This week I met with President Trump and congressional leaders on the Ways and Means Committee. As your Congressman, I’ve consistently been one of the biggest advocates in Washington to preserve the trade deal. The Big First is the second most NAFTA dependent agricultural district in the country, being a part of these meetings and discussions is imperative during the negotiation process.
While I am not comfortable with the president threatening to withdraw from NAFTA as a bargaining tactic, I feel confident that we will reach a high-quality agreement, which puts our producers first. I believe that the President understands the importance of agricultural trade. Our farmers and producers are some of the most hardworking people in this country, and I emphasized how important this is for my state.
Today I will also be joining congressional trade leaders on a trip to Mexico City. On this trip, I will continue these discussions on the future of NAFTA with leaders from Mexico and Canada.
I joined Fox News to address school safety. Keeping our children safe is a bipartisan issue, and I am eager to discuss solutions. I was encouraged by the president this week in his call to action, asking lawmakers, educators, law enforcement and the NRA to work together to find a solution.
On the House floor this week I discussed the importance of broadband internet access for rural communities, both in Kansas and across America. The digital divide is becoming increasingly present in rural America, and it’s our duty to help all Americans, no matter where they live, access the tools and resources that a high-speed internet connection provides. Watch my remarks below.
FARM Act of 2018
This week, a bipartisan group of members introduced the Fair Agricultural Reporting Method (FARM) Act of 2018, which will clarify regulations that an activist court had attempted to extend to farms and ranches. This bill will ensure that substances like manure will not have to be reported to federal authorities, including the coast guard as toxic waste. The court decision that is attempting to require these reports puts increased strain on producers and our national emergency management system, with no gain in environmental protection. Even the EPA under President Obama saw no need for these reports and fought against them in federal court. I’m pleased that this issue has finally brought a bipartisan group together in both the House and Senate, which will be needed to correct this judicial overreach.
Beefing Up Wages in the Big 1st
The Nelson Ag Company, in Long Island, Kansas, provides more than 1 million people with beef and pork annually. And now, due to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the Nelson Ag company is beefing up wages as well by giving their employees raises and a ‘Trump Tax Cut Bonus.’
Tyson Foods employs hundreds of Kansans. With three plants in the Big 1st, I’m happy to see the company rewarding its workers due to the new tax code with a $1K bonus. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is making a real difference for families in my district and people across the country.
Rev. Billy Graham Honored in the US Capitol Rotunda
This week we honored Reverend Billy Graham in the US Capitol as he ‘Lied in Honor.’ We lost our Lord’s greatest soldier, but heaven gained its strongest ally. I grew up watching Reverend Billy Graham, a man of integrity, honesty, and faith. In these times of uncertainty and trial, the message of the Gospel couldn’t be more important.
Stop cancer before it starts!
My wife Laina is part of the Congressional Families Cancer Prevention Program. This bipartisan group of spouses works together to increase awareness of the ways people can prevent cancer. Nearly 1.7 million people in the U.S. will be diagnosed with cancer in 2018, with 15,400 diagnoses in Kansas. While we have no cure for the disease, many of these cancer cases are preventable.