AMAC Members Already Having Big Impact in 2025
Less than one full month into 2025, AMAC members are already making their voices heard at the state and federal level.
So far this year, AMAC Action has sent letters of support to Congress on six pieces of legislation, including: the American Energy Independence Act, which ends the Biden administration’s war on domestic energy production and sets the country back on a path to energy dominance; the POLICE Act, which ensures that assaulting a law enforcement officer becomes a deportable offense; the Preventing Violence Against Women by Illegal Aliens Act, which makes aliens convicted of sex offenses or domestic violence inadmissible to the United States and mandates the deportation of those convicted of such heinous crimes; the No Bailouts for Sanctuary Cities Act, which prohibits federal funding for resources such as food, shelter, healthcare, legal services, and transportation for migrants in these jurisdictions; the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, which protects women’s sports as a space for athletes to compete, excel, and grow; and the HALT Fentanyl Act, which provides vital tools to combat the ongoing tragedy of addiction and overdose deaths.
Upon request from the Chairman of the Veterans Administration, AMAC Action also threw our support behind the Veterans Second Amendment Protection Act, which ensures that our veterans’ due process and Second Amendment rights are fully protected. Congressman Chip Roy’s (TX-21) office reached out to AMAC Action for our support for the Personalized Care Act, a bill that expands Health Savings Accounts (HSA) and gives patients more control over their healthcare. AMAC Action’s support was again sought by Congressman Barry Loudermilk’s (GA-11) office for his Modern Employment Reform, Improvement, and Transformation (MERIT) Act, which calls for more accountability amongst the federal workforce. AMAC Action Chairwoman Rebecca Weber was quoted in the bill’s press release upon its introduction.
In addition, one AMAC Action-supported bill, the Laken Riley Act, has already passed both the House and the Senate and is poised to become President Trump’s first bill signed into law during his second term. This legislation requires Immigration authorities to arrest illegal aliens charged with, convicted of, or admitting to theft, burglary, larceny, or shoplifting offenses and mandates that these individuals remain in federal custody until their removal from the United States. Importantly, the Laken Riley Act also addresses systemic failures in federal immigration enforcement by providing states with standing to bring civil actions against federal officials who refuse to enforce key immigration statutes.
Another AMAC-supported bill, the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, has also passed the House of Representatives and is on to the Senate. As the title suggests, this bill enshrines federal protections for babies who are born alive as a result of botched abortions. House Speaker Mike Johnson called this bill “a matter of common sense and human dignity.”
At the state level, AMAC members flooded the California state legislature with more than 1,000 messages urging lawmakers and Governor Gavin Newsom to set aside petty partisan politics and prioritize delivering aid to wildfire victims. The legislature responded by unanimously passing a $2.5 billion relief package.
Meanwhile, AMAC Action Senior Vice President Andy Mangione also submitted written testimony in support of SB 6 in Kansas, a measure that bans ranked-choice voting, to the Kansas Senate Committee on Federal and State Affairs. As Mangione noted in his testimony, “time and again, the evidence shows that ranked-choice voting hurts the democratic process, especially those over age 50 who have spent more than 30 years using the simple and effective one-person, one-vote system.”
With a number of other high-profile legislative battles brewing on the horizon, AMAC Action and AMAC members look set for a banner year in 2025. We will continue to keep you updated on all the latest developments.
AMAC-Backed Laken Riley Act Becomes First Bill Trump Signs Into Law
After the tragic killing of nursing student Laken Riley last year became a rallying point for the backlash against the Biden border crisis, a bill bearing her name became the first piece of legislation that President Donald Trump signed into law on Wednesday afternoon.
The Laken Riley Act, which advanced through the House and Senate with bipartisan support, requires Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to detain illegal aliens arrested or charged with theft-related crimes or those accused of assaulting a police officer. The law also grants states the right to sue the Department of Homeland Security if illegal aliens victimize their citizens.
On February 22, 2024, Augusta University nursing student Laken Riley was jogging on the campus of the University of Georgia when she was brutally raped and murdered by Jose Ibarra, an illegal alien from Venezuela. Subsequent investigation revealed that Ibarra was known to authorities as crossing the border illegally in September 2022. He was freed into the country and had been arrested multiple times before killing Riley, including once for injuring a child. Each time, authorities released him.
Riley’s horrific murder became a symbol of the violence and chaos wrought by Democrat open borders policies. The first version of the Laken Riley Act passed the House in March 2024, but Senate Democrats ensured it never came up for a vote. Thanks to Republicans’ clean sweep last November, it was swiftly reintroduced and sent to Trump’s desk for signature this month.
The Laken Riley Act drew support from numerous outside organizations, including AMAC Action. Earlier this month, AMAC CEO and AMAC Action Chairwoman Rebecca Weber sent a letter to Congress urging swift passage of the bill, which she called “a vital step toward restoring public safety and the rule of law.”
During a moving signing ceremony in the packed East Room of the White House, Trump invited Laken Riley’s mother to speak on what passage of the bill means to her. “Our family will forever be grateful for the prayers of the people across our nation and for helping to get this legislation into law,” she said. “We also want to thank President Trump for the promises he made to us. He said he would secure our borders and that he would never forget about Laken. And he hasn’t. He is a man of his word. We trust that he will fight for the American people.”
The event was also attended by several other angel families who have lost loved ones to illegal aliens. Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman, a vocal supporter of the bill, was also in attendance, along with a handful of other Democrat legislators.
Signing the Laken Riley Act becomes just the latest action from President Donald Trump to secure the border and protect Americans from criminal illegal aliens in the first days of his second administration. Trump has also authorized the military to take action to secure the border, frozen refugee admissions, ordered federal agencies to criminalize illegal entry into the United States and deport illegal aliens, and designated drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, among other actions. In addition, ICE and DHS have already begun deporting thousands of illegal aliens, prioritizing individuals with prior criminal convictions.
Those efforts are already showing positive results, with illegal border crossings plummeting from the astronomical numbers seen during the Biden administration.
“We will deport individuals based on the laws of this country. That’s all this administration is trying to do enforce our nation’s immigration laws,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on ABC’s Good Morning America ahead of the signing of the Laken Riley Act on Wednesday.
“So, if an individual is here illegally, if that means they cross our southern border illegally or they are overstaying their visa illegally, or they’ve been deported before and returned to the U.S. illegally, which we found in many instances, they will be subject to deportation,” she added.
The Laken Riley Act won’t ease the pain of the countless Americans who have suffered at the hands of illegal aliens who never should have been in the country in the first place. However, as Trump said, it will thankfully help prevent such tragedies from occurring in the future.
Legislation and Policy Support
AMAC Supports the WALL Act
This legislation not only ensures the completion of the border wall, a vital tool in preventing illegal crossings, but also does so without increasing the national debt or raising taxes. By closing loopholes, eliminating taxpayer-funded entitlements for illegal immigrants, and imposing fines on those who break our immigration laws, the WALL Act demonstrates a fiscally responsible approach to securing our nation. Click here to read AMAC Action’s letter of support.
H.R. 10397 – MERIT Act of 2024
The Modern Employment Reform, Improvement, and Transformation (MERIT) Act represents a critical step towards improving accountability, efficiency, and effectiveness within our federal workforce—ensuring taxpayer dollars are used wisely and federal employees are held to reasonable standards. This bill ensures that programs like Social Security and other services for health, financial stability, and overall well-being are supported by a federal workforce held to the highest standards, improving accountability and responsiveness while safeguarding whistleblowers and rewarding dedicated public servants. These reforms not only ensure better use of taxpayer funds but also create a more reliable government for seniors and all Americans. Click here to read AMAC Action’s letter of support.
Kansas SB 6 – Bill to Ban Ranked-Choice Voting in Kansas
Kansans want their right to vote protected and perpetuated for their children and grandchildren. RCV forces voters to choose between multiple candidates, including some for whom they have little information, creating confusion. Also, the RCV model can be especially difficult for senior Americans who have spent more than 30 years using the simple and effective one-person, one-vote system. This complexity can lead to the disenfranchisement of voters who are unfamiliar with how to rank their choices and is more likely to lead to errors on the ballot. Click here to read AMAC Action’s letter of support.
Meetings
January 25 Chapter Meeting: VA-11 Delegate Song ‘Fenway’ Park presented a post-election update for AMAC members in Virginia’s 8th, 10th, and 11th Congressional districts.
January 28 All-State Meeting: Colorado Delegates Russ Cotton (CO-05), Sheri Tuffield (CO-06), and Liz Veeder (CO-07) hosted the virtual Colorado All-State Meeting. 2022 GOP Nominee for Governor Heidi Ganahl spoke about Colorado’s Road Back to Red – Rebuilding the Conservative and Libertarian Movement in Colorado.
January 30 Chapter Meeting: CO-07 Delegate Liz Veeder hosted the in-person chapter meeting for AMAC members. Kathleen Chandler, Director of the Citizen Involvement Project at the Independence Institute, and AMAC Action CO-05 Delegate Sheri Tuffield encouraged AMAC members to Speak Up & Speak Out. Attendees learned and practiced communication skills and how to get their point across with practical tips.
Action ☆ Academy
What America Could Be…
In PragerU’s 5-minute video What America Could Be…, Kendall Qualls, president of TakeCharge, presents a tantalizing vision of an American Golden Age and how to attain it. PragerU is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that promotes American values in short educational videos for people of all ages.
Term of the Week: Sixth Amendment
“In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence.” – Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution
Want to learn more about the Sixth Amendment? Go to Interpretation: The Sixth Amendment | Constitution Center
Class for January and February
Great Books 101: Ancient to Medieval
Reading great literature can help improve critical thinking skills, broaden your understanding of the world around you, and provide insight into human nature. In the free online course Great Books 101: Ancient to Medieval, Hillsdale College introduces you to great literature from early authors of Western Civilization. In 11 sessions learn about such classics as Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, Dante’s Inferno, and Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales.
Quote of the Week
“We need to restore blind justice in America, where the rule of law applies equally to all, regardless of political affiliation or status. The system must be accountable to the people and protect the rights of every individual.”
— Kashyap Patel
Fight to save the America we love! If you’d like to become a volunteer AMAC Action Delegate, please contact us at (855) 809-6976 or [email protected].
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