Landowner Concerns Over Property Rights | Quivira National Wildlife Refuge

.Dear Friend,

At an event last week I heard many of you express your concerns about the Department of Energy’s (DOE) proposed designation of the Midwest-Plains National Interest Electric Transmission Corridor (NIETC) that would go through Kansas, including two counties in the 4th District – Edwards and Pawnee. I take property rights very seriously – landownership and property rights are fundamental to our constitutional republic, and we’ve seen the federal government abuse its power and infringe on personal property far too often.

Respect for private property rights is essential to our American way of life, and I am firmly committed to protecting it.

Instead, with the NIETC project, the DOE is overstepping and trampling on the rights of Kansans by using the Grain Belt Express route as a starting place for this new designation. Areas designated as NIETCs are subject to federal land grabs that can override state and local jurisdictions, meaning the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission would be empowered to approve the construction or modification of electricity transmission facilities even when a state has previously denied these applications.

The 45-day comment period for this project did not provide enough time for local groups to fully understand the impacts this designation would have on their communities, nor were many Kansans even aware of the comment period. Since the comment period closed, there have been a number of public meetings, community engagement, and stakeholder outreach on this issue. The Department should reopen the comment period to fully address the concerns of Kansans living in the path of this proposal.

This is simply unacceptable, and many Kansans are rightfully outraged that their land could be usurped by the federal government. I’m working to push back on this land grab and will have more information in the coming weeks. Be assured that I will continue to stand up for the private property rights of Kansans and do all I can to keep you posted on the status of this project and how it would impact 4th District Kansans.

Sincerely,

Member of Congress

Headline: Ways and Means Hearing at the Iowa State Fair

.Earlier this month my colleagues and I on the Ways and Means Committee traveled to the Iowa State Fair for a field hearing to discuss the success of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act’s pro-growth, pro-worker tax policy. We heard from farmers, manufacturers and parents in the heart of the nation how the 2017 Trump tax cuts made a real difference in their lives and livelihoods.

During my remarks, I shared how, in my role as chair of the U.S. Innovation Tax Team, I’ve heard from small businesses, workers and innovators who have the ingenuity and drive to improve our way of life, but the lack of a tax code that allows immediate expensing, which stifles their ability to create and invent. That’s why we’re working to preserve, protect and improve key provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act that can help boost our economy and help hardworking Kansans. You can watch my full remarks below.

.This week the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced that it won’t request water administration for the Quivira National Wildlife Refuge. This issue has been a priority of mine since entering Congress and I’ve met with numerous stakeholders and engaged the Department of the Interior, Department of Agriculture and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to come to a resolution. Fish and Wildlife’s announcement is a positive step in the ongoing challenge of preventing the federal government from restricting water usage for rural Kansans and reaffirms the reality that Kansas farmers and ranchers are best suited to preserve and administer our state’s land and resources.

While I am pleased by this positive outcome, I will continue to monitor for any threats from D.C. bureaucrats to infringe on the rights of hardworking Kansans who know best how to take care of the Sunflower State’s precious natural resources.

Headline: Remembering the 13 Heroes of Aug. 26, 2021 Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Darin T. Hoover, 31; Marine Corps Sgt. Joh

.Today we honor the sacrifice made by 13 American soldiers who were tragically killed three years ago during the hasty and disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan. I am grateful for these men and women who answered the call to serve.

.Did you know there was a grasshopper plague in Kansas 150 years ago? In July 1874, more than 12 trillion grasshoppers invaded the Great Plains. These grasshoppers damaged crops, blocked sunlight and ate wool off sheep. People from around the country sent aid to Kansans to help them recover. The grasshopper plague continued until 1877. The creation of insecticides has prevented a grasshopper plague from occurring in recent history.