I am thrilled to share that two agencies of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will soon be calling the Kansas City-area home. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue announced last week that the USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) and National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) will be relocated to the Kansas City region! Many of my colleagues and I, on both sides of the Missouri-Kansas border, have been working hard to make this a reality since USDA announced the proposal to move the agencies last year.

The simple fact, in the words of Secretary Perdue, is “the Kansas City Region has proven itself to be hub for all things agriculture and is a booming city in America’s heartland.” There is also acknowledgement from the Secretary that the Kansas City area already has a wealth of agricultural talent that will provide “access to a stable labor force for the future.”

Because of the wonderful cost-of-living in the KC area, the USDA will also save $20 million a year on employment costs and rent, which can be used for more research. Additionally, the move puts the two agencies closer to their customers, most of whom are in the Midwest – not Washington.

The final decision is a testament to the wonderful attributes of the Heartland and reflects the hard work of our local Congressional representatives and members of the Kansas City community who did an excellent job highlighting the benefits of relocating these jobs to our area.

The General Services Administration (GSA) this week announced it will be accepting applications for lease space from three counties in the region, including Jackson County, Missouri. There is no doubt that the Kansas City Region, which includes a number of MO-4 counties, will see the benefits of this wonderful decision.

Making Sure our Veterans are Covered

This week I was pleased to introduce bipartisan legislation to aid the medical transportation of our veterans. Under this bill, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) would be allowed to reimburse certain veterans for ambulance transportation required during their medical treatment. Current law allows the VA to reimburse emergency ambulance rides to and emergency treatment at non-VA hospitals until the VA patient is medically stable. But if the veteran is stabilized and then requires continued care at a VA facility, the VA is not allowed to reimburse his or her transportation to that facility.

Obviously, such transportation could incur costs that many veterans cannot afford to pay out of pocket. My bill would repair this hole in the safety net, to ensure that veterans and community health providers are not left holding the bill for costly medical transfer. I am working to move my common-sense legislation through the House and then to the Senate for approval.

Open now: Application period for service academies

This is a good time to remind students who are considering applying to one of the United States Service Academies that the application process, which runs through October 4, 2019, is now open. The academy nomination process requires you to apply through your Congressional offices and directly to the academies. If you have not already contacted the academy of your choice, I would encourage you to do so as soon as possible to ensure you have all the necessary information to apply. My application for 2019 is available on my website here.

The U.S. Service Academies are among the most respected educational programs in the nation. If accepted, students receive their college education for free of charge. The honor of attending one comes with the obligation and commitment to serve in the military for a minimum of five years upon graduation.

I look  forward  to   receiving applications from the many qualified students in our Congressional district.

SCOTUS rules to protect cross honoring WWI heroes

You may have heard before about the Bladensburg Memorial, a 40-foot cross on public land in Maryland that commemorates 49 local soldiers who died in World War I. Several years ago, a humanist group sued Maryland over the cross, claiming that its shape, which is a religious symbol, violated the Establishment Clause. I signed onto two amicus briefs concerning this case: the first petitioned the Supreme Court to hear the case, and the second argued in favor of the Bladensburg Memorial.

I’m happy to report that the Supreme Court ruled the historic cross does not violate the Establishment Clause. This peaceful monument has stood for nearly a century, honoring the memory of 49 local fallen World War I heroes. Faith has always had a prominent role in American society. We should seek to preserve our treasured religious freedom, which is exactly what Thursday’s decision did.

Religiously-based symbols and monuments throughout our country, much like the Bladensburg Cross Memorial, honor all of America’s service men and women who sacrificed their lives for our country. These monuments will continue to honor our religious heritage and honor those who sacrificed to secure our freedoms.

Weekly dose of good news

There is something very special about neighbors helping neighbors during rough times. We saw exactly that when the California Women’s Business Council and other local businesses stepped in to raise money for those affected by the May 22 tornadoes. The California Women’s Business Council, composed of six California, MO business owners, created a “Neighbors Helping Neighbors” raffle fundraiser that brought in over $20,000. Eighty-five businesses from California and other parts of Moniteau County donated raffle prizes for the event. I am so proud of the good people of Moniteau County for taking the initiative and helping their fellow Missourians as they work to recover from the devastating storms.