Tough Negotiations. They were a staple of President Trump’s time as an executive and businessman and they have followed him all the way to the White House. Where predecessors have capitulated, the Trump Administration is proving a tough and apt negotiator when foreign leaders come knocking at the door. Whether it be sitting down with the leaders of Mexico, Canada, China and Japan to negotiate fairer deals for American workers and farmers, traveling to Europe to put real and meaningful preconditi... READ MORE
The comeback of rural America, ignited in large part by a President who understands that we are more than just flyover country on the way to Hollywood, has been joined in recent months with new optimism from American small businesses. Whether it be a result of reducing the federal tax burden, slashing thousands of regulations which were tying up valuable business resources and employee time, or a change in the overall atmosphere from one which wants to punish American entrepreneurs to one which ... READ MORE
Whether you’re working on the farm, running your small business or taking care of your family, Missourians wake early every day and work diligently to make ends meet. But not everyone has the resources they need to both put food on the table and keep the lights on in the house. My whole life, my grandparents never had running water. If we wanted to wash our hands, get water to boil potatoes or water to take a bath, we had to go pump the water we needed out of a cistern in the yard. This is how I... READ MORE
Millions of American’s frustration with an outdated, broken and unfair tax code was met symbolically on Tuesday with news that their attempts to file their taxes online was currently ‘unavailable’ and that they should ‘come back on Dec. 31, 9999.” That’s right, the old, clunky and broken tax code – broke the IRS website. Frustrated Missourians who had spent hours trying to do what’s right, trying to comply with their tax obligations before the stated deadline, couldn’t even do so because once ag... READ MORE
Your farm cannot survive by spending more than you make, neither can your business nor your household - the truth is, neither can your government, but politicians seem disinterested in fixing that problem regardless of what the repercussions may be. Over $21 trillion in debt and counting, that's what the current debt clock of the U.S. Government reads. Those are a heck of a lot of IOUs to the owners of American debt - your retirement accounts, the American taxpayer, businesses large and small, a... READ MORE
Every year, I am honored to have the privilege of nominating outstanding young men and women from southern Missouri for appointment to our nation’s finest service academies. In the spring, I am overcome with emotion when calling many of the same students to tell them they have been admitted to one of our nation’s prestigious service academies. Earlier this spring I traveled to West Point and had the opportunity to visit with the cadets I have nominated in recent years and as well as other cadets... READ MORE
During holy week, beyond decorating and hiding eggs and spending time with our family, we celebrate Jesus’ life, death and most importantly His resurrection. As I reflect on the importance of Easter, I think about how new beginnings have benefited us all. While the Friday of the crucifixion brought grief and loss to Jesus’ loved ones, Sunday brought joy when they found that the tomb was empty and Jesus had risen. His death felt like an end, but truly, it was the beginning of eternal life. Growin... READ MORE
As a fourth-generation family farm owner, I know just how important agricultural operations are to Missouri’s economy and our rural communities. Missouri farmers are some of the hardest working people around, and it's a privilege to represent them in the United States Congress. Whether you grow corn or cotton, raise cattle or pigs or run one of the many other ag operations across our great state, your hard work not only feeds and clothes Americans, but millions of other families around the world... READ MORE
Signaling that the priorities and values of the Midwest no longer take a back seat to those of the coastal elite, for the third time in less than eight months, this week President Trump once again visited our great state. Last August, I joined our President in Springfield to officially kick off our push for comprehensive tax reform to reduce the tax burden on American businesses, farmers, families and workers. Three months later, I once again joined the President in St. Charles as we continued t... READ MORE
We are a nation of law and order…or at least that is what we are led to believe. Your elected officials are supposed to honor and uphold the law, not recklessly flaunt and break it, all while potentially putting American lives at risk. But this is exactly what happened in California last week when Oakland Mayor, Libby Schaaf, tweeted a warning to dangerous criminals who are in our country illegally and told them to be on the lookout for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Officers. This on... READ MORE
