Friends,
It was a busy week in Washington as Congress has returned to work on the Hill after the Fourth of July holiday.
I enjoyed my time back home and feel newly energized in my mission to serve on behalf of Kansans in DC. Despite constant rains and delays, I am glad to see that wheat harvest is in full swing in the Big First, with above average yields being recorded in several counties across the state. It’s the hard work by Kansas Agriculturalists that has made us the top winter wheat producing state in the nation yet again – with nearly 1.4 Billion dollars’ worth of winter wheat produced in 2018, as reported by the USDA last week. This accomplishment, and many others by our farmers and ranchers, demonstrates how much we have to gain by passing trade agreements like USMCA, and why ratifying the agreement in Congress continues to be one of my top priorities.
Food For Peace
The Food for Peace initiative started as an idea by Kansan Peter O’Brien from the Cheyenne County Farm Bureau and eventually became law when President Dwight D. Eisenhower codified it in 1954. The Food for Peace program commits the United States to donating surplus grains and other food products to developing countries in lieu of monetary donations, seeking to support our partners around the world while simultaneously encouraging future trade opportunities. To date the program has reached more than 4 billion people who struggle with food insecurity, helping families around the world lead more healthy and productive lives. I was proud to have supported its reauthorization as part of the 2018 Farm Bill and with the program’s 65th anniversary on Wednesday my fellow colleagues and I gathered to show our continued commitment to addressing hunger and food insecurity around the world.
Rural Broadband Connectivity
The Commodity Exchange, Energy and Credit Subcommittee held a hearing on Thursday morning to discuss the importance of broadband access and ways increased connectivity can continue to help communities across rural America. From access to telemedicine services, educational resources, or new precision agriculture technologies, an internet connection allows folks in rural communities to have the same opportunities as those in big cities while still preserving our rural way of life. Broadband access has been a top issue at many of my recent town halls, and I appreciated the opportunity to discuss this issue with my colleagues on the Agriculture Committee.
Meeting with Sorghum CEO
On Wednesday, National Sorghum Producers CEO, Tim Lust, came by the office to talk about the current economic climate in the grain industry. I am proud to report that Kansas continues to the be number one sorghum producing state and we are seeing good numbers out of the Big First so far this year.
We discussed the ongoing trade dispute with China, USMCA, some potential domestic growth opportunities from his sector, mainly from the gluten free market, and also the ongoing work to implement the 2018 Farm Bill.
My door is always open to producers and I thank Tim for making the trip to DC to meet with me.
Supporting the Working Blind and Disabled in the AbilityOne Program
This week, I joined my colleagues in the House and Senate in sending a letter to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) clarifying Congress’ decades long commitment in providing meaningful employment for the disabled through the AbilityOne Program. AbilityOne, a public-private partnership, provides vocational assessments, employment training, and placement assistance to both the disabled and disabled veterans. This program provides jobs not only at our VA facilities, but also on our military bases and other federal agencies.
I have long followed policies affecting this program and was surprised to learn of recent changes that could take away any current AbilityOne contracts from non-profit organizations employing the blind or severely disabled – many of which include disabled veterans. In our letter, I ask that the VA find a balance of maintaining current employment contracts with non-profits and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses.
To learn more about the issue and read our letter, Click Here.
Fighting for a Cure
During my time in Congress, I’ve met with many patient advocates passionate about health care and it is incredibly rewarding to hear from young Kansans discussing policies they care about. This week, I met with a Russell County high school student named Kalli, who is serving as the 2019 Children’s Congress delegate of JDRF, a leading global type 1 diabetes patient organization. Kalli, along with her mother, shared their personal story of living with type 1 diabetes and the realities of managing Kalli’s health care costs. “A positive attitude and an amazing support system,” are what Kalli said are her two secret weapons to living a healthy life.
A community leader and athlete, Kalli gave me a photo journal that contained stories of her perseverance, but she and her mother also brought their personal story to the intersection of policy. Kalli asked that I continue supporting the Special Diabetes Program for Type 1 Diabetes. The program, which is up for reauthorization this year, is a collaborative effort between the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to conduct research on the prevention and cure for type 1 diabetes. I assured her that I would continue to fight for those suffering from this disease and that I would continue to support innovation that leads to better devices for diabetes management, and hopefully one day, a cure.
NTCA’s Women in Telecom Fly In
On Wednesday, a handful of female telecommunications executives from across Kansas met with my staffer, Katie Moore, along with staff from the rest of the Kansas House Delegation. These women represent companies that are working hard to deploy broadband service across rural communities in our state, and came to D.C. to highlight issues they face in achieving that goal. Updating broadband maps across the country to give federal agencies a better idea of where to direct funding remains a top issue, impacting many internet service providers across Kansas. I appreciate them taking the time to share their concerns with my office, and look forward to working with them on these issues moving forward.
Infrastructure Innovation
For months now, we have been working on an infrastructure package, and I have met with many constituents to discuss the importance of surface transportation programs as part of that goal. On Thursday afternoon, the Science Committee’s Research and Technology Subcommittee discussed how research is a critical part of investing in our national infrastructure, from developing more resilient building materials to the adoption of new transportation technologies innovation continues to drive the conversation. Investing in research can help keep costs low while also improving safety and efficiency in transportation-related sectors.
Welcoming Our New Interns to DC
I want to give a warm welcome to our second session of summer interns: Sarah, Seth, and Aaron. Sarah is here representing the town of Paradise, where she grew up on a 250-head registered Angus cattle ranch. She is going into her junior year at Kansas State University and is majoring in business marketing with a minor in agricultural economics. Seth comes to us from Natoma. Going into his senior year at West Point, Seth is majoring in US history. Another Wildcat, Aaron, is also going to be a Senior and is double majoring in history and political science, and is also part of the Air Force ROTC program. I am glad to have them as a part of our team and look forward working with them this summer.
Reintroducing the ACCESS Act
This week I joined Representatives Richard Hudson (R-NC) and Larry Bucshon, M.D. (R-IN) in introducing H.R. 3656, the ACCESS Act, a bill that would provide much needed reforms to medical malpractice. As an OBGYN before serving in Congress, I served as an expert witness in medical liability lawsuits and have seen the many flaws of the system from the inside out.
The ACCESS Act would limit the fees trial lawyers can charge in a health care lawsuit and establishes a fair share rule where damages are allocated in direct proportion of fault. It also ensures that expert witnesses representing either side of a dispute practice medicine in the state where the alleged malpractice was performed.
The Congressional Budget Office estimates these reforms would save well over $50 billion over a 10-years. They also estimate premiums for medical malpractice would drop an average of 25-30% over time. Thankfully, much needed malpractice reform was addressed in Kansas over 20 years ago and I’m thankful that many of our Kansas associations are supportive of this bill.
To learn more about the bill, Click Here.
Dr. Roger Marshall, R-Great Bend, is the First District Kansas Congressman.