Message from Rep. Tracey Mann. Having Trouble Viewing? Click Here. Fellow Kansan, Thank you for subscribing to my newsletter! I’m excited 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 The Week Ahead It’s a busy week on Capitol Hill. Today is National Agriculture Day, when producers, agricultural associations, corporations, universities, government agencies, and countless others across America gather to recognize and celebrate the importance of agriculture. On this special day, I introduced legislation to preserve the stepped-up basis in response to President Biden’s budget proposal, which dismantled this critical tax provision yet again. I also cosponsor a resolution designating March 21-27, 2023 as National Ag Week. This week, Congress will also vote on the Parents Bill of Rights and vote to update the Department of State’s Taiwan guidelines, assuring that our strategic partner in confronting the threat posed by the Chinese Communist Party remains strong. On Thursday, I will attend a House Small Business Committee hearing to review the Small Business Administration. I will also attend a House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee hearing where we will continue to examine the FAA in advance of its reauthorization. This hearing will provide a comprehensive assessment of the airline passenger experience – analyzing the air transportation system, from the time a passenger arrives at the departure airport to the time the passenger departs from the destination airport. As a reminder, you can submit your priorities for the reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration by clicking below. Submit Your FAA Reauthorization Priorities to Me Here. Meetings in the Office: Kansas Bankers Association WaterOne Kansas FFA Global Crop Trust Kansas Association of Conservation Districts National Pest Management   Mann.House.Gov In the Office Join Me for a Tele-Town Hall Next Wednesday Please join me for a LIVE tele-town hall conversation next Wednesday at 6:00PM CT. I'll give an update from Washington, D.C., and answer your questions. I value taking this time to connect with Kansans across the Big First District and hearing about issues that are on your mind. Click Here to Submit Your Questions Early. Protecting the Stepped-up Basis Today, on National Agriculture Day, I introduced legislation recognizing the importance of stepped-up basis in response to the Biden Administration’s budget, which failed to include the stepped-up basis yet again. Stepped-up basis is a longstanding provision in the tax code that protects people from being forced to pay capital gains taxes on inherited assets such as land, equipment, or buildings, allowing recipients of such inherited assets to adjust their cost basis to reflect their fair market value. Owners of family farms, who operate capital-intensive, low-margin business, need stepped-up basis if their operations are going to survive from one generation to the next. 98% of all American farms are family owned. The day-to-day trials of operating a successful farm, ranch, or small business are challenging enough without worrying about paying devastating capital gains taxes. We must preserve stepped-up basis and protect farmers, ranchers, and agricultural producers both now and in the future. With this resolution, I am inviting all of my colleagues in Congress to join me in saying, “We stand with the families who feed, fuel, and clothe us all.” Amplifying the Voices of Agricultural Producers in Congress I am proud to represent the heroes who work tirelessly on the more than 60,000 farms and ranches in the Big First in Congress, and I am honored to support them during National Ag Week and every day. To understand the perspectives of those who feed, fuel, and clothe the world, we must get on the farm with them in the middle of it all.  During last year’s National Ag Day, I hosted the now Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, GT Thompson, in the Big First. We went to farms, toured facilities, and hosted roundtables with leaders in agriculture. We heard how a farmer or rancher’s economic health depends on assets on hand, protections against the government taxing the farm at transfer or death, and well-crafted Farm Bill programs like crop insurance. We heard about high input prices like fertilizer and labor. We heard about times when Mother Nature was a difficult business partner. Hearing from producers is crucial to legislating well on matters concerning their livelihoods. Congress has the responsibility to get them the resources required to do their jobs effectively. Fighting President Biden's Farm Killer Tax In 1940, the average cost of Kansas farmland was $50 per acre. Today, irrigated land is $4,000 per acre or more. Under President Biden’s proposed budget’s Farm Killer Tax, land, and assets held in family trusts for at least 90 years could be hit with hundreds of thousands of dollars in a new capital gains tax. This would kill the farms that families have grown and worked for generations. Without the next generation of American agricultural producers, our country’s food security and national security are at risk.   Mann.House.Gov In the District 2023 Congressional Art Competiton The submissions for the 2023 Congressional Art Competition are now open! Each spring, the U.S. House of Representatives hosts a nationwide high school arts competition. High school students who reside or attend school in the Big First District are eligible to submit up to two pieces of artwork to my office. The winning piece will be displayed for one year in the U.S. Capitol. The deadline to submit artwork for this year's competition is April 21, 2023, by 5:00PM CT. All pieces and the required application form must be delivered to either my Manhattan or Dodge City office. If you have any questions or need assistance getting the artwork to one of the offices, please contact my Manhattan office at (785) 370-7277. Photo of Rep. Mann with the 2022 Big First District's 1st Place Winner, Tyra Schultz, and her artwork titled, "Worth the Fight" on display in the U.S. Capitol. Click Here for More Information About the 2023 Congressional Art Competiton. Follow Me on Social Media: CONSTITUENT SERVICES     Manhattan Office 317 Houston Street Suite A Manhattan, KS 66502 Phone: (785) 370-7277 Dodge City Office 100 Military Avenue Suite 203 Dodge City, KS 37801 Phone: (620) 682-7340 Washington, D.C. Office 344 Cannon COB Washington, D.C. 20515  Phone: (202) 225-2715 If I can do anything to help you, please reach out to my office. Sincerely,   Rep. Mann | 344 Cannon House Office Bldg., Washington, DC 20515 Unsubscribe [email protected] Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice Sent by [email protected]