Friends,
Immigration will continue to be a major point of national concern until Congress takes the needed steps to create a positive change. I’m frustrated that we failed to pass our immigration bills. I’m tired of kicking the can down the road; and for those of us that are here to accomplish real work, it’s extremely frustrating. The legislation that failed in the House prioritized border security, included the critical agriculture guest worker program, a legislative fix for DACA recipients, and finally ended family separation at the border. While disappointed, we cannot sulk. I will continue to try to push action on this issue.
I hope you all have a safe Fourth of July holiday.
Recap: My Visit to the US-Mexico border
There is no easy fix to the current problems at the border. Recently I went to the U.S.-Mexico border in El Paso, TX to see firsthand regarding family separation and border security as a whole. I traveled to an Health and Human Services Unaccompanied Alien Children (UAC) shelter in Tornillo, Texas with a bipartisan group of members from D.C. to gain a better understanding of the most urgent issues and to speak with young immigrant children and border patrol officials alike.
The number of family units entering the country illegally has quadrupled from last year, while unaccompanied children crossing the border has tripled. The bigger problem, it seems, is that 83 percent of immigrant children that illegally cross the border are doing so alone. We need to come together and pass laws that will better equip us to deal with an issue like this and handle it appropriately.
Sit Down With the US Trade Representative
About a year ago, Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) and I led a letter, with our Freshmen GOP members to the United States Trade Representative, Robert Lighthizer. In that letter, my colleagues and I made it clear how crucial our current trade agreements, like NAFTA, are to farmers, ranchers, manufacturers and businesses across our country.
Last Wednesday morning, I had the opportunity to join Republican freshman members in a meeting with Ambassador Lighthizer to keep this conversation going. Helping farmers, ranchers and small businesses in our district attain access to new markets is a priority to me, and I have continued to stress that to President Trump and Ambassador Lighthizer.
Fixing our Broken Budget System
I decided to run for Congress after a discussion with my wife Laina about the country we were leaving for our kids and grandkids. However, in my year and a half in Congress we have made little progress in our quest for fiscal discipline. The only budgets we have enacted have been to set-up reconciliation instructions and the only funding we have passed came either as a continuing resolution, or unwieldy omnibus. It is also far from a new problem as we have completed a budget in only half of our last 10 federal fiscal years, and we have finished less than 3% of our appropriations bills on time.
I addressed the House Budget Committee last week to propose ways to fix our broken budget system by separating the budget from appropriations process, staggering fiscal years for appropriations bills, increasing involvement of the authorizing committees, and developing a method for working on entitlement programs.
To learn more about this Joint Select Committee click HERE.
Moving Health Care Forward
Since the passage of the Affordable Care Act, constituents have faced crippling increases in the cost of healthcare. The increase in insurance premiums and the rising cost of healthcare continue to be a concern for people in my district and all over the United States. Last Wednesday afternoon, I led a conversation regarding healthcare with members and staffers of the Republican Main Street Partnership (RMSP).
This discussion delved into various proposals on how to move forward with a united front. Every day I work towards finding solutions to fix our flawed health care system and close the loopholes. It’s discussions like these, coupled with weekly doc caucus meetings, and much more that you don’t hear about in the media, that are moving the ball on fixing our health care system.
Big Win for Pro-Life Pregnancy Centers
This past Tuesday the Supreme Court released a decision in the case of National Institute of Family and Life Advocates (NIFLA) v. Becerra. The state of California had instituted a law that required pro-life pregnancy centers like NILFA to advertise abortions. No one should be forced by the government to say things they don’t believe.
I am proud to have signed, along with 144 members of Congress, an amicus brief presented to the Supreme Court supporting the pro-life pregnancy centers. The 5-4 decision, striking down the law as unconstitutional, was a huge win in the fight to protect life!
Small Businesses Take Heed
Cybersecurity continues to be an important part of the conversation on Capitol Hill. On Wednesday the Small Business Committee examined the cyber and national security threats posed by the Chinese telecommunications firm ZTE.
Small businesses are a critical part of our national infrastructure and it is important that we make sure that they have the tools and resources they need to protect sensitive intellectual property and consumer data from illicit enterprises, both foreign and domestic.
Many small business owners mistakenly think that their companies are not targets of a data breach. According to a Harvard Business Review survey, 86 percent of smaller organizations feel unprepared for a cyberattack or breach. Recently, I published an op-ed in the Kansas City Star that addressed cyber security risks on cybersecurity and small businesses here.
You can read my Kansas City Star op-ed on cybersecurity and small businesses here.
To view the full hearing on Cyber Security, click here.
The Future of Artificial Intelligence
The Science, Space and Technology Committee held a hearing last week to discuss the development of Artificial Intelligence (AI). We had experts in discovery, development and application of new AI technologies testify before the committee to brief members on the strides our country is making in this field.
It was important for these speakers to relay the message on the ways Congress can help spur America’s AI capabilities. While at the forefront of global competition we must achieve this success responsibly and prioritize data privacy.
Click here for the full video of the hearing.
Discussion with Secretary Elaine Chao
On Wednesday, I met with Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao and discussed Hours of Service concerns for transporting livestock. The current law does not allow for flexibility for haulers, resulting in extended stops which can be dangerous for livestock, especially during summer and winter months. I enjoyed discussing this important topic with the Secretary and look forward to continuing to work with her on this issue!