Work in Washington

A Step in the Right Direction for Veterans

Missouri’s Fourth Congressional District is home to over 60,000 veterans. Each and every day, my office strives to get veterans the resources and assistance they need. Currently, our caseworkers and those advocating on behalf of the veterans must go through an overburdened Department of Veterans Affairs to access the veteran’s records – records that are needed to keep the veteran’s claim progressing. Our goal is to make this process as quick and helpful as possible.

The WINGMAN Act, a bill I am an original cosponsor of, passed the House with my support this past week. This measure will help me and my staff better serve veterans by giving Congress tools to help process VA benefits claims more efficiently and expediently. Specifically, the bill would allow constituent advocates to access the status of a pending claim, medical records, comp and pen records, rating decisions, statement of the case, supplementary statement of the case, notice of disagreement and Form-9 files within a reasonable amount of time. This gives an advocate the information needed to advance a case without having to use the VA as a middleman, hopefully allowing a resolution to be found quicker.

Let states decide

I believe that states are in a unique position to determine what best serves their constituents. In a move to return power to local state governments, I supported and the House passed House Joint Resolution 43, overturning a rule enacted by the previous administration that forces states to send taxpayer funds to abortion providers such as Planned Parenthood. The rule, which was finalized in the “midnight hour” of the Obama Administration, stripped states of their right to direct funds to healthcare providers that do not provide abortion. State governments should be able to distribute funds to meet the needs of their constituents (like the 61 percent of Americans who are overwhelmingly against public funding for abortion). They should be able to decide to not use these funds for abortion providers. Through this resolution, states will again retain that freedom and flexibility in determining where to distribute Title X grant money.

Connecting a rural Missouri

In a day and age where reliable, quick internet access in America has become the norm, many living in rural areas find themselves without this essential connection. Roughly one-fifth of Missourians are unable to purchase high-speed internet. This can prove to be challenging for many businesses, farmers and families as they seek to access valuable information and stay connected in an increasingly digital world. Whether it is access to educational materials, healthcare, or even entertainment, the internet is a powerful tool.

That is why I recently, along with 70 of my colleagues in the House, signed a letter to President Trump urging his infrastructure proposal to Congress to include investments to increase high-speed internet access for our rural communities. The desire for this updated internet access is no longer a want, but a need. To flourish both personally and professionally in the 21st century requires a reliable and fast connection to the information that can only be achieved through broadband. I was happy to sign onto this letter because hardworking Missourians – whether they are surrounded by skyscrapers or pasture–need high-speed access.

‘True Blue’ award

Each year, Family Research Council Action, a non-profit organization that represents hundreds of thousands of families and churches around the nation, awards their annual ‘True Blue’ award to those members who have upheld the values of faith, family, and freedom that were instrumental in the forming of our nation.

As the Chairwoman of the House Values Action Team, these values are at the core of my convictions and I was honored to receive the True blue award for the second session of the 114th Congress. I am proud to be a constant advocate for policies that uphold and protect faith, family and freedom. I look forward to continuing to advance legislation in the 115th Congress that is consistent with these values.

Around Missouri’s Fourth

It is always a great time meeting the people helping shape our future workforce. The Moberly Area Community College and State Fair Community College came by my office on how they are meeting the needs of the workforce by providing the training and education that businesses are looking for in our area so graduates can secure good, high-paying jobs.  I am a big supporter of our community colleges and appreciate the dedicated training that is occurring at reasonable costs.  They are providing a quality education that meets the needs of both students and industry in our area.

It was great to meet with the Missouri Agribusiness Association as part of the Agricultural Retailers Association group. I enjoyed hearing more about how Congress can best serve the agriculture businesses of Missouri and across the nation. I am thankful for organizations like theirs that advocate on behalf of the agriculture community.

Thank you for taking time to read my weekly newsletter.

Have a great week

Vicky Hartzler

Member of Congress