Message from Rep. Tracey Mann. Having Trouble Viewing? Click Here.

Fellow Kansan,

Thank you for subscribing to my newsletter! I’m pleased to update you on my work in Washington, D.C. and the First District of Kansas.

It is an honor to represent Kansans in the Big First District in the 118th Congress. I do not serve in Congress to be a caretaker in the slow demise of America – I serve to fight and work to make it stronger, and I believe our brightest days are yet to come.

Yours in service,

Mann.House.Gov

The Week Ahead

This week, the U.S. House of Representatives will consider the Fiscal Year 2024 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act. This legislation, which includes portions of the Secure the Border Act, will bring an end to the crisis at our southern border, save children and adults from human trafficking rings, stop fentanyl from flooding our streets, support our brave Border Patrol agents, and replace absolute chaos with law and order.

This week, the House will also consider appropriations bills for Agriculture, Rural Development, Food, and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies; Department of Defense; and Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs.

As Congress examines government spending, it's important to realize that we are $33 trillion in debt, and the federal government has already borrowed nearly $2.2 trillion in Fiscal Year 2023. In May 2022, the Congressional Budget Office projected the federal deficit for Fiscal Year 2023 would be less than half of that, at a still staggering $984 billion.

We must get our fiscal house in order.

Committee Work:

The House Small Business Committee will hold a full committee hearing to examine the recovery of stolen and misused COVID funding. The House Small Business Subcommittee on Rural Development, Energy, and Supply Chains will also hold a hearing to review burdensome regulations that are hurting American energy producers.

Upcoming Meetings in the Office:

National Stone, Sand, and Gravel Association
Transportation Intermediaries Association
Manhattan Chamber of Commerce
U.S. Marine Corps
Arena Energy

Last Week

Welcoming Kansas Honor Flight 96

Throughout the year, non-profit and veterans organizations host U.S. military veterans on trips to Washington, D.C. to visit the very memorials honoring their service and sacrifice. Last week, I had the privilege of welcoming Kansas Honor Flight 96 to Washington, D.C. These heroes inspire me to keep up the fight every day for the future of our country. I am proud to have served on the House Veterans' Affairs Committee and I will always advocate on behalf of veterans in Congress. To all of our veterans - thank you for your service.

Kansas Bankers Association

Local banks support local economies and local communities. The Kansas Bankers Association (KBA) does an exceptional job advocating on behalf of banks in the Big First. I’m grateful for their work and for the invaluable insights they shared on how to maintain and strengthen our state’s economy.

Livestock Marketing Association

The Livestock Marketing Association (LMA) represents 80% of the regular-selling livestock markets in America, so they understand the issues affecting the livestock industry like no one else. During our meeting, we discussed the importance of prompt payment at auctions and the impact of misguided rulemaking on agriculture and rural America.

Thank you, LMA - and especially Kansans, Mason Winter and David and Heidi McComb, for the work you do on behalf of Kansas livestock producers and for coming to D.C. to tell their story. It is an honor to represent you in Congress as the Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee’s Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry.

Associated General Contractors of Kansas

Thank you to the Associated General Contractors (AGC) of America and Kansas for meeting with me last week. We discussed the importance of workforce development programs like the JOBS Act, which I proudly support, that would build up Career and Technical Education programs. I also enjoyed learning about Build Up Kansas, a program for students interested in construction industry jobs. As a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, I value AGC’s advocacy.

Receiving the Association of Equipment Manufacturers Champion of the Industry Award

I'm grateful to receive this year's Association of Equipment Manufacturers Champion of the Industry Award. American manufacturers keep our country running, ensure that our infrastructure projects run smoothly, and play a critical role in the success of American agriculture. I'm proud to work alongside AEM members to advance agricultural and equipment manufacturing priorities that strengthen America.

In the Office

Questioning U.S. Department of Transportation

Secretary Pete Buttigieg

During last week’s House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee hearing, I asked U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg when we will see a final decision regarding SkyWest Charter’s safety application, so rural communities in Kansas can start receiving scheduled air service. Secretary Buttigieg couldn’t provide an answer.

The Biden Administration’s repeated failure to comply with congressionally set deadlines is hurting Americans. Rural America deserves access to air service, and we need a decision now.

Watch my full remarks below.

Honoring America's Gold Star Families

America is a free country today because of the service and sacrifice of our nation’s heroes, and the sacrifices made by their families at home. The families of our service members, especially those who laid down their lives defending freedom, deserve our utmost support and recognition. I am honored to cosponsor the Gold Star Family Remembrance Week resolution recognizing the often-unsung American heroes, our Gold Star families. This resolution designates the week of September 24 – September 30, 2023, as “Gold Star Families Remembrance Week.”

The resolution encourages all Americans to observe the week by performing acts of service in their communities and celebrating the lives of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice.

Click here to learn more about the resolution.

Preventing Further Abuse of the Endangered Species Act, Protecting Producers' Rights

Farmers, ranchers, and agricultural producers in the Big First know all too well that the federal government has been abusing the Endangered Species Act for political purposes. The indefensible listing of the lesser prairie-chicken, which I am still fighting tooth and nail, is only the tip of the iceberg in this growing trend. In 2019, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issued important changes to the Endangered Species Act which provided flexibility for affected stakeholders, ensured that species’ recovery plans are tailored and targeted, and protected unoccupied areas from regulations. On June 22, 2023, the Biden Administration revised these rules, stripping important protections from agricultural producers, energy producers, and landowners. I am proud to cosponsor legislation that would prevent the Biden Administration from finalizing these changes, ensuring legal clarity for landowners and businesses while preserving the ESA’s ability to effectively manage wildlife populations.

Watch Rep. Mann oppose the listing of the lesser-prairie chicken as a threatened species, on the House Floor.

Click here to read more about Rep. Mann's work to protect agricultural producers from big government overreach.

Securing Second Amendment Rights

President Biden, his administration, and Washington Democrats will stop at nothing to chip away at the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding American citizens. In response, House Republicans are proactively advancing legislation to strengthen the Second Amendment. The Protecting the Right to Keep and Bear Arms Act would prohibit the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) from declaring a public health emergency to implement gun control measures. This bill comes in response to Governor Lujan Grisham of New Mexico implementing a 30-day ban on open and concealed carry and HHS Secretary Becerra saying that gun violence is a “public health crisis.”

The Second Amendment is a load-bearing wall in our system of rights. If you weaken a load-bearing wall, the entire structure is compromised. Our Constitution enshrines the right to bear arms, and this legislation serves to strengthen those rights against further assault.

Click here to read more about the legislation.

On the House Floor

Calling for Fiscal Sanity on the House Floor

The federal government borrows too much money, and it spends too much money.

The Biden Administration and Congressional Democrats' spending addiction has created massive inflation and caused our national debt to climb to nearly $33 trillion. They prioritize spending that is out of touch with what Americans really want and are killing the economy in the process.

Republicans have offered real solutions to fix this mess, and the only thing Washington Democrats have offered is enthusiasm for more reckless spending.

Listen to my full remarks on the House Floor below.

In the District

Speaking at the 9th Annual Ag Outlook Forum

Yesterday, I attended and spoke at the 9th Annual Ag Outlook Forum, co-hosted by Agri-Pulse and the Agricultural Business Council of Kansas City. I discussed the importance of reauthorizing a strong Farm Bill and the work I’ve been doing to bring Kansas agricultural producers’ voices to the discussion. Producers are trying to keep their operations afloat in the midst of tremendous uncertainty. We must get this Farm Bill right, and Congress must address the challenges that farmers, ranchers, and agricultural producers face.

I am fighting for a modern safety net that includes robust crop insurance, strong trade agreements and trade promotion policy, and provides rigorous oversight of an out-of-touch administration that just doesn’t understand farm country.

2023 Military Academy Nomination Applications:

Due September 30th

As a member of Congress, it is my honor to offer service academy nominations for ten students in the Big First District who wish to pursue a career serving in our nation's military. My office is accepting nominations for the 2023 class of Military Academy Nominations. Members of Congress may nominate candidates for appointment to the five U.S. service academies:

U.S. Military Academy (USMA), West Point, NY
U.S. Naval Academy (USNA), Annapolis, MD
U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA), Colorado Springs, CO
U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA), Kings Point, NY
U.S. Coast Guard Academy (USCGA), New London, CT

If you or a student you know is interested in attending one of the U.S. service academies, please visit my website for more information about the nomination process, or contact my Manhattan office at (785) 370-7277.

Deadline to Submit all Required Application Documents is September 30, 2023

Click here to learn more and to apply.