Great news: for the second year in a row, NC is ranked the Forbes #2 state in the country for business!

http://www.forbes.com/p…/mli45fglme/best-states-2-north-ca/…

This morning I joined C-SPAN for an interview as a part of their Washington Journal series -- discussing the House Freedom Caucus, the lame duck period, and our commitment to help this administration have the most productive 'first 100 days' in modern history. We owe it to the American people to follow through on our campaign promises and to put our country back on the path to prosperity.

Watch the full interview at the link below.

http://cs.pn/2f0zMZQ

Just wanted to say thanks to everyone who has participated so far in our "issue survey" we started yesterday morning -- the participation has been tremendous and we've read through and noted every single comment. So far we've had the most replies about healthcare reform (well over 100), border security, and tax reform, but we also got a lot of insight on issues like debt reduction, VA reform, and others.

If you haven't had a chance to participate yet, feel free to jump on board and comment on the original thread! The more people we hear from, the better. Feel free to invite a friend to participate as well.

Thanks again to everyone who has commented. When you are willing to give feedback and share ideas, it helps me do my job.

Yesterday I joined One America News Network for an interview to talk about the House Freedom Caucus and our plan to work with the new incoming administration. We are ready to hit the ground running to get our country back on track and to return our government to its rightful owner: the American people.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hb8ll9T6ReY

MEETING TODAY:

Today (Sunday, 11/13) at 2pm, there will be a public meeting in Bryson City, NC to discuss the ongoing wildfires in Western NC. If you can make it you are welcome to come and get an update from incident management on the response efforts. My office will also have staff at the meeting.

Photos from the Transylvania County Veteran's Day Ceremony today. Thankful to those who sacrificed their livelihoods so that we can be free. #VeteransDay

May their lives, stories, and sacrifices never be forgotten. God bless our Veterans and their families. #VeteransDay

My colleagues and I have an opportunity to have the most productive first 100 days of a new administration in modern history. It's time to get to work and get our nation back on a path to prosperity.

I joined America's Newsroom HQ on Fox News this afternoon to discuss our upcoming priorities in light of the election.

http://video.foxnews.com/v/5205228976001/?#sp=show-clips

UPDATE: Be advised that Governor Pat McCrory has declared a state of emergency for the ongoing wildfires in Western NC. See the Governor's official press release at the link below.

Stay safe, everyone.

http://governor.nc.gov/…/governor-mccrory-declares-state-em…

Attending the interviews for Service Academy nominations! Congratulations to these outstanding young men for being nominated. They have all been incredibly impressive thus far.

Quick update: Macon County is currently evacuating residents in the area of Partridge Creek Road and Deweese Road. This afternoon I was able to attend a briefing in Macon County and a meeting with Macon County Sheriff Holland and deputies of the Macon County Sheriff's Office regarding the evacuation plans and procedures, and we're discussing how to best move forward.

We are asking everyone in the area to be prepared to evacuate if need be. This is a very tough situation, but cooperation will make a major difference in emergency management operations.

Please continue praying for the first responders on the scene and the surrounding community.

On site of the fire with some emergency management personnel in Clay County. Western NC is in truly great hands with these men and women.

Wanted to give you all an update on the emergency response situation -- this morning, Wayne King and I attended a briefing at the Incident Command Center in Hayesville, discussing the fires in Macon, Jackson, and Swain counties. We're communicating with the emergency response teams there and we'll be headed over to the site of the fires soon. Keep praying for the first responders on the scene and for the community in the area.

Photo credit to Brittney Burns.

Please pray for the community of Macon County right now -- there is a fire in the area that has grown significantly in the past few days. The Macon County Emergency Management team just released a Code Red Alert and is asking folks in the area to remain vigilant and to be prepared.

I spoke with Macon County Sheriff Holland this afternoon and my staff and I will be on the ground tomorrow getting an update from the Forest Service. My office just released a statement as well. Keep the first responders on the scene in your prayers as they work around the clock to get this under control.

FBI Director James Comey just announced that the FBI still recommends no criminal charges for Hillary Clinton.

I respect Director #Comey and the hardworking professionals of the #FBI--they have a thankless job. However, today's news does not change the fact that Secretary #Clinton, for the sake of her own personal convenience, was extremely careless with classified information and put American security at risk. Her actions were unacceptable, and I fully believe she should be held accountable.

Read my full statement below.

Tremendously enjoyed speaking and taking questions from students today at the Hendersonville High School Electoral College Assembly! This is an event where students replicate the Electoral College system and vote for the POTUS at the end, with a state by state 'Roll Call.' The students were all phenomenal.

Thanks to everyone there for inviting me!

This morning I joined Alisyn Camerota on CNN's "New Day" to talk about the House Freedom Caucus and our vision to help reform #Washington and return power back to the people. Watch the video at the link below:

http://www.snappytv.com/tc/3156849

If you see a #police officer in Western North Carolina or anywhere around the country today, thank them and pray for them. Today's news out of Iowa is a sobering reminder of the risk our law enforcement men and women face every day.

Keep praying for the #DesMoines community and the families of
Sgt. Tony Beminio and Officer Justin Martin -- the two officers killed.