Last week, Secretary of State John Kerry and the Obama Administration, along with China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and Germany, negotiated a deal to lift economic sanctions on Iran, a deal that makes a dangerous area more volatile. When it comes to the interests of America, a bad deal with Iran is worse than no deal, and this is a very bad deal. The weak deal the Obama Administration negotiated is based on the hope that in 10 or 15 years the world is dealing with a kinder, gentler Iran;... READ MORE
In 1970, Ronald Reagan said, "Welfare's purpose should be to eliminate, as far as possible, the need for its own existence." Now, more than four decades later, we have over 80 federal programs designed to help lower-income Americans, at a cost of $800 billion. These programs do not always incentivize people to become independent through work. Instead, in many cases, they encourage people to stay on assistance. That’s why I introduced the Reducing Poverty through Employment Act to make fighting p... READ MORE
This week the House of Representatives voted to improve our national forests with The Resilient Federal Forests Act. This bipartisan bill helps the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service provide more efficient land management while protecting the environment. Our district is rich with natural resources, and one of the most abundant is timber. In southeast and southern Missouri, we manufacture everything from railroad ties and telephone poles, to cabinets and wine barrels. But radical e... READ MORE
Within the last two weeks, the Supreme Court of the United States made some significant and controversial decisions, three of which especially impact our area. First, the Supreme Court ruled to allow same-sex marriage in all states. Second, they chose to interpret Obamacare, not as it was intended, but as they wished it was written. And, third, they appropriately reined in the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Obama Administration’s overzealous regulations. The Supreme Court ruled th... READ MORE
This Fourth of July will mark 239 years since 56 brave patriots from the original 13 colonies declared America’s independence from Great Britain. In the Declaration of Independence, American colonists recognized that “all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” The list of grievances with Britain was long and included standing armies kept among the colonies during peace time, ... READ MORE
Next week, my conservative colleagues and I will vote to repeal the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB) in Obamacare, often called the “Death Panel,” and to preserve Medicare for America’s seniors. This panel, hand-selected by the president, is tasked with recommending cuts to Medicare without congressional input. If health care spending gets too high, IPAB is charged with deciding which care to prioritize and which care to cut. Obamacare gave IPAB unprecedented power with no accountabilit... READ MORE
On Monday, President Obama didn’t have a strategy to train Iraqi forces in the fight against ISIS. In fact, at a press conference in Germany he made it clear that the he had “no complete plan.” That’s almost exactly the same thing he said ten months ago, when he admitted “we don’t have a strategy yet.” Just two days after this week’s admission, the president suddenly authorized up to 450 more troops to be sent to Iraq to advise Iraqi forces. Americans deserve better than knee-jerk foreign policy... READ MORE
In 2014, members of the House Ways and Means Committee sent a letter to the Department of Justice calling for the criminal prosecution of former Internal Revenue Service Director of the Exempt Organizations Division Lois Lerner. Instead, the IRS worker who used her position to abuse conservative organizations was awarded bonuses of $129,000 and given a pension, all while in contempt of Congress. Taxpayers, of course, footed the bill. Enough is enough and I am demanding answers. Last week, I wrot... READ MORE
This week we scored a major victory for the rule of law when a federal judge upheld a lower court’s order to stop implementation of President Obama’s executive amnesty. This is the latest development in a court case filed by 26 states to halt President Obama’s actions which would prevent illegal immigrants from being deported. The Obama administration has shown a clear disregard for the rule of law, the separation of powers laid out in the Constitution, and the rights guaranteed to American citi... READ MORE
Almost 250 years ago our Founding Fathers eloquently wrote that the inalienable right to life isn’t granted by Congress or any legislature, but is endowed by our Creator. Sadly, even as our scientific knowledge and medical expertise advance, this inalienable right is still being debated in Washington, D.C. We know that caring doctors and nurses today can save babies born prematurely at 20 weeks and help them go on to lead normal lives. But, sadly, the opportunity to grow and thrive is not protec... READ MORE
