MARSHALL: Doctor’s Note Sept. 14

On Wednesday morning, I joined other Members of Congress on the steps of the Capitol in a moment of silence and prayer for those who perished on September 11, 2001. We also honored those first responders and troops who have fought and sacrificed since, and upheld the tradition of singing God Bless America. “One nation under God, indivisible…”

We will never forget.

WOTUS Rule Repealed

On Thursday, the Trump Administration announced the repeal of the Obama-era 2015 Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule, bringing consistency and reliability back across all states.

This decision will scale back the federal government’s overreach of authority and restore longstanding and familiar Clean Water Act (CWA) regulations. The announcement is the first step of a two step process that will lead to a new definition of WOTUS that will limit the scope of waters regulated by the federal government.

For more information on the rulemaking process, repeal of the 2015 Rule, and the revised definition of WOTUS, click here.

Born-Alive Act Hearing

This week, I took part in a hearing on the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, which would protect babies born alive following an attempted abortion. As an OB-GYN who’s delivered over 5,000 babies, I never thought I’d be fighting harder to save babies’ lives in the halls of Congress than in the delivery room. I am appalled Nancy Pelosi and House Democrats have blocked a vote on this bill 80 times. To address this issue, I’m preparing to introduce new legislation which would provide funding to states ensuring abortion survivors receive appropriate health care. We must end infanticide. To see my questioning at the hearing, click here.

Honoring Fallen Soldiers Online

Recently, the VA announced the creation of the Veterans Legacy Memorial, the country’s first digital platform dedicated entirely to memory preservation for the millions of Veterans interred in VA national cemeteries. Each Veteran will have their own memorial page on a web-based platform, to provide a memorial that extends beyond the boundaries of a national cemetery. This a great use of 21st century technology to honor our Veterans for the rest of time.

For more information about the Veterans Legacy Memorial, click here.

American Cancer Society meeting

It was great to meet with Kansan patient advocates this week during the American Cancer Society’s Hill Day. Having worked with them over the past several years, I rely on them to provide me with updates on the value of basic medical research.

As a physician, I need innovative tools and medicine to help my patients and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) plays a vital role in basic medical research. To this end, I dedicate time each year advocating for robust funding to NIH. Another important topic we addressed was the need for palliative care and hospice education and training. H.R. 647, the Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act, which was passed by the House last Congress, will award grants to improve the training of health professionals in palliative care. Additionally, it will enhance research in this field to build best practices for a more effective workforce.

K-State Leading On Agriculture Research

On Thursday, I met with Kansas State University’s Distinguished Professor of Agronomy, Dr. Charles Rice, was awarded the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize. Dr. Rice and I discussed my continued support for agricultural research funding.

We also discussed an announcement made earlier in the day by the U.S. Department of Agriculture awarding $77.8 million in research that will focus on sustaining a more abundant, nutritious, and accessible food supply. As part of this investment, eight land-grant universities, led by Kansas State University, will conduct projects aimed at integrating sustainable agricultural approaches covering the entire food production system. Over the next five years, this grant will fund up to ten faculty, twelve graduate students, and provide countless opportunities to undergraduates at K-State.

This project is part of a new program, Sustainable Agricultural Systems, within the National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s (NIFA) flagship competitive grants program, the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI). For more information on these peer reviewed competitive grants, click here.

Growth Energy Fueling Growth Award

This week, I was honored to receive Growth Energy’s 2019 “Fueling Growth” Award presented by producers and supporters of the ethanol and biodiesel industries from across Kansas. As a co-chairman of the House Biofuels Caucus, I work with organizations like Growth Energy and their members in Kansas to help feed the world and fuel America in ways that achieve energy independence, improve economic well-being, and create a healthier environment for all Americans.

Kansas Electric Co-Op Meeting

It was great catching up with friends from the Kansas Electric Co-operatives, who were in town this week to discuss issues impacting co-ops across the state. We chatted about the ways that electric co-ops are partnering with regional and local partners to help with rural broadband deployment, utilizing some of the funds we included in last year’s Farm Bill.

We also discussed ways that electric co-ops are improving energy efficiency and including more environmentally friendly energy sources in their energy portfolios, such as solar and wind power.

Sunflower Electric from Hays was at the meeting, and I recently joined them as they broke ground on a new solar farm in southwest Kansas, two miles south of Johnson City.

Once completed it will be the largest solar farm in the state.

It’s great to hear how co-ops are innovating and using new technologies to improve service and drive down the costs for their customers.

Kansas Chamber of Commerce in D.C.

On Thursday morning, I met with the Kansas Chamber of Commerce, where I shared my thoughts on workforce development, health care, and trade. Across the state, industry leaders have been sharing concerns in retaining a qualified workforce, and are constantly looking for new partnerships to train the next generation to meet their growing demands. We also talked about my ideas to increase transparency, spur innovation, and increase consumerism as a way to drive down the overall cost of healthcare. Finally, we talked about trade and how agreements, such as USMCA, deliver wins for our farmers, ranchers, businesses and workers back home. It was great to spend the morning with them and I’m looking forward to continuing these conversations back in Kansas!

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