Friend,

For the past three years, my wife, my family and I have dedicated our lives to listening to Kansans. We have held 55 town halls, dozens of roundtables and had coffee with thousands of you. More than just listening, you sent me to Washington, D.C., to be your voice. Last week, the House took a big step toward delivering on the promises we’ve made.

Imagine a tax system so simple that 90 percent of Kansans are able to file their taxes on the back of a postcard! By providing relief to working Americans in the form of lower rates and doubling the standard deduction, families will be keeping more of their hard-earned income. 80 percent of folks in the Big First take the standard deduction when filing their taxes, which means they will see an immediate improvement. And the bill expands the child tax credit from $1,000 to $1,600. The average American family of four making a household income of $59,000 will see a $1,200 savings to put towards groceries, a mortgage, or even student loans.

Gone are the days of a 74,608-page tax code full of bailouts, handouts and lobbyist loopholes for the wealthy and well-connected. This commonsense, fair, and simple reform is vital for our economic future, and that of our kids and grandkids. We need an America that competes and wins!

If you would like further information about what our new Tax Plan will do for you and your family, please head over to fairandsimple.gop! The picture to the left is of the President and I just before the vote.

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

Hidden Heroes Breakfast

One of the most important duties I have here in Washington, is to make sure that I am a strong voice for the interests of our Veterans and those who care for them. That is why it was such an honor for me to attend and speak to the Hidden Heroes Breakfast hosted by Senator Susan Collins and Senator Elizabeth Dole (shown left). The work of our hidden heroes is truly remarkable. In order to provide adequate care for a veteran, we must adequately support their caregivers.

With over 5.5 million military caregivers nationwide, Hidden Heroes provides a voice and a valuable resource. Garden City and Manhattan are both Hidden Heroes cities, and Kansas is home to two Hidden Heroes fellows, including Carolyn Tolliver-Lee of Manhattan, who was also in attendance this week.

CFTC and Kansas State University Partner-Up

This week, I was very encouraged to see the Commodity Futures Trading Commission embracing the topic of agriculture markets and engaging stakeholders. I’m especially glad to see the inaugural conference is being held in Kansas. Kansas State University is a tremendous leader in agriculture economics, and we are grateful for their work with the CFTC. It always makes me proud to see Kansas leading innovation and development, especially in the agriculture community. For more information, click here to see a full statement from the CFTC.