MARSHALL: Doctor’s Note Nov. 18

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

Friends,

Last Monday was a day to stop and say “thank you” for the sacrifice our veterans have made for us. Each veteran has served differently, but all put country above self and did their part to protect our freedoms and keep us safe.

Veterans don’t just serve us while in uniform – many return home to continue serving and enriching their communities. Last Monday was the start of MILITARY WEEK in my office, where my staff and I focused on highlighting some of the great veterans living and working in the Big First District of Kansas.

We live in the greatest country in the world, and it is our veterans who made it so. I hope everyone had the opportunity to take a moment to thank and honor those who served and I hope you all had a happy Veterans Day.

Impeachment Updates

Many Kansans have told me it’s tough to keep up with all the news from the impeachment hearings.

To help folks stay informed on impeachment developments, I’m starting a regular update in which I’ll provide simple and concise summaries about the most important hearings, testimonies, and other facts related to the impeachment inquiry.

If you are interested in receiving these updates, Click Here to sign up.

USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue with Rep. Roger Marshall

Touring NIFA and ERS Location

I joined USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue in Kansas City for a tour of the new home of the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) and Economic Research Service (ERS).

There is no better place in America for the USDA’s new agriculture research headquarters to be located than in the Kansas City region. The relocation of ERS and NIFA will build on the region’s competitive advantage in agriculture and will make hundreds of good-paying jobs available to Kansans, which will in turn grow the Kansas economy.

This relocation is only possible thanks to the efforts of President Trump and Secretary Perdue, who continue to deliver on their promise to prioritize American agriculture and revitalize the heartland.

The Importance of Meaningful Data in Healthcare

My colleague and fellow physician, Rep. Ami Bera, and I wrote an op-ed featured in the The Hill on improving maternal health. Maternal deaths fell in the 20th century, only to rise again in the past two decades. The Preventing Maternal Deaths Act signed into law last December empowered states and local communities to identify how and where our society is failing moms. Building on these efforts, we discuss the potential impact of meaningful data combined with proper health care incentives, from conception through postpartum.

Supporting Veterans

For too long, too many veterans have suffered from homelessness but the Trump Administration has taken the issue head-on and on Tuesday, U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Ben Carson announced new veteran homelessness figures showing a continued decline in the number of homeless veterans.

In Kansas, the number of unsheltered veterans has decreased by 33% from 2010 to 2019. This reduction can be attributed to intense planning and targeted interventions, including the close collaboration between HUD and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

No veteran should return home from war and find themselves without a home. While this is a fantastic start our mission to support our veterans is never done.

If you know a veteran without adequate shelter, contact my office or the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans at 1-877-4AID-VET or Click Here.

USDA Announces Additional Support

U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue last week announced another round of Market Facilitation Payments (MFP) to help farmers and ranchers deal with the continued impacts of ongoing trade disruptions and non-tariff barriers to exports.

President Trump is delivering on his promise to take care of producers while he works to deliver free, fair and reciprocal trade agreements for farmers and ranchers. Producers have until Dec. 6 to sign up for the program.

To learn more about eligibility for MFP, Click Here.

Women-Owned Business Workshop

Small businesses face many challenges, especially when it comes to contracting with the federal government. Wednesday, Kansas Department of Commerce will be partnering with local groups in Salina to host a Women-Owned Business Workshop, focusing on how women-owned businesses can grow by taking advantage of government contracting opportunities. They will hold information sessions on the criteria, process and benefits that come with being a certified Woman Business Enterprise (WBE). They will also highlight how government contracting can assist with growing your business and the federal resources available for small business support.

The event will be held from 9:00 A.M. to 11:00 A.M. Wednesday, November 20th, at the Salina Chamber of Commerce Annex, 120 West Ash St.

If you are interested in attending email [email protected] to register.

Childcare Roundtable

Rep. Katherine Clark (D-MA) and I co-hosted a bipartisan roundtable with industry experts and business-leader organization, ReadyNation, on addressing the childcare crisis in America. This roundtable was a follow up to the working group meeting I led in Manhattan over the summer. During the discussion industry leaders shared their success stories, collaborations, failures, and current limitations for making childcare affordable and accessible to the American workforce.

I am currently looking into some proposals that enable businesses to get tax credits under a cooperative or establish a pilot program for such cooperatives, and I’m also looking at better leveraging funding opportunities that could help provide communities – both urban and rural – investment opportunities for building up an infrastructure that supports working parents.

MISSION Act Forum

As part of our ongoing mission to serve our veterans, my staff and I continue to look for ways to keep our veterans informed of their health care options and opportunities.

My office partnered with Newman Regional Health in Emporia, to host a community forum to share information about health care options available to veterans through the VA’s MISSION Act, which went into effect this summer.

Tyler Mason, my office’s military liaison and a veteran himself, spoke about our work to assist veterans who want to utilize the VA MISSION Act to receive their health care from a local provider.