Last week, I introduced with my colleague Rep. Betty McCollum (MN-4) H.R. 4705, the Safe at Home Act. The bipartisan bill protects victims of stalking and domestic violence by allowing federal agencies to accept alternate addresses authorized by state law to protect the identity of those who fear for their safety.
For over a decade, Missouri has been running a successful Address Confidentiality Program so that victims of domestic and sexual violence are better protected. I am honored to have worked with Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft and my colleagues to create the Safe at Home Act. The bill will harmonize federal regulations with these great statewide programs. I urge my colleagues to move this measure forward so we can support our great states in their effort to protect the most vulnerable.
On Thursday, I sent a letter to Speaker Pelosi formally requesting that she bring the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) to a vote. It has been over a year since the USMCA was agreed to by the trade negotiators from all three countries. We cannot allow partisan politics to delay this win for Missourians and a win for all Americans.
A few weeks ago, Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced an impeachment inquiry against the president without a vote of the House nor following an established set of processes that were used in the past. Now they are denying most Members of Congress the ability to know what is going on or to participate. As elected Members of Congress we all should have access to the full transcripts and information surrounding their investigations into the President, including attending the closed hearings and interviews.
Currently, democrats are hiding behind closed-doors interviewing individuals of their choice and denying Republicans the opportunity to call witnesses or speak about what they have heard. This dark process allows Democratic committee staff to selectively leak incomplete information to the press in order to help Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff build a narrative against a President his party has vowed to undermine since the day they took the majority.
This is a sham process and not right. The public deserves the right to know what is going on. The President deserves to have counsel there and cross examine witnesses like President Clinton and President Nixon did during inquiries. It’s a matter of due process and a matter of fairness.
The impeachment process is one of the most serious powers given by the Constitution to Congress. As such, the investigation being used to attempt to build yet another case against our President needs to be done in a transparent way where all constituencies are represented. The 746,000 Missourians I represent deserve to have that open process.
This is not about any one party or any one committee. I firmly believe that all members, from freshman Democrats to the highest-ranking Republicans need to have access to all the relevant information. As your representative I will keep advocating to be your eyes, ears, and voice on this very serious matter.
District update
My Field Representative Steve Walsh recently joined about 600 others at Cosmo Park in Columbia to take part in the annual Walk to End Alzheimer’s. This dreaded disease affects nearly five million Americans and touches all racial, ethnic, economic, and social groups. Victims of Alzheimer’s are not only those with the disease, but the caregivers who look after those who have been diagnosed. It touches entire families as sons, daughters, and grandchildren watch a loved on slowly lose connection with the family and forget how to do the simplest tasks.
Having lost my mother to Alzheimer’s, I am very much aware of the impact it has on families. I have met with friends and family members of those who have the disease and have worked in Congress to improve funding to combat Alzheimer’s. Last fall, I supported S. 2076, the BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Act, to authorize $20 million annually from FY2020 to FY 2024 to address the prevention, treatment, and care of Alzheimer’s disease. I remain committed to helping to find a cure for this heartbreaking disease.
Constituent update
I would like to highlight what I consider to be a welcome addition to an already-existing treasure in Missouri’s Fourth Congressional District. New Growth, a community development corporation formed by and affiliated with West Central Community Action Agency and local interests, has initiated programing and services at what is now known as the Liston Center in El Dorado Springs.
The Liston Center is a former elementary school that is now owned by El Do Youth Center, Inc, a local non-profit and is currently home to an innovative, place-based neighborhood engagement initiative that provides job readiness services for adults. It also provides drop-in childcare for adults seeking job training, workshops for community residents, event and meeting space for organizations such as Parents as Teachers, and kitchen space to provide meals to the community. Similar to a program in Springfield, this neighborhood approach seeks to build community connections, family and community self-sufficiency, and neighborhood resilience through local collaboration and public/private partnership.
Yours in service,
Vicky Hartzler
Member of Congress
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