Asheville – Nearly 350 people gathered together for the 30th Annual Charles Taylor Christmas Celebration at the Crowne Plaza Hotel and Resort Expo Center, an evening of glitter and glamour as many dressed for the holiday season. The event is open to individuals, businesses, and families from WNC. It was definitely a full house, with ex-congressman Charles Taylor and his family in attendance. Taylor served in the U.S. House of Representatives as a congressman for the 11th district from 1991 to 2007.
According to Congressman Taylor, the dinner has been sponsored by Taylor and his family to recognize outstanding heroism in politics and small businesses and to encourage people who love their nation and work hard to keep it free. In this capacity, an Individual American Eagle Award for Public Service in 2023 was given to both Connie Davies and Mark Delk.
Master of Ceremonies, Chief Hicks
The evening was hosted by Michell Hicks, who recently won his fourth term as Principal Chief of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians. Hicks has been recognized for his exceptional leadership and accomplishments. In 2013, he was awarded the Tribal Gaming Visionary and Small Business Empowerment Award by the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development, recognizing his leadership in the $650 million expansion of Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort and the involvement of American Indian-owned businesses in the project. In 2015, he was recognized by the Native American Finance Officers Association as the Tribal Leader of the Year. Chief Hicks had an illustrious list of speakers to present.
Honored Guests and Speakers
The evening’s speakers included remarks and Christmas salutations from N.C. House Speaker Tim Moore, who talked about plans for the 2024 Legislature; Congressman Dan Bishop, who is running for NC Attorney General; Senator Ted Budd, who supports strong national and family values; and an after-dinner speech by Congressman Chuck Edwards, whose theme was bringing NC values to DC. Edwards has served on the House Budget Committee, the House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure, and was recently appointed to the powerful House Appropriations Committee, with subcommittees that include the Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Information Technology, and Government Innovation, the Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Energy Policy, and Regulatory Affairs, and the Subcommittee on Government Operations and the Federal Workforce. This is a rare honor for a freshman congressman.
In addition, there were quite a few North Carolina Senate and House members in attendance who were asked to stand and be recognized.
Congressman Edwards Outlines Important Topics
Edwards took the opportunity to speak of bills passed in the House that impact all: a bill that ended the COVID Emergency, the Parent Bill of Rights Bill, and the strongest border security bill that the country has ever seen. He added, “We passed the largest spending cuts in American history without raising any new taxes. We passed new work requirements for welfare that will lift people out of poverty. A bit late, we passed the largest pay raise for our service members in decades. We’re uncovering further evidence of a two-tier system of justice.”
Edwards addressed two pressing issues in his speech. Firstly, he emphasized the concerning rise in inflation by using a reference to the popular movie “Home Alone.” He highlighted that a grocery list which cost $19.83 in the past now totals to an astonishing $72, demonstrating the significant impact it has on families. Secondly, Edwards emphasized the seriousness of border security, stating that over 7,000 individuals are illegally crossing the border daily, surpassing the numbers that were considered a crisis during the Obama administration, including individuals on the terror suspect list.
Furthermore, Edwards shared the unfortunate story of Frank Tammaro, a Korean War veteran who was forced to evacuate his assisted living home in New York when it was converted into a migrant shelter. Additionally, the House Oversight Committee investigation uncovered evidence of financial transactions between Hunter Biden and a Chinese Communist Party-linked businessman, contradicting President Biden’s claim that his family never received money from China. These bank records raise alarming concerns and warrant further attention.
Even with these topics, a festive time was had by all. After all, it’s Christmas.