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,
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This week, the House of Representatives will likely vote on another spending package that will fund the federal government through the remainder of the Fiscal Year which ends on September 30, 2024. I am committed to reducing and reprioritizing federal spending and passing fiscally responsible, individual appropriation bills. America is $34 trillion in debt, and we cannot afford to kick the can down the road. Congress needs to take a hard look at where tax dollars are being spent, return to regular order, and bring the remaining individual appropriation bills to the House Floor.
The House will also consider a resolution denouncing President Biden's disastrous anti-American energy policies. Since his first day in office, President Biden has waged war on American producers which has increased our reliance on foreign adversaries for energy and driven up costs for American families. House Republicans passed H.R.1, the Lower Energy Costs Act in March of 2023, to combat President Biden’s failed energy policies. I will continue to fight to reduce costs for all Americans, unleash American energy, and hold the Biden Administration accountable.
Committee Activity
This week, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee will review legislation to reauthorize the Coast Guard and to more swiftly move critical cargo during states of emergency. Additionally, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee's Subcommittee on Highways and Transit will examine challenges facing rural transportation, the House Small Business Committee will question the Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) on transparency efforts between the SBA and American small business owners, and the House Agriculture Committee will review the danger that the Chinese Communist Party poses to American agriculture.
Meetings in the Office
- Kansas Association of Conservation Districts
- Affiliated Distributors - Salina Supply Co.
- McPherson Housing Coalition
- Livestock Marketing Association
- Fort Hays Honor Society
- Midwest Council on Agriculture
- Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Chairman Behnam
- Federal Bar Association Chapter of Kansas
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Happy National Ag Day! Agriculture is not just a business; it's the backbone of our country. Thank you to the Kansas agricultural producers for all that you do to feed, fuel, and clothe our world. It is the honor of a lifetime to advocate on behalf of the farmers, ranchers, and producers in the Big First District in the halls of Congress, and to share their stories.
Each month, I highlight the life and work of Kansas ag heroes – the people who make our state the pilot light of America and who inspire me to continue fighting for Kansas farmers, ranchers, and agricultural producers. You can read their stories and learn about their heart toward keeping Kansas agriculture and our rural communities thriving by visiting my website.
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President Biden's Unrealistic Budget
Includes Farm Killer Tax | |
President Biden is spending money and buying votes. His new budget is more of the same. It’s wasteful government spending for a partisan wishlist that American taxpayers have to pay for. We can't afford it and I won't stand for it. We are $34 trillion in debt, and President Biden is mortgaging the future of our children and grandchildren. In his budget proposal, once again, President Biden is including policies that threaten the stepped-up basis by imposing a farm-killing capital gains tax on property like farmland that has been held in families for 90 years or more.
Since coming to office, President Biden has proposed budgets every year that threaten the stepped-up basis by imposing the new Farm Killer Tax. The Farm Killer Tax will destroy the livelihoods of producers in Kansas and across the country.
Farming is multi-generational with many producers operating on the same land that their parents and grandparents did decades before. Taxing the unrealized gains of generational farm assets threatens the livelihoods of the people who feed, fuel, and clothe us and in turn strengthen the food security of our nation. I will fight to make sure these devastating tax proposals never happen.
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Kansas Soybean Association
Kansas soybean farmers are an integral part of keeping our nation’s food security strong and our world fueled. It was a pleasure meeting with the Kansas Soybean Association to discuss strong crop insurance, robust funding for trade programs, and ways we can ensure a strong and productive future for Kansas soybean producers.
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Manhattan City Commissioner, Susan Adamchak
Leaders like Manhattan City Commissioner, Susan Adamchak, show up every day to help our communities remain prosperous. It was great visiting with Commissioner Adamchak about projects they are currently working on to bolster the Manhattan community.
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Kansas Principals Association
Thank you to the Kansas Principals Association for meeting with me to share their thoughts on issues impacting schools in the Big First. Our schools are tasked with the responsibility of equipping our children with the skills and education needed to be successful. I'm grateful for the educators across the Big First who show up every day and work hard to educate the next generation.
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Lavell Winsor
Lavell Winsor is a longtime agriculturist. It was great to speak with her about her perspectives on global food security while she was in town for a Cargill, World Food Program USA, and Alliance to End Hunger event last week. It is an honor to work with her to carry on the Kansas, and American, legacy of feeding the world.
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2024 Congressional Art Competition | |
2023 Congressional Art Competition winner from the Big First District.
"Home" by Katherine Price, Lawrence High School, Lawrence, KS
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My office is accepting submissions for this year's Congressional Art Competition. Each spring, the U.S. House of Representatives hosts a nationwide high school arts competition to recognize and encourage artistic talent in the nation and the Big First District. This year, my office's theme is - Kansas, There's No Place Like Home.
The contest is open to all high school students in the Big First District. The winning artwork for our district will be displayed for one year in the U.S. Capitol. Students may submit one piece of art. All artwork must be delivered to my Manhattan or Dodge City office, or received by one of my staff members by April 17, 2024.
Details on how to enter and artwork guidelines can be found on my website. Please contact my office at (785) 370-7277 with any questions about the contest.
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Manhattan Office
317 Houston Street
Suite A
Manhattan, KS 66502
Phone: (785) 370-7277
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Dodge City Office
100 Military Avenue
Suite 203
Dodge City, KS 37801
Phone: (620) 682-7340
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Washington, D.C. Office
344 Cannon HOB
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: (202) 225-2715
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If I can do anything to help you, please reach out to my office.
Sincerely,
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