DOGE Panel | A Decade of the ABLE Act

.Dear Friend,

Having a national debt of $36,167,364,938,108 dollars and counting is shameful and simply unsustainable. Spending far beyond our means not only hurts our economic standing now, but saddles future generations with debt for services or benefits they did not enjoy. There are also too many regulations being imposed by the federal bureaucracy that hold back our nation’s innovative businesses and job creators, and make life a headache for farmers, ranchers, energy producers and others. These also hurt our economy and raise costs for hardworking Americans.

That’s why I was glad to join the newly launched bipartisan Delivering Outstanding Government Efficiency (DOGE) Caucus. Formed by Reps. Aaron Bean (R-Florida) and Pete Sessions (R-Texas), the DOGE Caucus will support President-elect Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency in its mission to dismantle government bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures and restructure federal agencies. DOGE will be another helpful tool to identify waste, fraud and abuse and rein in wasteful spending, ensuring the government serves as a responsible steward of taxpayer dollars.

One area of particular interest is reducing the burdensome regulations that are impacting Kansans. Since taking office, President Biden’s agency rulemakings have cost the federal taxpayer $1.37 trillion and counting. This is 45 times the regulatory costs accumulated under President Trump and almost five times the regulatory costs added under President Obama.

In contrast to the current administration, the first Trump administration succeeded in cutting regulations. Prior to his election in 2016, President Trump pledged to cut two regulations for every new regulation imposed, but his administration surpassed that, eliminating eight regulations for every new regulation created. That’s an incredible accomplishment from Trump’s first administration that really doesn’t get talked about much. But for families, small businesses and communities, rolling back the burdens of the federal government is welcome news. Building on the success of his first administration, President Trump has pledged to cut a minimum of 10 regulations for each new one created.

Last week, I joined the ALEC States and Nation Summit to discuss how Congress can help DOGE achieve its goals. I also joined my colleagues for a meeting with Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to brainstorm priorities for DOGE. It’ll take hard work, but I am excited about the prospects of what DOGE can achieve to make government work for the people again.

Sincerely,

Member of Congress

.After four years of Bidenomics and Bidenflation, Kansans have had enough. We need to change the economic trajectory of our country and tax reform that unlocks innovation is a key way to do that. The average taxpayer in the Fourth District of Kansas would see a 27% tax hike if provisions from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) are allowed to expire. These include key business provisions, like immediate expensing for research and development, that would increase costs for businesses, and ultimately consumers.

You can read more about my efforts to extend this and other provisions of the Trump tax cuts in my most recent op-ed in Newsweek.

Additionally, the House Ways and Means Committee released a video about the successes and importance of this landmark legislation. You can watch the video below.

.Last week we celebrated the 10th anniversary of the ABLE Act. This important legislation created tax-free savings accounts for individuals with disabilities to cover expenses like medical care, education, housing and transportation. Similar to 529 education savings accounts, health savings accounts and individual retirement accounts, ABLE accounts give people with disabilities a financial tool to live their lives as active and included members of society.

Americans with disabilities enrich their families and communities, and their lives are just as valuable as any other life. With the right support, these individuals can flourish and make meaningful contributions to society. That is why as Kansas state treasurer I worked hard to advocate for passage of the federal ABLE Act and led the effort to implement it in Kansas. It was great to celebrate with so many of the people who made the ABLE Act a reality and with those who benefit from this legislation.

You can learn more about the ABLE Act and ABLE accounts at the Kansas state treasurer’s website.

.Did you know that the largest hand-dug well is located in Greensburg, Kansas, in Kiowa County? The Big Well was built in 1888 and is more than 100 feet deep. It was built by hand as a water source for the town of Greensburg. The well was converted into a tourist attraction in 1932, and visitors can walk down the staircase of the well.