Rep. Tim Moore touts accomplishments at Chamber luncheon

The setting was strictly “nonpolitical,” and the upcoming mid-term elections were never mentioned, but U.S. Rep. Tim Moore was obviously making the case for his re-election when he spoke at a gathering of the Burke County Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday.

A Cleveland County native who lives in Kings Mountain, Moore served 22 years in the N.C. House of Representatives, and for 10 of those years he was Speaker of the House.

Elected as a Republican in November of 2024 to represent North Carolina’s 14th Congressional District, which includes Burke County, in the 119th Congress, Moore took office on Jan. 3, 2025. He serves on the House Committees on Financial Services and the Budget.

Charlotte business consultant Lakesha Womack will be Moore’s opponent in the Nov. 3 general election.

Moore told the assembled gathering of Chamber members at the Glory Mountain Lodge that his goal since taking office has been to have “more people taking more money home”

Moore noted that due to tax cuts passed by the Republican-controlled Congress 97% of tax filers in North Carolina received a tax cut and that the average individual tax refund was $3,000.

“What we saw was what I wanted and what I worked for,” Moore said. “That is bigger paychecks for hard-working families in our district and across North Carolina.”

Those tax cuts, Moore said, averaged 15% for Americans earning between $15,000 and $80,000 annually.

Moore has been a consistent supporter of President Donald J. Trump’s trade and tariff policies, saying that they are “leveling the global playing field and achieving more fair and balanced trade partnerships.”

These policies will also help protect American industries from unfair foreign trade practices and lead to more investment in American industries, Moore said.

Moore also touted the housing reform package passed by Congress.

“By allowing the use of ready-to-use, pre-approved home designs, builders will be able to get permits faster and build homes more quickly,” he said. “This legislation also modernizes Department of Housing and Urban Development programs to speed up homebuilding and expand financing opportunities.”

Moore also reported that the Trump Administration has shortened response times from FEMA and gotten more money into the hands that need it.

In the wake of Hurricane Helene, Burke County has received more than $32 million federal dollars to support debris removal operations, which has led to the removal of more than 300,000 cubic yards of debris from roads, waterways, public rights of way, and private property sites.

The City of Morganton, he added, has $2.8 million for repairs to its greenway system, $605,000 to support pump station electrical repair or replacement, and $130,000 to repair water system infrastructure.

Finally, Moore noted that the county has received more than $3 million to help pay for the renovation of the Health and Human Services building on Parker Road and nearly $1.5 million for the UNC Health Blue Ridge Catheterization Lab replacement and expansion project.

Moore did mention the negative impact on businesses and families of high gas prices, but he added, “The last thing in this world I want to see is Iran with a nuclear weapon.”