Friend,

Thursday, the House Committee on Ways and Means released the Tax Cuts & Jobs Act. This bill will deliver major reforms to our nation’s tax code, including lower rates, dramatic simplification of the tax code, doubling of the standard deduction, expanding the child tax credit, allowing businesses to immediately write off the full cost of new equipment and provisions to keep American jobs here at home.

Our hardworking American taxpayers and local businesses deserve tax relief, and this is a huge step in that direction. The American family of four making the national median income of $59,000 will receive a $1,182 tax cut. More than 80% of families in the Big First use the standard deduction. Doubling the standard deduction while allowing those same families to file their taxes on a postcard will make it so Kansans can spend that time and money as they see fit.

When the framework for tax reform was announced two months ago, the House promised to lower rates, simplify the code and let hardworking taxpayers keep more of their money. It is clear upon first review that the Ways and Means Committee has kept its word. Chairman Brady deserves congratulations for getting us to this point, and I look forward to the Committee’s discussion, markup and having the bill on the floor of the House this year.

While the process of perfecting this bill begins I encourage everyone to visit fairandsimple.gop for more information about the framework, read the full bill here, or a detailed summary here.

As always, if you have any questions, concerns or know of ways my office can be of assistance, don’t hesitate to contact us.

In the House

Putting Agro-Defense Research in the Spotlight

This week, the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology held a hearing titled Putting Food on the Table – A Review of the Importance of Agriculture Research, which focused on the “scope, importance, value and impact of federal agriculture research.” Much of the meeting focused on the National Bio and Agro-defense Facility (NBAF) being built in Manhattan, Kan., and related research endeavors.

One witness included Dr. Stephen Higgs, associate vice president for research and director, Biosecurity Research Institute, Kansas State University. Higgs highlighted the research, researcher training and the work they’re doing to ensure NBAF will be utilized to its fullest capacity.

The research completed at NBAF will be invaluable to our nation’s agriculture and defense industries. It is vital NBAF receives the support needed to be utilized to its fullest extent. This hearing touched on the resources and coordination needed to do that, and I am grateful to the committee for taking it up.

You can see the hearing HERE.

Legislation to help our Farmers and Ranchers

This week, Sen. Moran and I introduced legislation to improve and reform livestock disaster programs Kansas farmers and ranchers rely on in times of natural disaster. The legislation includes four bills to make changes to the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm Service Agency’s (FSA) Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) and Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) based on Kansas farmers’ and ranchers’ feedback following southwest Kansas wildfires earlier this year, the Anderson Creek fire and other recent natural disasters.

After several visits to survey the fire damage in southwest Kansas, I came away inspired by the resilience of the folks who were impacted. I also left frustrated by the way red tape and outdated regulations can interfere with a recovery. Through the experience of two wildfires in two years, we have found several areas where adjustments to programs would improve their delivery. These four bills represent a much-needed step toward making disaster programs more responsive to producers.

We Still Like Ike!

It was an honor to be among the guests to attend the groundbreaking of a memorial to one of the proudest parts of Kansas history, the Dwight D Eisenhower memorial (shown right). We now can begin the countdown till Ike’s memorial, on Independence Avenue, will make its mark on the landscape. We were joined by members of three generations of the Eisenhower family, as well as many distinguished guests of the Kansas delegation. A true moment of Kansas pride!

If all goes to plan, we envision the dedication of the Dwight D. Eisenhower memorial taking place on the 75th Anniversary of VE Day, May 8th, 2020.