Friend,

This year, tax day fell on April 17, and is a dreaded day for most Americans. However, it is also the last time Americans will be filing under an outdated and broken tax code.

Next year, folks will be filing their taxes under a simpler system, saving them time and hassle. The IRS will no longer ask if you have health care, because the individual mandate under the Affordable Care Act or Obamacare has been repealed. Next year, families will see a boost in savings, due to the increased child tax credit and doubling of the standard deduction. While tax day is usually one of dread, this year, it is also one of celebration.

I am proud to have delivered on this promise to Kansans, and look forward to the welcome changes Tax Day 2019 will bring.

 

 

 

 

IN THE HOUSE

National Fallen Educators Memorial

I am delighted that Congress passed legislation last week to recognize the Fallen Educators Memorial in Emporia, KS as a national memorial.

Senator Jerry Moran and I both introduced bills to confer this designation and is now on its way to the President’s desk. This memorial honors teachers, administrators, and staff members who lost their lives working for our nation’s schools and will be the first nationally designated memorial in Kansas.

I thank the folks in Emporia and those in the surrounding community who took the initiative to give our hard-working educators the recognition they deserve.

Farm Bill Progress

On Wednesday, the House Agriculture Committee was able to debate and propose amendments to the initial draft of the 2018 Farm Bill. After six hours of discussion, the Farm Bill passed through the House Committee on Agriculture on a party line vote. Our goal should be to help people get off of welfare and this bill does just that. The 20-hour work or job training requirement on able-bodied recipients age 18-59 gives people the opportunity to attain a career in order to provide for their families.   

I introduced my own amendment during the markup session to streamline the Emergency Conservation Program application process for both Farm Service Agency employees and ranchers.  

 I am very proud of this bill and am excited that is provides certainty. The bill protects crop insurance, expands rural broadband, doubles the conservation funding to EQIP, and strengthens other farm programs. The bill also improves nutrition access and training for many vulnerable populations across Kansas and America. 

You can listen to a full interview broadcast discussing the Farm Bill here.

Rural Telecom Meeting

Last week, I met with a number of folks representing many small telecommunications companies in my district. It was great to see so many familiar faces and continue important conversations on issues facing the industry. Meetings like these help me to better understand how programs like the Universal Service High Cost Fund through the Federal Communications Commission and the Rural Utilities Service through the U.S. Department of Agriculture are being used to deploy broadband across the Big First. Rural Americans deserve the same access to a fast and affordable internet connection as their urban counterparts, and I appreciate groups like this coming in to share their thoughts and concerns about this important issue with me.

Honor Flight

Veterans from Kansas and across America got the opportunity to visit our nation’s capital on Thursday and see the various memorials through the Honor Flight Organization. The Honor Flight Network began in 2005 with a simple but important goal of giving veterans a chance to see the many memorials in Washington DC free of cost. At the end of 2017 flying season, the network escorted over 200,000 veterans to their memorials.

Laina and I met up with some terrific people and a dear friend of mine, Leroy Meisenheimer from Kingman, KS. Leroy is an Army Korean War Veteran and was stationed in Fairbanks, Alaska from 1952 to 1954 working in communications. It was great to listen to Leroy’s story and to talk about his two brothers who served in WWII. I was glad I could meet with so many American heroes all in one place. We owe a continual debt to these brave men and women who sacrificed their lives, so we can have the freedoms we enjoy every day.

Feeding Families Crosses Party Lines

Access to nutritious foods in our communities is essential for everyone to grow and live healthy lives. Today, too many low-income households are struggling to find and afford nutritious foods. These areas are often referred to as “food deserts” and are in both urban and rural areas of our country. I sat down with my colleague on the other side of the aisle, Representative Dwight Evans from Pennsylvania, to discuss this ongoing dilemma facing our communities. There should be no party lines or agendas when it comes to ensuring that families have access to good food on their dinner tables. Federal programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provide millions of low-income families with nutrition assistance including more than 200,000 people in Kansas. When one in eight people identify as food insecure in our country, we must work together and solve this problem in the best way we possibly can. My colleagues and I on the House Agriculture Committee will continue to find new ways to address and solve these issues. Click here to read the full article Rep. Evans and I wrote.

Cyber Security Crucial for Small Business

There is no questioning the positive impact technology has on our workplaces. I’ve seen this first-hand at my hospital in Great Bend. Though, technology has become such a vital tool, it is also susceptible to cyberattacks from outside data hackers. Small businesses are especially at risk of cyberattacks, and are many times not properly equipped to deal with the aftermath of such a breach. In fact, 86% of small businesses feel unprepared for a cyber attack. These businesses are a critical part of the American economy, and that is why I am proud to see Kansas Small Business Development Centers launching online tools available to entrepreneurs to give them training to handle and prevent attacks. My colleagues and I on the House Small Business Committee are aware of these risks to our family-run businesses, and we will continue to work to keep our national security infrastructure safe for the 21st century economy. Click here to read my Kansas City Star article.

DC Central Kitchen and Food Bank

For 25 years Laina went the first Monday of every month to volunteer at our local Food Bank in Great Bend, Kansas. Last week we had the opportunity to visit and help the DC Central Kitchen and learn the ways they are combating hunger and poverty in their community. DC Central Kitchen prepares 3 million meals for homeless shelters, schools, and other organizations each year. They also provide culinary training for jobless adults so they can gain a career with their newly learned skill. Many neighborhoods across America are in desperate need for healthy options at their local corner stores. In fact, DC Central Kitchen already delivers fresh produce to 70 corner stores in some of DC’s most impoverished areas.   

 I believe Food Banks do such a great job of identifying and addressing the needs of their communities. Food Banks help as many people as possible get access to nutritious foods in their neighborhoods and are in a position to see first-hand what works and what doesn’t. That’s why I am so proud that our 2018 Farm Bill QUADRUPLES federal support for Food Banks.