. They’re working hard, raising families, planning futures.
Op-Ed: GLP-1 drugs
Throughout my long career in law enforcement, and my time as Sheriff of Rutherford county, I have witnessed many threats to public safety such as drug epidemics, trafficking networks and more. What is quietly developing in the shadow of social media and online stores is something that you would not expect: a health crisis that is masquerading as a wellness trend.
Senator Budd Introduces PELL Act to Advance American Competitiveness by Unlocking Workforce Potential
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ted Budd (R-N.C.) introduced the Promoting Employment and Lifelong Learning (PELL) Act today, to expand Pell Grant eligibility for high-quality, short-term workforce programs. The bill benefits individuals seeking to advance their careers without long-term debt while also providing American businesses with a broader, better-prepared talent pool ready to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving economy.
Op-Ed: The Big Tech Monopoly Threatening American Innovation and National Security
I've been helping North Carolina's young people train to work with both their hands and their minds for over 20 years, getting them ready for the jobs, many of which are best learned with real-world experience, like trades and agriculture.