Relief for Hoosier Farmers

Hoosier farmers received good news from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) last week. After planting progress in Indiana has fallen behind previous averages due to prolonged rain, the USDA announced they are extending the crop acreage reporting deadline to July 22.

This extension follows a bipartisan letter I helped send to USDA calling for relief for our farmers. On Friday, I spoke with the Indiana Corn Growers Association and the Indiana Soybean Alliance about how to mitigate the immediate and long-term effects of planting hardship in Indiana.

Improve Organ Donation to Save Lives

The state of America’s organ donation system is personal to me. My fellow Marine Corps brother, and friend, Dave ‘Gunny’ McFarland from Jeffersonville, Indiana, died because his heart transplant never came. Now 1,300 Hoosiers are currently in need of a transplant that may never come.

After carefully studying this issue, it’s clear that the best way to save lives is to bring greater transparency, oversight, and accountability to the organizations responsible for getting organs from the donors to the patients who need them. I introduced new legislation last week will ensure organ procurement organizations are no longer operating in darkness and are held to clear, accountable metrics to ensure transparency and oversight. 

This is the first in a series of bills I am working on to reform our organ donation system, and help save precious lives. I won’t stop until we increase the availability of organs for patients in need.

With bipartisan support, I recently introduced legislation that allows veterans with Other-Than-Honorable (OTH) discharges to participate in the Department of Housing and Urban Development – VA Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program. Studies show that veterans with OTH discharges are significantly more likely to experience homelessness than other veterans; even though only about five percent of separating service members receive an OTH discharge, they make up a quarter of the total homeless veteran population. This legislation will help ensure that many more chronically homeless veterans receive the housing support they deserve. Learn more here.

Damon Leichty Confirmed for Indiana’s Northern District Court

Last week, the Senate confirmed South Bend’s Damon Leichty as United States District Judge for the Northern District of Indiana. With Mr. Leichty’s confirmation, cases in Indiana’s North District Court will now flow more efficiently.

Since President Trump and I took office, we have confirmed five well qualified judges in Indiana to strengthen Hoosier courts for years to come. I spoke about this during a press conference last week. Watch here.  

Three Bills Passed out of Committee

I’m proud to announce three of my bills have been passed out of the Senate Commerce Committee, and are on their way to helping our veterans, our economy, and our natural resources.

1. Providing free TSA Pre√® to disabled veterans would help improve the lives of individuals who selflessly put themselves in harm’s way to serve our nation.
2. My Blockchain bill will provide financial and economic benefits in Indiana, as well as humanitarian and social support in developing countries.
3. Finally, updating the ESI maps surrounding the Great Lakes would allow us to better protect our natural resources and effectively respond to disasters.

I will continue working to get these important bills across the finish line.  

Social Media Recap

Join me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for regular updates and photos.

Thank you for the continued privilege to serve you in the U.S. Senate. My mission is to fight on behalf of Hoosiers and the interests that are unique to our state. I look forward to working with you, and sharing our progress, in the days ahead. 

In Service,