Friend,
This was a monumental week for our home state. Kansas legend, Senator Bob Dole received the highest award bestowed by the United States Congress on Wednesday. The president commended Senator Dole saying his serviced embodied, “loyalty, integrity, hard work, faith, and family.” Speaker of the House Paul Ryan said Dole always did the right thing saying he is “as honorable as they come.” I was proud to be a part of that day and spend time with Senator Dole, who I consider my friend, mentor, and role model. I cannot think of anyone more deserving of the award. Senator Dole has devoted his life to serving this great country as a soldier, legislator, and statesman. The unanimous and bipartisan appreciation shown for Senator Dole at the ceremony was both touching and inspiring. Thank you, Senator Dole, for all you have done and continue to do for America, and Kansas. Your influence is visible in these halls every day!
For those who missed the ceremony, click here to watch the event in its entirety with remarks from President Trump, Vice President Pence and congressional leaders.
In the News
I joined All In With Chris Hayes on MSNBC to discuss the government shutdown, CHIP, and border security.
THIS WEEK:
MARCH FOR LIFE.
Ronald Reagan once said, “I’ve noticed that everyone who is for abortion has already been born. Life is a precious gift that is a right for every child. Today I marched with more than 50,000 people in the 45th annual March for Life. I will always be unapologetically pro-life, today I was proud to see hundreds of thousands of young people from all across the country, and many Kansan’s, join the march in Washington, DC. I am honored to be a part of the most pro-life Congress in American history. Today’s guest included the President, Speaker Ryan and many of my colleagues in Congress that are fighting to safeguard the dignity of every human life. At the event, President Trump summed up the true reason why we march, and that is because “Every life is sacred and every child is a precious gift from God.” Let us all continue to protect our most vulnerable in our society so that everyone, no matter how small, can enjoy their God-given rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
COMMUNITY BANKERS SAY SMALL BUSINESSES ARE INCREASINGLY OPTIMISTIC SINCE TAX REFORM.
This week I had the opportunity to question panelists representing community bankers, credit unions, and other banking institutions focusing on the Small Business Administration’s 7(a) Loan Program. But I also asked the panelist how the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is impacting their businesses and communities. Take a listen!
“In our small businesses I see a lot of encouragement, a lot of future planning, they seem willing to leverage those additional dollars saved by their tax savings which in return helps the community” Cindy Blankenship, Vice Chairman of Bank of the West in Grapevine, TX said about the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.
“We see great opportunities within our marketplace, there is a lot of small business optimism, and more interesting people are starting businesses and expanding, buying more capital outlays that type of thing,”Patricia Husic, President and CEO of Centric Financial Corporation said about tax reform.
It is great to see the optimism on every level. We also discussed the 7(a) Loan Program, is a widely used program that helps bridge the capital access gap for small businesses, who often find it challenging to obtain financing through traditional lending sources. It’s encouraging to hear that this program is helping the mom and pop shops we see on Main Street, and to learn how Congress can provide better oversight of government resources.
BIPARTISAN GROUP DISCUSSES THE IMPORTANCE OF GOOD NUTRITION
Nothing has become clearer than how badly we need bipartisanship solutions. I encourage and push for people to come together and find common ground. This week we launched the Food is Medicine Working Group, a Bipartisan set of leaders from across the country that recognize the importance of family access to good nutritious food. During my career as a physician, I saw the impact nutrition has on not only the physical health of an individual but also the general health of a family. There is nothing partisan about Americans having access to proper nutrition. When families eat better, they learn better, they grow healthier, and they achieve more. Click the thumbnail above to watch a recorded live stream from our group meeting that brings into focus the impacts of hunger on health.
TOP RANKING STEM SCHOOLS ARE IN KANSAS.
The divide between our skilled labor pool and the needs of our nation’s leading technological firms is growing every day, and it affects the economy in Kansas and across the country. STEM jobs, or ‘Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics,’ skills are in higher demand than ever, of the 6 million open jobs across our country, 500,000 require some type of computer science background. I did an op-ed in the Kansas City Star discussing the endless opportunities that Kansans have at high-paying STEM jobs. This week I also spoke on the house floor after visiting the North Central Kansas Technical College in Beloit, Kansas. NCKTC is ranked 3rd in the nation for their graduation rates. Northwest Kansas Technical College, Hutchinson Community College’s Business and Industry Institute and Emporia State University are also focusing on offering more STEM-based curriculum. I am so proud to see colleges throughout my district working hard to meet the challenges that our labor force is facing today.
JANUARY LISTENING TOUR SHOWS BIG FIRST OPTIMISM.
On Monday, I finished up my January Listening Tour. I was really encouraged by the optimism in the Big First. You guys are asking insightful questions, and we had many constructive conversations.
I talked to a lot of folks about issues ranging from the Farm Bill to DACA, tax reform, NAFTA, and health care. After finishing this tour, I have held a town hall in every county, and 14 since the new year. Thank you to all that attended, and please do not hesitate to reach out to my office if you ever have any questions or concerns.
