Friends,

This week in D.C. I continued to fight for the rights of babies across the nation. I am thankful for the pro-life community and the men and women of Congress who are willing to fight alongside those who do not have a voice. Fighting for the unborn, and now with the Democrat legislation on the state level that allows infanticide, those babies born alive from botched abortions, is a fight I will never stop fighting. This is very a personal fight for me as I’ve spent my entire life dedicated to bringing life into the world; I will never back down. I am blessed to represent so many men and woman who have made it consistently clear to me that they support me and support those most innocent and vulnerable, the unborn.

In other news this week, we met with many Kansans in here D.C. we touched on a variety of issues and had solution-based discussions ranging from Kansas water to USMCA updates, Home care and Hospice, to Crop Insurance. Our office also sponsored a two-day health symposium!

Now I am back in Sunflower State, enjoying my weekend with town halls and traveling across this Big First to sit down and check in with you! I hope you are available to join me. Stay tuned to our Facebook page where we are consistently posting our upcoming town halls and events.

Sat. 6th 8:30 A.M. – Hays Chamber Legislative Coffee – Fort Hays State University Memorial Union
Sat. 6th 10:30 A.M. – Ellsworth County Town Hall – Ellsworth Antique Mall

The Fight Continues…

Never in my wildest dreams did I think that when I came to Washington, I’d have to fight harder to save babies lives in Congress than I did in my 25 years as a practicing OB-GYN in the delivery room. It is mind-boggling how far the pro-abortion Democrats have gone when they refuse to advance legislation that would protect infants outside of the womb!
House Republicans have asked Nancy Pelosi 29 times now to bring the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act to a vote, every time she has refused. The Born Alive Act would provide protections to babies that survive botched abortions and ensure that they receive the immediate medical care they desperately need.

This week I stood with the Pro-life community, and GOP Members in signing a discharge petition, with enough signatures, this petition would force every representative to go on record as to whether or not they support allowing babies, who survive botched abortions, to live. As a society, we have a moral obligation to stand up for our children. This legislation does just that, and for the life of me, I do not understand how this could be a topic with any room for debate.

Today, sadly only six states report when babies survive abortions, and even in those states it’s severely under-reported by the abortion provider, being that it behooves no abortionist to report this failure on their part (seeing as though their goal was for the baby not to survive the procedure.) Those six states are-Arizona, Florida, Michigan, Minnesota, Oklahoma, and Texas. In 2017 alone, at least 25 babies were born alive during abortions in these states. And again, we don’t know the data for 44 states, including California and New York, where the largest number of abortions happen. To me passing this law is common sense- these babies need this immediate care.
I want to thank the many constituents who have called in support of this legislation.

Outside of the Capitol, we discussed why this legislation is so important to the public and reporters with members, abortion survivors, physicians, and pro-life leaders. I addressed the media by telling very unforgettable experience I had while in residency trying to save a woman and her baby after she was rushed to our hospital following an abortion procedure gone wrong at a nearby abortion clinic.

Watch my remarks below: WARNING IT IS GRAPHIC.

Health Symposium Focuses on Care in Low-Income Communities

Earlier this week I sponsored a multi-day Health Care Symposium at the Library of Congress featuring presentations on graduate medical education, prior authorization, direct primary care, and much more!

It included experts from across the country, and even a keynote address by U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary, a fellow physician, Ben Carson. Secretary Carson discussed the intersection of housing and health care, and the importance of providing safe and affordable housing. He also shared with us his experience from shifting from serving as a physician to HUD Secretary.

The following day I had the privilege of hosting Pastor Stephen Broden. The Pastor spoke to the group about the importance of having medical professionals place a larger emphasis on talking about policies plaguing low-income communities. He expressed his belief that Americans need full transparency when it comes to their health care and called on physicians to advocate for their patients and access to quality care both in and out of the doctor’s office. I am proud to have Pastor Broden working with our office to find solutions for low-income communities.

A huge thank you to all those who spoke and attended this two-day long event, and I assure you all that I am fighting hard to make some critical fixes to our health care system so that health care is affordable, provides families with patient choice, and offers complete cost transparency.

Kansans Stepping up to Help Flood Victims

Our neighbors in Nebraska are recovering from a fatal record-setting flood that took multiple lives, destroyed farmers land, and caused more than 20 counties to evacuate due to the widespread destruction. In true Kansas fashion, I have seen many Kansans posting and praying for Nebraska’s recovery! Kansans have even banded together with groups like the Kansas Farm Bureau and Kansas Livestock association making donations to help Nebraska rebuild after this tragedy that has caused more than 4,400 people to evacuate their homes.

The road to rebuilding their state’s infrastructure will be long and difficult, and in response, groups like Inman High School FFA, Bethany Home in Lindsborg, United Way, Boot Hill Distillery in Dodge, and so many more Kansas organizations are collecting household supplies and donations for Nebraska flood victims.

This week, Addy Tritt from Hays, Kansas made national headlines when she went to her local Payless shoe store and purchased more than 200 pairs of shoes to donate to the Nebraskans impacted by the massive flooding.

I am so proud to be a part of the Sunflower State where people band together to help others through difficult times. I love the compassion and love Kansans have, we help our neighbors in need and our communities, and that mentality extends far and wide as you can see in response to this devastating flood! So proud to be a Kansans and represent such wonderful and thoughtful people!

Kansas Leads in National Bio and Agro-Defense

I had the pleasure of meeting with a diverse group of representatives from different companies in the bioscience industry in Kansas. The Big First is well positioned to benefit from the investments being made as a result of the growth of this unique industry.

We spoke at length about the importance of the work being done at K-State to bring the National Bio and Agro-defense Facility (NBAF) online and how it will spur economic development across the entire State of Kansas.

I was also proud to learn of Kansan Erin Smith, a Thiel Fellow at the age of 18, for being recognized in this year’s Forbes 30 under 30 list. As a teenager, she developed a machine learning tool that can detect the early symptoms of Parkinson’s using only a computer and a remote webcam.

With your help, I look forward to further developing the “Silicon Prairie” as a premiere destination for new business, innovation, and growth that will benefit all Kansans.

Addressing the Cost of Funerals for our Nation’s Veterans

This week I was able to meet with the Kansas Funeral Directors Association. We discussed the importance of a bill I co-sponsored earlier this year, HR 497 – the BRAVE Act of 2019.

In 1917 Congress passed a law that authorized a burial allowance fund to cover funeral expenses for certain veterans. In 1973, they updated this law to better define the allowances for veterans based on whether their cause of death was related to their service or not. This law allowed for $2,000 to be issued to the families for the veteran’s funeral if their death was service- related, $780 if the veteran’s cause of death is not service-connected and they passed in a VA facility and $300 if their cause of death was not service-related.

However, back in 1973, the average cost of a funeral was between $1,200- $2,000 today the average funeral cost is between $7,000 and $9,000. That is why Congress introduced this legislation which examines these allowances and updates them so that they reflect the current cost and account for inflation.

Additionally, they brought to my attention HR 1835 – the Consensual Donation and Research Integrity Act of 2019. As of today, there is a lack of oversight on the donation of human remains. This legislation will be a safeguard and make sure that each remain goes to its respectful place. It will do this by creating a registration and tracking system. I am thankful for this educational meeting with them and their staff!

Addressing America’s Most Expensive Disease

This week I met with the Alzheimer Association and in this meeting I was joined by Glenda Owens from Garden City, Kansas. She shared her story about her father’s struggle with Alzheimer’s. In our meeting, the Association asked me to support funding for the BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Act. Passed last Congress, this law authorizes $37 million over seven years to fund research and centers of excellence specifically for Alzheimer’s. I reassured them that I absolutely was behind them. I had voted yes for this bill and was happy to join my colleagues in sending it to the President’s desk.

Alzheimer’s, America’s most expensive disease, cost our healthcare system $277 billion last year, with Medicare and Medicaid paying for the majority of it. Alzheimer’s is a degenerative neurological disease affecting 5.5 million Americans. And sadly, this figure is expected to triple by 2050. Until a cure is found, we need to ensure patients have access to hospice and palliative care professionals to improve their quality of life.

For this reason, I am a cosponsor of HR 647, the Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act, legislation that will provide funding support for Palliative Care and Hospice Education Centers and promote graduate medical education programs. In addition, it will enhance research in this field to build best practices and develop a more effective workforce.

I have also submitted a request to the Appropriations Committee to fully fund the 21st Century Cures Act BRAIN Initiative at the National Institutes of Health. Funded at the full level, Congress will continue to support health innovation and advancement to one day find a cure for this destructive and cruel disease!

USDA Improves Website for Farmers!

The week, the USDA launched two new features on farmers.gov. These two new features will help farmers with their H2A Applications and managing loans. Farmers across the country have said time and time again that they would like for the USDA to come up with innovative ways to support our farmers. I am glad to see that they have listened to farmers call to action and are making their website easier and more efficient to use!

Click Here for more information.

Submit Your Artwork!

Please send all entries to [email protected]. DEADLINE IS APRIL 19th.

Plainville Sale Barn Unpaid Livestock Sellers Meeting

For those of you who are interested there will be a meeting at the Nova Theater in Stockton, Kansas on April 12th at 2:30 P.M.

The presentation will be “Legal Issues Resulting From Livestock Buyer Bankruptcy” by Roger McEowen.

Click Here for more details!

Dr. Roger Marshall, R-Great Bend, is the Kansas First District Congressman.