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

This Week

The U.S. House of Representatives is back in session, and I am introducing legislation to protect the Second Amendment and hold President Biden’s Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) accountable. 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. All the efforts that we’re seeing coming out of the Biden Administration to weaken the Second Amendment of law-abiding citizens are inexcusable, unamerican, and they must be stopped. My legislation, which you can read more about below in this week’s newsletter, will put a stop to the weaponization of the ATF.

This week, the House will consider legislation to bring transparency, accountability, and clarity to foreign gift reporting requirements for colleges and universities across the nation; legislation to fight President Biden’s most recent student loan forgiveness scheme, which would cost American taxpayers hundreds of billions of dollars; and legislation to block the Environmental Protection Agency from banning the sale of new gas-powered vehicles.

Also happening this week, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee will hold a full committee markup on the reauthorization of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.

Meetings in the Office

National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors
U.S. Global Leadership Coalition

In the Office

House Oversight Committee Reveals Direct Monthly Payments to President Biden from Hunter Biden's

Business Entity

Yesterday, the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability released information about Chinese Communist Party-linked and other foreign-owned companies making multiple direct payments to Hunter Biden’s business, which in turn made payments straight to Joe Biden.

The Biden family and their associates received more than $24 million from foreign companies in China, Russia, and Romania between 2014 and 2019. These payments between the Bidens are part of a pattern revealing that President Biden knew about, participated in, and benefited from his family’s illegal dealing.

The allegations against President Biden suggest abuse of power, obstruction, and corruption, and they warrant further investigation by the House of Representatives. House Republicans are committed to holding President Biden accountable.

Read more here.

Protecting the Second Amendment, Reining in the ATF

Since taking office, President Biden announced a “zero tolerance” policy for firearm retailers who commit so-called "willful" violations. Now, the administration has decided to interpret the word “willful” to include minor paperwork errors. This is a substantial deviation from the ATF’s long history of partnering with federal firearm licensees, our country’s first line of defense for keeping guns out of the hands of criminals. President Biden’s ATF is destroying people’s livelihoods for political gain and trampling on the Constitution in the process.

A few months ago, my team and I met with Roger, Jenny, and their team in their store in Hutchinson. Roger operates Heartland Outdoor, a local, family-owned small business where people buy their hunting and recreational shooting supplies. Roger has been a federal firearm licensee for 30 years, has never had a violation or sold a gun that has been involved in a crime, and has decades of perfect scores from the ATF.

On ATF’s most recent visit to Roger’s store, however, agents found minor, unwilful, debatable issues, which they called willful, serious violations. As a result, the ATF revoked Roger’s license to sell firearms. Sadly, his story is not unique. It is an example of the ATF abusing President Biden’s zero-tolerance policy and which has resulted in a 500% spike in federal firearm license revocations.

Enough is enough. This week, I’m introducing the Reining In Federal Licensing Enforcement Act. The RIFLE Act will hold the ATF accountable, establish separate categories for minor and serious violations, clarify the word “willful” as it applies to violations, and create an appeals process for individuals whose licenses were revoked on or after President Biden’s zero-tolerance policy went into effect.

No gun store owner in America deserves to have their business shut down over a typo on a form. No gun store owner deserves to be forced to pay tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees just to appeal the revocation of their license. Apparently, since the Biden Administration can’t just do away with the Constitution and our Second Amendment, shutting down our local gun stores has become the strategy. My legislation will put a stop to that, defend the Second Amendment, and honor Roger and lawful gun store owners like him.

More accountability at the ATF starts now.

LISTEN: Rep. Mann discusses the RIFLE Act with Andy Hooser on "The Voice of Reason".

LISTEN: Rep. Mann joins Armed American Radio to talk about the RIFLE Act.

Defending American Beef Producers

When America imports food from other countries, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has the critical task of ensuring the safety of that food for producers and consumers alike. Preventing the introduction of new bacteria, pests, and diseases requires vigilance. Last week, I led a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Thomas Vilsack opposing a new rule that would allow for the importation of beef from Paraguay, where cattle are affected by foot-and-mouth and disease. USDA relied on outdated site visits, irrelevant inspections, and inadequate data to overcome the prohibition on Paraguayan beef.

Other countries know what we all know – the U.S. is the largest, most reliable consumer of beef in the world. We have that reputation because of the tireless work of beef producers to provide the safest and most efficient beef production system in the world. The U.S. should not expand our market to unsafe actors at the risk of the health and livelihood of U.S. agricultural producers and consumers. An FMD outbreak in the U.S. would cause catastrophic damage to the U.S. economy and cut off access to vital export markets. I am proud to defend Kansas beef producers on the House Agriculture Committee’s Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry.

Click here to read the letter.

Urging USDA to Revise Emergency Relief Program, Support Family Farmers

This week, I joined my colleagues in sending a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack addressing several concerns with the rollout of the USDA Emergency Relief Program (ERP) for 2022. USDA waited for more than a year to rollout the program, leaving farm and ranch families across the country in a difficult situation. On top of its delay, USDA included a new methodology for payment to producers, featuring pay limits and preferences not authorized by Congress. This delay and methodology will negatively impact Kansas producers’ ability to receive financing from lenders, plan for the next crop year, and feed, fuel, and clothe the world. My letter urges USDA to immediately revise the program.

Click here to read the letter.

Mark Your Calendars:

LIVE Tele-Town Hall on December 13

I'm excited to host a LIVE tele-town hall next Wednesday, December 13, at 5:00 PM CT. I'll provide an update on what's happening in Washington D.C. and answer your questions. Tele-town halls are a great way for me to connect with Kansans across the Big First District all on the same night to hear your questions and comments. To join the conversation, call (833) 419-0137 or answer your phone when I call. You can also listen on my Facebook LIVE feed.

Click here to submit a question for the tele-town hall.

In the News

ICYMI: Rep. Mann advocating for a five-year Farm Bill

Last week, I joined Nick Gosnell on KWBW Radio in Hutchinson to discuss my continuing efforts to pass a five-year Farm Bill for Kansas agricultural producers. A five-year Farm Bill is long enough to provide certainty to producers and short enough for Congress to respond to market changes and strengthen the farm safety net. The last Farm Bill was signed on December 20, 2018, and a lot has changed since then. We need a five-year Farm Bill to address these changes. American farmers, ranchers, and agricultural producers deserve it, America’s food and national security depend on it, and Congress must deliver it.

Click here to read more.

Click here to listen to my full conversation with Nick Gosnell on KWBW Radio.

In the District

Caseworkers in the Community

Next week, members of my staff are traveling around the district to meet and help Kansans. If you need help with casework, please don't hesitate to meet a member of my staff at one of these events.

Questions? Please contact my Manhattan office at (785) 370-7277 or my Dodge City office at (620) 682-7340.

PLEASE NOTE:

CONGRESSMAN MANN WILL NOT BE AT THESE EVENTS,

ONLY HIS DISTRICT STAFF.

Click here to view the schedule online.

Contact my office today.

Happening Across the Country

Remembering Pearl Harbor

This Thursday marks 84 years since the attack on Pearl Harbor. On that fateful morning of December 7, 1941, the United States suffered an unprovoked attack on our naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Pearl Harbor became a catalyst for the nation's unwavering determination to defend freedom and democracy. It signaled the beginning of America's participation in World War II as we joined forces with our allies to defeat the forces of tyranny. The resilience displayed by Americans in the aftermath of the attack was a testament to our unwavering commitment to liberty. It is a date that will live in infamy, and we will never forget.