Every year, we promise to never forget. We recall where we were and what we were feeling on September 11, 2001. I remember being in law school at Oklahoma City University and knowing immediately the world would never be the same. But too often we fail to remember the totality of loss. As I pause and reflect this week, I think about the thousands of lives that were changed forever: we lost 2,977 souls on that fateful day. The victims were passengers and crew, businessmen and businesswomen, milita... READ MORE
This week has been a tough week for my family and me. Earlier this week, my father passed away. It is never easy to lose a parent, and I, unfortunately felt that up close this week. Regardless of age, what they have accomplished in life, or what they have left behind, when a loved one says goodbye everything else is put into perspective. This hard lesson of loss has reminded me of all the other lessons my dad imparted on me throughout his life. My dad was a mechanic and he owned an auto repair s... READ MORE
As the unofficial ending to summer has arrived, I am thinking how lucky I was to be able to spend the summer traveling throughout southern Missouri and getting time with the farmers, families, and local agricultural businesses who proudly call our area home. The industry and ingenuity I have seen is a testament to the hardworking nature of our community. The connections made, feedback received, ideas generated, and questions answered at family farms, Ag townhall forums, and business visits have ... READ MORE
I have always said that southern Missouri is home to some of the most dedicated and talented farmers, workers, and families anywhere. Our workforce has an undeniable strength and tenacity; employers are now recognizing this and finding out that our home is one of the best places to expand, invest, grow and hire. Briggs & Stratton first came to Poplar Bluff 30 years ago and they saw the high standard to which our workforce holds themselves. Recently, the company spent a great deal of time decidin... READ MORE
“Perhaps the Court can heal itself before the public demands it be restructured in order to reduce the influence of politics.” This is the warning that Senate Democratic Leaders, and one of their nominees for President, delivered to the Supreme Court earlier this week. It is part of Chuck Schumer, Nancy Pelosi, and liberal elites continued disdain for our Constitution and the laws of this country. Leftists and their progressive representatives had no problem with the federal bench when its make... READ MORE
Last month we celebrated over 240 years of our nation’s independence, but this Saturday we celebrate an equally momentous occasion: Missouri statehood. For 198 years, rural Missouri values have instilled the tenets of individual liberty, moral responsibility, and the importance of providing for your family. My family has proudly called Missouri home since long before it was a state, and as a seventh-generation Missourian, I could not be prouder of our noble state for reaching its 198thbirthday. ... READ MORE
Our nation thrives when we take power away from Washington bureaucrats and give it back to the people. That was an important theme this week as I began my annual summer visits to southern Missouri farming operations. I made stops in 12 of the 30 counties I have the honor of representing in Congress and appreciated all the farmers, business owners and their families that took time to share their personal stories and concerns about the federal government with me. The Obama Administration weaponize... READ MORE
“Southern Missouri is home to the most diverse Agriculture found anywhere in the country.” It is a line I have repeated more times than I can count. It is what I say when educating other elected officials serving in the U.S. Congress who might think of us as flyover country, or when I talk to Washington bureaucrats who have never stepped foot in Missouri let alone on a farm. I’m quick to point out how drastically different and more costly their lives and the lives of the folks they represent wou... READ MORE
Spending nights at my home in Missouri, working on my family farm, visiting with friends, neighbors and farmers – asking them how I can help, it’s the reason I take the first flight home I can when voting in Congress is done for the week. I’ve never felt comfortable in Washington, nor do I want to. But this week, more than others, made me long to be around Missourians. It was one of those weeks where the agenda put forth by Speaker Pelosi and her band of progressives made me sad for the directio... READ MORE
History was made again this week in your United States House of Representatives, but as we have come to expect under the democrat majority led by Speaker Pelosi, it was for all the wrong reasons. For the last 60 years, the annual vote in Congress to authorize your Department of Defense has been conducted in a bipartisan manner with both Republicans and Democrats coming together to support our military and it’s mission. The National Defense Authorization Act is an important vote that determines h... READ MORE
